In Romans 7 and 8 Paul seems to contradict himself. I know that isn’t the case at all, but would like your insight. In Romans 7:14 he talks about himself being carnal and then in 8 I believe its vs 6 he talks about being carnal is death. Can you please explain? And also in Romans 8:1 in the kjv he says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who live after the spirit and not after the flesh. Can you please explain? And why do the other versions only say “for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ” and they don’t finish the verse the way the kjv does?
In Romans 7 Paul said no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t live up to God’s standards (Romans 7:18-19), and ended by saying how thankful he is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
(Many scholars believe the phrase “who live after the spirit and not after the flesh” was added later since it doesn’t appear in the earliest copies of Romans 8:1.)
In Romans 8:5-6 Paul was contrasting people who have their minds set on living according to the sin nature as opposed to those who have their minds set on living according to the Spirit.
Believers have their minds set on living according to the Spirit even though they can’t do so completely. It’s the motive of their heart that God evaluates, not their failure to achieve perfection, and since Jesus died to cover all our sins that’s why there’s no condemnation.