The Revised Version correctly omits “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” Since the King James translation,
over 300 years ago, many., and the best, most accurate, ancient Greek manuscripts which we have, have been recovered; and
earnest, godly men have gone steadily ahead with the tedious but fruitful work of correcting errors that had crept in in copying.
For, as we all know, we have not the original manuscripts of Scripture: God has been pleased to withhold these from creatures
so prone to idolatry as the sons of men.
We must close verse 1 with the words “in Christ Jesus,” for four reasons: (1) The evidence of the Greek manuscripts is
overwhelmingly in favor of the omission of the clause “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit” from verse 1,—as the
evidence is universally for including these words in Verse 4. (2) Spiritual discernment also agrees, for the introduction of these
words in verse I makes our safety depend upon our walk, and not upon the Spirit of God, But all in Christ Jesus are safe from
condemnation, as is plainly taught throughout the epistles. Otherwise, our security depends on our walk, and not on our position
in Christ. (3) The clause is plainly in proper place at the end of verse 4,—where the manner of the believer’s walk, not his safety,
from condemnation, is described. (4) That the clause at the end of verse 1 in the King James is a gloss (marginal note by some
copyist) appears not only from its omission by the great uncial manuscripts, Aleph, A, B, C, D, F, G; A, D (corr.); with some
good cursives and ancient versions (see Olshausen, Meyer, Alford, J. F. and B., and Darby’s excellent discussion in his
Synopsis,
in loc
); but it also appears from the similarity of this gloss to like additions made through legal fear, found in other passages.
That God chose to have His Word translated and still authoritative is seen from the use in the New Testament of the Greek
translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint.
We should thank God for those devoted men who have spent their lifetimes in profound study of the manuscripts God has
left us, and who have given us so marvelously perfect a translation as we have. We should distinguish such scholars absolutely
and forever from the arrogant “Modernists” (or, in former days, the “Higher Critics”). who undertake to tell us what God ought
to say in the Bible, rather than with deep humility seeking to find out what God has said.
166
Here we have at the very beginning of the chapter, one of the most common words of argument in Paul’s epistles—for (Gr. gar).
It occurs some 17 times in this Eighth Chapter, and about one half as many in Chapter Seven, etc. In general, it
assigns the
reason
. Let us not be among those who avoid Paul’s epistles because of the mental attention they demand. Most people would
rather read a novel or go to the picture shows than study. A chapter with 17 “fors” in it, is closely knit, and must be patiently
followed. Unmeasured blessing will result.
May very well be the case but what do you do with the fact that the whole passage is about putting the flesh to death and walking in the Spirit. The words, "who walk according to the Spirit are reinterated in the whole chapter:
<DIR>Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:
Rom 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
Rom 8:8 and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:
Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Rom 8:26 And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;
Rom 8:27 and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
Rom 8:30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth;
Rom 8:34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
Rom 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
</DIR>
