Romans 8:1-39

Paul has taught us about the contradiction between the flesh (the physical body and soul) and holy spirit (the gift of holy spirit that all holy-people have received). He has shown us that with his mind he truly intends to do those things according to the holy spirit-life within him (the inside man). He ends "chapter 7" with: "I (am a) distressed man! Who will rescue me out-from this body of death? But thanks to God by means of Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore consequently I myself indeed with the mind serve-as-a-slave to (the) law of God – but with the flesh to (the) law of sin."

Romans 8:1 and 2:

^8:1Consequently now (there is) not-one condemning-sentence to the (people) in Christ Jesus, ^.2for the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus freed you away-from the law of the sin and the death.

In correspondence to what is previously written in this letter, at the present time there is…

• not-one condemning-sentence (none, not-any sentence pronounced against, no decision made or brought down in judgment)
  • to/against the people who are in Christ Jesus (within the cause and sphere of action, character, and attributes of Christ Jesus – all holy-people are limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ, similar to an eye or arm or leg being in the physical body; we are living to God in Christ Jesus and therefore in the spirit category we live within everything he is now),

…for (in truth)…

• the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus (the law pertaining-to the newness of life, the holy spirit-life, the inside man, the spirit of Christ that provides the eternal life; the law that is now in force and operational among all the holy-people being administered within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus; refer to Romans 7:6 and 22)
  • freed you (set each one of you individually at-liberty, liberated you [some Greek texts have the word "me" whereby Paul again uses himself as an example for all holy-people])
    • away from
• the law of the sin and the death (the law that is in force and operational in the fleshy body; refer to Romans 7:23 and 24).

The law of the sin and the death is not referring to the law of Moses itself. Paul has already written that the law of Moses indeed is holy and the commandment contained in that law is holy and righteous and good (refer to Romans 7:11 and 12). But the law of the sin and the death is referring to the law being administered by the devil/satan – sin against the only true God and therefore will result in complete death.

[Reference: Romans 5:15-21, 6:11, 7:21-25; II Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 2:4, 3:28, 5:1; Ephesians 2:6-10; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 1:27; James 1:25.]

Verses 3 and 4:

^.3For the inability of the law (was) in which it used-to-be weak by means of the flesh; God, having sent the son of Himself in (the) likeness of flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned the sin in the flesh ^.4in order that the righteous-action of the law may be fulfilled in us, the (people) not walking according to flesh but according to spirit.

In truth, the inability of the law (the law’s incapacity, lack of ability, being without able-power) was in the fact that it was continuing during a past time, historically, to be weak (lacking strength, feeble) by means of the flesh (through the flesh of mankind). The only way that the law of Moses could be carried-out and fulfilled was by means of the flesh (at that time mankind did not have holy spirit on a permanent basis within them; refer to the study of Appendix to Romans for further details regarding that situation).

God…

• having sent the son of Himself (definitely His own son, not the son of anyone else; the word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence; refer to Romans 1:3 and 4)
  • in the likeness (similarity, similitude of the resulting product and effect)
    • of flesh of sin (refer to Romans 7:5 and 25)
  • and concerning sin (everything encompassing, encircling sin),

…condemned (brought His decision, pronounced sentence, judgment down against) the sin in the flesh for the purpose and result that…

• the righteous action (the just action, the effect, product, result of carrying out God’s righteousness, the pronounced justice issuing from the process of justification, the action of making things right, doing the right thing)
  • pertaining-to and contained-in the law
  • would be fulfilled (filled-up, accomplished) within us,
    • emphatically and specifically we are the people who
    • are not walking in accordance with flesh (the verb “to walk” literally means to move the feet around, to go on foot, but here it is used figuratively – we are not behaving or conducting the everyday living of our lives in conformity and proportion to/with flesh which excludes holy spirit-life)
    • but on the contrary, we are walking according to spirit (behaving or conducting the everyday living of our lives in conformity and proportion to/with spirit, the holy spirit-life within us, the inside man, the spirit of Christ in us).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who fully carried-out all that the law of Moses required that a man should do in order to walk with and for God at that time. As a result of the Lord Jesus Christ’s accomplishments, the law is fulfilled (completed).

