Lectionary Year B
June 15, 2003
Trinity Sunday
Romans 8:12-17

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) Comparing the New Living Translation and the New Revised Standard Version

12b you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. - NLT
we are debtors, not of the flesh, to live according to the flesh. - NRSV

13c you turn from it and its evil deeds, - NLT
you put to death the deeds of the body, - NRSV

15 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave like instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family -calling him "Father, dear Father." - NLT
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" - NRSV

16a and b For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us - NLT
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that - NRSV

17a and b And since we are his children, we will share his treasurers-for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. - NLT
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ- - NRSV

17c But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. - NLT
if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. - NRSV

B. Textural Criticism

(JFC) 13 Instead of tou/ sw,matoj, "of the body/the physical body", some western witnesses have, thj sarkoj, similar word (flesh) similar use, simply repeating the word already used three times in these two brief verses. The different word seems originally appropriate, because the gist of the message warrants a different term to make the point. 16 One western witness adds, wste, at the beginning of the sentence, "for this reason", "therefore", "so", which might have been original in order to make more manageable the transition between such varied messages as the two verses carry. 17 Near the end of the verse, kai., is omitted by Papyrus 46 and a few others, probably because it seems to them redundant and/or minimizing of the emphasis warranted here.

C. Rough Translation

(JFC) 12 Therefore now, brothers, debtors are we not to/in the flesh/physical body of which according to the flesh to live [infinitive], 13 for if according to the flesh you [pl] live, you [pl] are going to die/face death; but if by/in (the) spirit the deeds of the body/dead body/corpse you kill/put to death [present, active, indicative], you shall live [future, middle, indicative]. 14 For in as much as in the Spirit of God they are led, these the children of God they are. 15 For not did you receive a spirit of slavery again to/toward fear, rather you got/received a spirit of adoption, in which we cry out, "Abba the Father". 16 That (is) the Spirit shows to be true/gives evidence in support of to the spirit of yours for/that we are children of God. 17 But if children, also heirs; heirs with God, but sharing together of Christ, since we suffer together in order that also we are glorified together [aorist, passive, subjunctive].



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