What does Romans 8:8 mean by "those controlled by the flesh cannot please God"? Canonical Text and Immediate Context Romans 8:8 : “Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.” Paul’s sentence concludes a thought stream running from Romans 7:24–8:11. The apostle has contrasted two spheres of existence: “flesh” (sarx) and “Spirit” (pneuma). Verse 7 states that “the mind of the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Verse 9 then pivots: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” Verse 8 is therefore a verdict on every person whose governing principle remains sarx. Key Terms: “Flesh” (sarx) and “Controlled” (ontes) • Sarx in Pauline usage is ethical, not merely anatomical. It denotes fallen human nature—self-reliant, God-resisting, sin-enslaved (cf. Galatians 5:19-21). • Ontes is a present participle, describing a settled state of being, not an occasional lapse. • Aresai (“to please”) appears in Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” The same impossibility underlies Romans 8:8. Total Inability: A Theological Diagnosis Paul affirms moral inability, not mere unwillingness. Just as a corpse cannot respond to stimuli (Ephesians 2:1), so an unregenerate person cannot produce God-pleasing righteousness (Isaiah 64:6). The condition is spiritual death, not sickness. Old-Covenant Foreshadowing Leviticus highlights that blemished sacrifices are unacceptable (Leviticus 22:20). Humanity, blemished by sin from Adam (Romans 5:12), is therefore intrinsically disqualified. Romans 8:3 says “God did what the law could not do… by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin.” Thus verse 8 prepares for verse 9’s solution: indwelling Spirit through Christ’s atonement. Christological Resolution Only the incarnate Son lived “in the flesh” yet perfectly pleased the Father (Matthew 3:17; John 8:29). By His resurrection—attested by the empty tomb, post-crucifixion appearances to over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8), and historically early creedal transmission embedded in v.3-5—He proved victory over the flesh’s curse. Union with the risen Christ transfers His pleasing righteousness to believers (2 Corinthians 5:21). Pneumatological Transformation Ezekiel 36:26-27 foretold a new heart and Spirit. Romans 8:9–11 fulfills that promise: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Regeneration is thus prerequisite for pleasing God. Moral ability is restored only when the Spirit liberates the will (John 8:36; Galatians 5:16). Practical Ethics: Evidence of the New Nature Romans 8 later lists Spirit-enabled behaviors: perseverance (v.25), hope amid suffering (v.18), prayer aligned with God’s will (v.26-27), and conformity to Christ’s image (v.29). A professed believer habitually ruled by fleshly works (Galatians 5:19-21) must examine whether the Spirit truly indwells (2 Corinthians 13:5). Early Church Witness Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5.10.1 (c. 180 AD) cites Romans 8:8 to assert that “they who are in the flesh cannot please God unless by faith they receive remission.” Tertullian (On the Resurrection 43) uses the verse to defend bodily resurrection: only Spirit-quickened flesh will ultimately satisfy God. Patristic unanimity underscores its doctrinal weight. Pastoral Application Believers: cultivate Spirit-dependency; mortify flesh by setting the mind on things above (Romans 8:5; Colossians 3:1-3). Seek daily filling (Ephesians 5:18) and community accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25). Skeptics: acknowledge inability, heed Christ’s invitation, and receive the Spirit by faith (John 1:12-13). Summary Statement Romans 8:8 declares an absolute: as long as a person’s governing principle remains the fallen flesh, pleasing God is impossible. The verse exposes the futility of self-effort and drives the reader to the sole remedy—regeneration through the crucified and risen Christ, mediated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. |
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