In God's viewpoint, we now live our lives within the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus. Our realm of living is the spirit realm (not the flesh realm). It is true that we still have our physical, fleshy bodies until Christ will gather all holy-people together with him and we will receive our new spiritual bodies. However, until the time of our gathering together with Christ, the true impact of how we live our lives affects the spirit realm, even though we may physically carry out actions in the flesh realm (refer to I John chapter 3).

[Reference: Matthew 3:17, 17:5; Acts 9:20, 13:33; Romans 1:3, 4 and 9, 5:5, 10 and 25, 6:4; I Corinthians 1:9, 15:28; II Corinthians 1:19, 5:21, 10:3; Galatians 2:20, 4:4 and 6, 5:18; Ephesians 4:13, 6:10-18; Philippians 2:7; Colossians 1:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 1:2-5, 2:14-18, 4:14 and 15, 5:5 and 8, 6:5, 7:3 and 28, 10:29; I Peter 3:18, 4:1; II Peter 1:17; I John chapters 1-5; II John 1:3 and 9; Revelation 2:18.]

Verses 5-8:

^.5For the (people) being according to flesh think the-things of the flesh, but the (people) according to spirit the-things of the spirit, ^.6for the thinking of the flesh (is) death but the thinking of the spirit (is) life and peace, ^.7for-this-reason-that the thinking of the flesh (is) enmity into God, for it is not subject to the law of God for neither is it able, ^.8and the (people) being in flesh are not able to please God.

In truth, the people who are actively being according to flesh (existing with the physical fleshy body and its soul/breath life, but lacking holy spirit life)…

• think the-things of the flesh (they have their mind’s thoughts on the things pertaining-to or proceeding-from the flesh, the physical realm),

…but the people who are being according to spirit (referring to all holy-people, true Christians, because we have holy spirit-life within us)…

• think the-things of the spirit (we have thoughts in our minds that are things pertaining-to and proceeding-from God’s spirit realm via the holy spirit within us),

…for the thinking of the flesh (the end-product of the flesh’s action of thinking, the thoughts produced in/by the mind of flesh)…

• is death (results in death; there is no life)

…but the thinking of the spirit (the end-product of the spirit’s action of thinking, the thoughts produced in/by the mind of spirit)…

• is life (results in life; there is life)  
• and peace (tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement),

…on account of this reason that the thinking of the flesh is enmity into God (opposition, hostility for/directed-to God), for…

• it is not subject to the law of God (it is not made or caused to be in subjection to His law, and it does not submit itself to, it is not submissive to, in submission, arranged in the position of being under God’s law, what God makes-known to be the right and correct way of living, which is the way that God set it up, how He divided-out and administers His words to be customarily and rightly used among us; refer to Romans 7:22)
• for neither is it able (it does not have the ability, able-power, capability to be subject to the law of God),

…and the people being in flesh (those who do not have holy spirit-life within them and so their thinking and actions exclude God’s spirit realm)…

• are not able to please God (they cannot please Him, they do not have the ability, able-power, capability to give pleasure, to be agreeable, acceptable, gratifying to God).

[Reference: John 8:29; Romans 5:1, 7:14-25; I Corinthians 2:10-16; Galatians 1:10, 5:16-18, 24 and 25, 6:8; Colossians 2:13-16, 3:1-4; I Thessalonians 2:4 and 15; II Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 11:6; I John 3:22.]

Verses 9-11:

^.9But you are not in flesh but in spirit since-indeed (the) spirit of God dwells in you; but if someone does not have (the) spirit of Christ, this person is not His; ^.10but since Christ (dwells) in you, the body indeed (is) dead because-of sin but the spirit (is) life because-of righteousness; ^.11and since the spirit of the (One) having raised-up Jesus out-from dead-people dwells in you, the (One) having raised-up Christ out-from dead-people will make-alive also your mortal bodies by means of His spirit indwelling in you.

