Tag Archives: Romans 8:5

Οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. (Romans 8:5) Two Ways of Being, Two Ways of Thinking

Romans 8:5 is a model of Pauline parallelism and theological contrast, presented with clear prepositional logic. It divides all people into two categories — those who are “according to the flesh” and those who are “according to the Spirit” — and then correlates each group with its way of thinking.

 

This verse’s grammar hinges on:

Attributive participial phrases that define identity

Prepositional phrases that express orientation

Parallel neuter noun phrases indicating domains of thought

A simple but powerful verb: φρονοῦσιν (“they think / set their minds on”)

 

We’ll explore the verse’s elegant syntax using a clear table structure.… Learn Koine Greek