"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
— Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Romans 8:1 is the "no condemnation" verse, the opening line of one of the best-loved chapters in Paul's letter to the Romans. This page gives the verse, why some Bibles print a longer version, where it sits in Romans 7 and 8, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about guilt, Bible verses about forgiveness, and Bible verses about justification.
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The verse
The King James reads: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
The KJV's last clause ("who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit") is found in later Greek manuscripts but not in the earliest ones, so most modern translations end the verse at "Christ Jesus." The same words appear in all translations at the end of verse 4.
"Therefore" is ara (G686), drawing a conclusion from what came before. "Now" is nyn (G3568), at the present time. "No" is the strong negative oudeis (G3762), not even one, and "condemnation" is katakrima (G2631), a judicial sentence of guilt and the penalty that follows it.
Where it sits in Romans 7 and 8
Romans 7 ends with Paul's honest cry about his struggle with sin: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25).
Romans 8:1 answers that cry, and verse 2 gives the reason: "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." The chapter goes on to adoption by God, hope in suffering, and ends with nothing being able to separate believers from God's love (Romans 8:38-39).
What the verse is saying
Paul is not saying that people in Christ stop struggling. Romans 7 shows he still did. He is saying the verdict has changed. For those "in Christ Jesus," the sentence of condemnation is not reduced or delayed; there is none.
The reason is not the person's record but where they stand: "in Christ." Earlier in the letter Paul says the same thing another way: "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). For the love behind it, see Romans 5:8.
Questions people ask
What does Romans 8:1 say?
In the NIV it says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The KJV reads, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
What does Romans 8:1 mean?
It means that people who belong to Christ are no longer under God's sentence of condemnation for sin. It answers the struggle Paul describes at the end of Romans 7, and verse 2 explains that the Spirit has set them free from the law of sin and death.
Why is Romans 8:1 longer in the KJV?
The KJV follows later Greek manuscripts that add "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." The earliest manuscripts end the verse at "Christ Jesus," so most modern translations do too. The phrase still appears at the end of Romans 8:4.
What comes after Romans 8:1?
Verse 2: "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."
What other verses are like Romans 8:1?
Romans 5:1 (peace with God through faith), Romans 8:33-34 (who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?), and 2 Corinthians 5:17 (in Christ, the new creation has come) are close companions.