But emphatically you (in Greek there is a definite word for “you” plus the verb meaning “you are” giving emphasis – you holy-people yourselves are)…

• not in flesh (not within the sphere of action, character and attributes of flesh)
• but on the contrary, you are in spirit (within the sphere of action, character and attributes of spirit)
  • since it is a fact emphatically that the spirit of/from God dwells in you (the spirit belonging-to and proceeding-from God inhabits or houses within you; the phrase “spirit of God” emphasizes that God is the originator of this spirit).

But if someone does not have the spirit of Christ (the phrase “spirit of Christ” emphasizes that the spirit that God gave is the spirit of Christ, the same spirit as the resurrected Christ, the Anointed-one, the Messiah; refer to Romans 1:3 and 4; the spirit of Christ is the spirit from God which all holy-people have received)…

• this person is not His (anyone who does not have holy spirit-life does not belong to God and therefore also does not belong to Christ; this person is not a member of God’s family).

But since/if Christ dwells within you…

• indeed, on the one hand, the physical fleshy body is dead (lifeless, it has no life in itself)
  • on account of sin (deadness of the physical body is the consequence/result of sin against God; refer to the study of Appendix to Romans)
• but, on the other hand, the spirit is life (it is life itself – God's life in Christ's life is in you)
  • on account of righteousness (justness, justice, the attributes of justification, the quality of being and doing what is just/right from God's viewpoint; refer to Romans 3:22-26 and 5:17-21);

…and since/if…

• the spirit of the One (God)
  • Who has raised Jesus up alive out from being among the rest of the dead-people (Jesus is the one who served and obeyed God making salvation available; the words “out-from dead-people” are written because Jesus is the only one who has been resurrected and given his new spiritual body, but everyone else who has died still remains dead in the grave until the time of their resurrection and judgment)
    • dwells in you (inhabits you)
• the One (God) Who has raised Christ (the Anointed-One) up out-from dead-people
  • will make-alive also your mortal bodies (will give life also to your current physical fleshy bodies that are liable to death)
    • by means of (through [some Greek texts read “because of”])
    • His spirit indwelling in you (inhabiting, housing within you, plural, all holy-people; we all have the same holy spirit-life within us which is the spirit of Christ in us).

[Reference: Acts 2:1-4, 33, 38-40, 3:15, 4:10, 10:44-46, 13:30; Romans 4:24, 6:4, 9 and 12, 7:4-6, 10:9 and 10; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 17 and 23, 6:11, 14, 15(a) and 19, 12:11-14, 15:20-28, 45, 53 and 54; II Corinthians 3:3, 5:5, 13:5; Galatians 1:1, 2:20, 4:6, 5:24; Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:22, 4:30, 5:30-32; Philippians 1:19, 3:21; Colossians 1:27, 2:12; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:8; II Timothy 1:14, 2:8; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 1:21, 3:18; I John 2:20 and 27, 3:9, 14 and 24. For further details regarding Christ's coming to be present, our new spiritual bodies, etc, you may read the studies on I Corinthians chapter 15, I Thessalonians, and II Thessalonians.]

Verses 12-17:

^.12Therefore consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh to live according to flesh; ^.13for if you live according to flesh you are about to die, but if you put-to-death the practices of the body by spirit you will yourselves-live; ^.14for as-many-as are led by (the) spirit of God these-people are sons of God; ^.15for you did not receive a spirit of slavery again into fear, but you received a spirit of sonship – in which we shout, "Abba, Father"; ^.16the Spirit Itself bears-witness-together with our spirit that we are children of God, ^.17and since children also inheritors, inheritors indeed of God and inheritors-together with Christ since-indeed we suffer-together with (him) in order that we may be glorified-together with (him).  

