8:3a
For: This word introduces the basis for God setting us free from sin and death (8:2).
what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did: Here the law refers to the laws that God gave to Moses. The law of Moses was not able to free people from sin (8:2). God did that. For example:
The Law of Moses cannot do this (Contemporary English Version)
Paul spoke of the law as if it were a person. Some languages cannot speak of the law as doing things. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:
For ⌊no one, obeying⌋ the law ⌊of Moses⌋ can become free like that, because the law operates through our weak human nature. ⌊But⌋ God condemned sin in the flesh (interpretation 1)
-or-
For God condemned sin in the flesh. ⌊No one, obeying⌋ the laws ⌊of Moses⌋, is able to do that, because ⌊people⌋ are weak ⌊regarding obeying them⌋. (interpretation 2)
the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh: These words indicate that the law was unable to accomplish what God intended for it to do, because people are unable to obey it completely.
flesh: This word refers to people living according to their natural way of thinking, the human nature. Here are other ways to translate this word:
human nature (Good News Translation)
-or-
our natural inclinations
-or-
our old nature
-or-
our own desires
See how you translated this word in 7:5 or 7:25.
8:3b
by sending His own Son: The word by here indicates that God sending His own Son was how God condemned sin in the flesh. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
God sent his Son…. That way God condemned sin (God’s Word)
-or-
He sent his Child…. And that’s how God
His own Son: This phrase is a title for Jesus. This title indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship that resulted in Mary becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. See how you translated the phrase “His Son” at 1:3.
in the likeness of sinful man: The word likeness here probably indicates that Jesus became a human being yet still remained who he was before he did that, so he had all the characteristics of a human being except that he was sinless. But all the above information comes from many verses, not just this verse. Translate in a way that implies or allows the above meaning. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
in a body like the bodies we sinners have (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to be like us sinners (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he became as sinful people
In some languages it is helpful to explain in the translation how Jesus is the same and different from us. For example:
having a human body and his customs (were) like our (incl.) customs but he was not influenced/carried to sin
-or-
he became a human being like us, but there was no sinfulness in him
sinful man: The word man refers to the physical body here but also includes the human nature as in 8:3a. When Jesus came to earth he took on a physical body as well as human nature. In our human nature while living in this physical body that we have, it is easy for us to sin. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
our sinful nature (Revised English Bible)
-or-
with the same human life that others use for sin (New Century Version)
8:3c
as an offering for sin: There are several ways to interpret the Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as an offering for sin :
(1) It means with regard to sin here. God also sent his Son to do something about sin. For example:
and concerning sin (NET Bible)
(Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, King James Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Revised English Bible, God’s Word)
(2) It means as a sin offering here. For example:
to be a sin offering (New International Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because this phrase is not in the context of the Old Testament system of animal sacrifice, as it is in Hebrews 13:11, where the same Greek phrase is correctly translated “sin offering.”
The words here refer to taking our sins upon himself, paying the penalty for sin by his death, and setting us free from sin. Here are other ways to translate the Greek words according to interpretation (1):
and for the sake of sin (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
and to deal with sin (Revised English Bible)
8:3d
He thus condemned sin in the flesh: In the death of Jesus on the cross, God broke the power of sin. People have the same body and human nature as Jesus. So God has broken the power of sin for all people. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
he condemned ⌊the power of⌋ sin in human nature
-or-
God removed the power of sin to rule us people
-or-
he really broke the control of sin over us
condemned: Here this word refers to a judge saying someone is guilty and giving the punishment. Referring to condemning sin, some languages must use a different word here. See the above examples.
sin: Here sin is spoken of as if it were a person. Some languages must speak of sin in a different way. For example:
sinning
-or-
the power of sin
in the flesh: Here this phrase refers to the place where God condemned sin.
flesh: Here this word refers to the human body.
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