Limitless Word
and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Romans 1:4 · New King James Version · underlined terms are tappable
Parallel translations
  • WEB who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
  • KJV And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
  • BSB and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • NASB who was declared the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
  • NLT and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus was powerfully declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. The resurrection vindicates His identity and lordship.

Overview

Having spoken of Christ's humanity (v.3), Paul now speaks of His being 'declared' or appointed Son of God in power through the resurrection. The resurrection by the Spirit publicly demonstrated who Jesus always was. Christians have understood this not as Jesus becoming the Son at the resurrection, but as His eternal Sonship being openly manifested and vindicated. He is 'Jesus Christ our Lord.'

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Heb 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
  • Heb 5:5–6So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.”
  • Eph 1:19–23and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might
  • Acts 13:33–35that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’
  • 2 Cor 13:4For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
  • Acts 5:30–32The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.
  • John 2:18–21The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
  • 1 Pet 1:11searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them.
  • Rom 1:3concerning his Son, who was born of the offspring of David according to the flesh,
  • Acts 17:31because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
  • Acts 3:15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
  • Acts 2:24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
  • Acts 4:10–12be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole.
  • Acts 2:32This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
  • 2 Pet 1:21For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.
  • Luke 18:31–33He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.
  • Rev 1:18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
  • Luke 24:26–27Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”
  • Rev 19:10I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 1:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 1:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.