Following-on in correspondence to what is written in the previous verses…

• brothers (again Paul addresses the holy-people as “brothers” – all holy-people are brothers in the spirit category because all of us have received the same gift of holy spirit and we are therefore all children of God our Father),
  • we are not debtors to the flesh (people who owe something to the realm of flesh, we are not indebted, under obligation on some account, obliged to perform a certain duty or function to/for the flesh)
    • for the purpose of living our lives in accordance with flesh (in conformity and proportion to/with the physical flesh category);

…for if you live according to flesh (if the consistency of flesh is the full extent, range or scope of your existence – then it would mean that)…

• you are presently on the point of dying,

…but if you put-to-death the practices of the body by spirit (if you are causing the physical body’s habitual actions to die, the things that the body determines to do, putting them to death by/with spirit – then it means that)…

• you will yourselves-live (in the future you will be living, alive);

…for as many people as are led by the spirit of God (the amount of people who are being brought, conducted, being conveyed by/with the spirit from God; if a person does not have holy spirit-life dwelling within him/her then it would not be possible to be led by it; also this verse does not say that the gift of holy spirit “forces” or “controls” any person, but it leads a holy-person and then it is up to the freedom of will of that holy-person whether or not to follow and do what the spirit within him/her communicates – as many people as are led by the spirit of God)…

• these people are sons of God (God’s sons; as noted in verse 3 above, the word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence);

…for you did not receive a spirit of slavery again into fear (a spirit pertaining to bondage, servitude directed back to fright, with a view for you to be afraid at the consequences of your performance of any wrong behavior as though you could lose your holy spirit and revert back to being only flesh which would result in your death), but on the contrary…

• you received (you holy-people have already taken from God Who gave to you for you to use)
  • a spirit of sonship (a spirit pertaining to being put or placed as sons of God, a sonship spirit) –

…in which we shout (within the sphere of action of this spirit of sonship all of us cry out towards God)…

• "Abba, Father" (the word Abba is an Aramaic or Hebrew word meaning "Father", it was considered the language of the Scriptures because the old covenant was written in Hebrew; the reverential Abba is written plus the Greek which was the language Paul spoke and wrote to the Christians in Rome; we shout with reverence, not fear of death, to God within the holy spirit-life we have: "Abba, Father" – and it does not matter what language a person speaks in the flesh category; the only true God is Father of the holy spirit-life which He placed in us; God is our Father in the spirit category, not the flesh realm);

…the Spirit Itself (in Greek the word "Spirit" is neuter, it is neither male nor female – here referring to God emphasizing His spirit essence – God Himself Who is Spirit)…

• bears witness together with our spirit (is jointly witnessing, attesting with information, declaring knowledge, stating and confirming it on the strength of His own authority in conjunction with the spirit within us; both God and the gift of holy spirit witness the same thing which is) that
  • we are children of God (we are born to/from/by God; the word “God” emphasizes that God is the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light – we are God’s children by birth having His seed within us, which is the spirit of Christ),

…and since/if we are children then we are also inheritors (heirs, people who have the inheritance, assigned lot, allotted-portion)…

• inheritors indeed of God (on the one hand we are God’s heirs)
  • and inheritors together with Christ (on the other hand we are people who inherit together, joint heirs, co-heirs, heirs in conjunction with the Anointed-one, the Messiah)
    • since it is a fact emphatically that we suffer together with Christ (we experience, are affected by the same things in conjunction with Christ; what affects us affects Christ and vice versa; everything that the resurrected Christ has already experienced and is presently experiencing is also true of us; whatever Christ was or is affected by also affects our spirit)
  • for the purpose and result that we would be glorified together with Christ (be given the importance, splendor, renown in conjunction with Christ).

It may be helpful to note a few things:

A master/slave relationship may not be a permanent relationship because the master could dismiss his slave (the servant bound to serve the master) from that position if the slave refused to be receptive and do what the master asked him to do. This is the relationship that God had with those who wanted to be among God’s people prior to the Lord Jesus making holy spirit-life available to all (to the Judeans / Israelites, and to the Gentiles / other-nations). God would issue His commandments, His words to them, and they were to believe and obey them and to recognize that He was their God and to love Him. In return He would bless them and keep them safe from harm, etc, as they awaited the coming of the promised redeemer. This was not a sonship relationship by seed. They were not God's sons with His gift of holy spirit born within them as we holy-people/Christians are and have today.

