KJV
Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him
up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all
the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Main Points: This section comes after Paul’s exhortation that God will glorify those He adopts, so any suffering simply will not compare to the glory. And we can rely on this gospel! He puts God/Jesus in the seat of ultimate authority. It ends his life/death dissertation (chaps. 5-8). He completely associates himself with this sentiment since it looks to God/Jesus for answers to our lives.
23. Looking
at verses 31-32, what exactly is God going to give us because He is for us and
did not spare His own Son? “All
things.” No doubt, “all things” as
pertains to Godliness, a more spiritual life, freedom from sin/law, justification,
faith, grace, mercy, holiness, sanctification, eternal life, heirs with Christ.
All those things he has been alluding to!
24. Can
charges be brought against God’s elect? (33) How does God solve the problem? No. God is the one who justifies! This is a direct
statement against those attempting to bind the old laws on Christians. ANY
system of law for that fact.
25. Who can
bring a condemnation against us? (34)
Extending verse 33 – No one can condemn the Christian (before God). We are
brothers and sisters of the Son! Paul makes an authoritative play with words by
putting Jesus at the right hand of God. Jesus speaks for us before the King….who
would look to accuse anyone in that position?
26. Who can
separate us from the love of Christ? No
one and nothing. This language raises the question of the level of possible
suffering Christians were facing at this time. No doubt, the Jewish leaders has
not adopted Christianity and fought it at the governmental/religious levels. In
Rome and surrounding areas, it became financially perilous to be Christian as
well. Eventually Christianity became a death sentence. Paul addresses persecution
as a possibility, but inconsequential to the love of God. God’s love in the
Christian life is just more important than any physical suffering.
27. What
point is Paul driving at with these rhetorical questions? The immediate encouragement
cannot be ignored. God loves His children and nothing can change that. To the
Jewish listener, Paul uses terms they recognize: “God’s elect” “justified” “right hand of God” “(nothing) shall be able to separate us from
the love of God”. These are things the Jews would value and have a history of
wanting. He finishes it with “which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” He is
purposefully associating Jesus and God. The implication is “this is where we
need to be, stop teaching adherence to law.”
We must note
Paul’s use of personal pronouns. He really makes sure to let them know when
what he says is good: us/we vs. when
things are wrong – they, them, you.
Chap. 1 “they” focus on Gentiles
Chap. 2-3a
“you” focus on Jews
Chap. 3b “We” Jews-Gentiles by faith
Chap. 4 – Faith/grace – Abraham
Chaps 5-8 – “We, Us, Our”
5- We have been justified by faith, …access by faith
into this grace in which we stand, we
rejoice in hope …, we rejoice in our sufferings, hope does not put us to shame,
…God’s love has been poured into our hearts, …the Holy Spirit who has been
given to us, … we have been justified by his blood, ….we shall
be saved from the wrath of God, while we were still enemies we were
reconciled, we will be saved by His
life, we rejoice in God through Jesus through whom we have received
reconciliation.
6- What shall we say, are we to continue in sin, we died to sin, all of us have been baptized
into Christ, we were buried with Him, ….as Christ rose from the dead we too
might walk in newness, we have been
united with Him in death…we shall certainly be united with Him in a
resurrection. We know our old self was crucified with Him, so that we would no
longer be enslaved to sin. If we died with Christ, we will also live with Him.
We know Christ….will never die again.
YOU must consider yourselves dead to sin (and alive to
God). For the remainder of chapter 6 Paul references his audience as you and
your ….because they were slaves of sin (16).
7- Paul continues with YOU for those who want to
practice law/sin (5). He interjects “we” statements when addressing being released
from law(6)
8- More me/we/us vs. they - “Jesus made me free from sin” “….righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us” “they
that are in the flesh cannot please God” etc
