Romans 8:11 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

But ('And') if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you - i:e., 'If He dwell in you as the Spirit of the Christ-raising One,' or 'in all the resurrection-power which He put forth in raising Jesus,'

He that raised up Christ from the dead. Observe here (what Bengel notes, and after him Meyer, Alford and Philippi) the significant change of name from JESUS, as the historical Individual whom God raised from the dead, to CHRIST, the same Individual, considered as the Lord and Head of all His members, or of redeemed Humanity. 'Jesus (says Bengel) points to Himself; Christ to us: the one, as His proper name, relates to His Person; the other, as an appellative, to His office.'

Shall also quicken your mortal bodies - rather, 'shall quicken even your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you х dia (G1223) tou (G3588) enoikountos (G1774) autou (G846) pneumatos (G4151)]. Our version has here followed Beza's text (which Elzevir also does), deviating from the Received Text (of Stephens), which has 'by reason of His Spirit that dwelleth in you' х dia (G1223) to (G3588) enoikoun (G1774) autou (G846) pneuma (G4151)]. The external evidence for both readings is good; but it certainly preponderates in favour of the latter reading-`by reason of;' and internal evidence is decidedly on the same side, since it would be much more natural for a copyist to write "by His Spirit," even though wrong, than the more unusual phrase, 'by reason of His Spirit,' though right х dia (G1223) with the accusative is supported by B D E F G K L, and far the most of the cursives; by the old Latin and Vulgate, ('propter'), the Peshito and Thebaic versions; by Origen, Chrysostom (in this text and the comment on it), and of the Latin fathers, Irenaeus (in the Latin), Tertullian, Hilary, Augustine, and others - dia (G1223) with the genitive is in 'Aleph (') A C, about 15 cursives, the Philox.

Syriac, Memphitic, and both AEthiopic versions; with several Greek fathers. See an interesting dispute, as to which was the most ancient reading, in Athanas., quoted by Reiche and Tischendorf. Lachmann and Tischendorf both adopted Beza's reading (with gen.) in their earlier and smaller editions, and both in their later and larger have abandoned it for the acc. reading, adopted by Tregelles]. The sense may be thus conveyed: 'Your bodies indeed are not exempt from the death which sin brought in, but your spirits even now have in them an undying life; and if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, even these bodies of yours, though they yield to the last enemy and the dust of them return to the dust as it was, shall yet experience the same resurrection as that of their living Head, in virtue of the indwelling of the same Spirit in you that quickened Him.'

Romans 8:11

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies byd his Spirit that dwelleth in you.