At times during the old covenant, the children of Israel were in bad servitude to many different kings and nations, and at times they lived in fear for their physical lives. This was a slavery which was not beneficial to both parties. Also, when Paul wrote this letter, the Roman Empire was in full force and it had caused much pain and death to a lot of people, Judeans and Gentiles and holy-people, who did not agree-with and submit-to the Roman way of thinking. The people who read Paul's letter at that time would very quickly understand what being in slavery was like - both good and bad.

…As-many-as are led by (the) spirit of God these-people are sons of God; ^.15for you did not receive a spirit of slavery again into fear, but you received a spirit of sonship – in which we shout, "Abba, Father"; ^.16the Spirit Itself bears-witness-together with our spirit that we are children of God, ^.17and since children also inheritors, inheritors indeed of God and inheritors-together with Christ since-indeed we suffer-together with (him) in order that we may be glorified-together with (him).

[Reference: Mark 14:36; Romans 6:3-11; I Corinthians chapters 12-15; Galatians 3:28 and 29, 4:1-7 and 24, 5:1, 18, 24 and 25, 6:8; Ephesians 1:5-23, 3:6, 4:22-24; Philippians 1:29, 2:15; Colossians 1:23-27, 3:24; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 1:2-4 and 14, 2:15, 6:12 and 17-20, 9:15; James 2:5; I Peter 1:3, 4 and 7, 2:15-24, 3:7, 4:12-19; II Peter 1:4; I John 2:27, 3:1 and 2, 5:9-12.]

Verses 18-25:

^.18For I calculate that the sufferings of the present time (are) not worthy towards the glory being about to be revealed into us; ^.19for the eager-expectation of the creation eagerly-awaits the revelation of the sons of God, ^.20for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly but because-of the (One) having subjected (it) on hope ^.21that also the creation itself will be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

^.22For we knew² that all the creation groans-together and is in-the-pangs-of-birth-together continuously-until now, ^.23and not only (this), but having the first-fruits-offering of the spirit we also ourselves groan in ourselves eagerly-awaiting the full-redemption of our body ^.24for we were saved to the hope. But hope being observed is not hope, for who hopes that-which he observes? ^.25But since we hope that-which we do not observe, by means of patient-endurance we eagerly-await (it).

In truth, I calculate (reckon, count, compute) that the sufferings pertaining to the present time-period (the experiences, the things that affect us now, during the current occasion, the specific season that we live in now which is temporary)…

• are not worthy (of equal-value, like-worth)
  • for the purpose of approaching the glory (importance, splendor, renown)
    • that is on the point of being revealed into us (uncovered, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from our view);

…for the eager-expectation of the creation (referring to the created-thing, that-which was brought into being, established, and is still in progress at the present time; refer to II Peter 3:4-13 – the creation is in the state of having eager expectation, as though it is looking away-from where it is at the present time towards the ending-result with its head bent forward in that direction)…

• eagerly-awaits (is waiting to accept, to subjectively receive, to take to itself what will be presented to it, which will be)
  • the revelation of the sons of God (the uncovering of God’s sons who will include the Lord Jesus Christ and all holy-people since we will be with Christ at that time),

…for the creation was subjected to futility (it was made or caused to be in subjection to, submissive to, in submission, arranged in the position of being underneath, under the authority of meaninglessness, uselessness, being empty as to results in its present state)…

• not willingly (this subjection was not done by the creation itself voluntarily, as though it made a free-will decision to purposefully become this way)
  • but on the contrary, it was subjected to futility on account of the One (God) Who arranged it in this position resting upon hope (based on an expectation definitely coming to pass at a future time; God caused it to have hope)
    • the objective cause being that also the creation itself will be freed from the slavery of corruption (will be set at liberty away from serving as corruption’s slave, the servitude relative to decay, the bondage pertaining to the state of being corrupt)
    • into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (directed-to and resulting-in the liberty associated with the importance, splendor, renown belonging to God’s children, all who are born to/from/by God).

In truth, we knew and continue to know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with our minds) that all the creation (every part of it)…

• groans-together (sighs in distress)
• and is in-the-pangs-of-birth-together (laboring as a woman in the throes of giving birth)
  • for the whole duration of time up to the present time,

…and not only (not alone) this fact, but on the contrary…

• having the first-fruits-offering of the spirit (the offering of first-fruits which is the spirit given to us from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ; the offering of first-fruits is the beginning-portion which is consecrated or dedicated to the only true God; it is not the only part, but it is the first part of the whole – since it is true that we have/hold the first-fruits offering)
  • emphatically we also ourselves groan in ourselves (in Greek there is a definite word for “we” plus the pronoun for “ourselves” plus the verb meaning “we groan” giving great emphasis – we emphatically ourselves sigh in distress within ourselves)
    • eagerly-awaiting (waiting to accept, to subjectively receive, to take to ourselves what will be presented to us, which will be)
    • the full-redemption of our body (the complete releasing or liberation of our physical body currently consisting of flesh which is subject to death)
• for we were saved to the hope (we were made safe to/for the hope that God has promised us, what He gives us to expect to come to pass in the future, God’s firm-anticipation concerning a future specific situation or circumstance).

When the object of hope is presently being observed (being looked-at and mentally envisioned, contemplated), then it is not hope (because it is a present reality), for who hopes that-which he observes? It would not be logical to keep hoping for something to happen in the future when it has already happened and you have received it and it is right there with you now.

But since/if we hope that-which we do not presently observe (it has not come to pass yet)…

• by means of patient-endurance (through bearing-up, holding, enduring and remaining upwards relative-to God and the things of God under any obstacles)
  • we eagerly-await our hope of glory to come to pass.

In verse 23, the word translated “full-redemption” means complete releasing or liberation on receipt of a ransom away-from captivity or bondage with its due guilt or punishment because of sin which has been previously committed. Complete redemption is brought-about by complete expiation. Jesus Christ is the one who paid the full-price for it, and he is now the resurrected Christ Jesus because the full-payment has been accepted by God.

Christ was the first one to receive eternal holy spirit-life from God when God raised him up alive. Then Christ went into God’s presence (Acts chapter 1). On the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) the Lord Jesus Christ made this holy spirit-life available to the rest of mankind. Today, all who believe what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, receive the gift of holy spirit.

The hope that we holy-people have is Christ’s coming to gather us all together with him in the air and receiving everything that God has promised us in Christ, including spiritual bodies like our Lord has already received, and everything else that is involved in the promise of inheritance. Christ is the hope of glory. Christ will continue to carry-out God’s intention and we will be with him. For further details on this you may read my studies on I Corinthians chapter 15, I Thessalonians chapter 4, II Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation.

[Reference: Genesis 3:15-19; Romans 3:24, 5:9 and 10, 7:24, 11:16; I Corinthians 1:30, 12:12 and 13, 15:42-57; II Corinthians 1:21 and 22, 2:9-13, 4:16 – 5:5 and 10; Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 1:7, 13 and 14, 4:30; Philippians 3:20 and 21; Colossians 1:14, 23 and 27; I Thessalonians 5:8; II Thessalonians 2:13; I Timothy 1:1, 4:10; Hebrews 9:15, 11:1; II Peter 2:19, 3:4-13; I John 3:1 and 2. You may also refer to the study of Appendix to Romans.]

Verses 26-30:

^.26But likewise also the spirit helps-together with our weakness, for we did not know² what-thing we may pray according to that-which is necessary, but the spirit itself intercedes-on-behalf-of (us) with unutterable groanings, ^.27and the (One) searching the hearts knew² what the thinking of the spirit (is) because it intercedes according to God on behalf of holy-people, ^.28and we knew² that with the (people) loving¹ God, God works-together everything into good, with the (people) being called according to purpose –

^.29because whom He knew-beforehand He also marked-out-definitely-beforehand (to be) people-formed-together with the image of His son with-a-view-for him to be firstborn among many brothers, ^.30and whom He marked-out-definitely-beforehand these-people He also called, and whom He called these-people He also made-righteous, and whom He made-righteous these-people He also glorified.

In the same manner (as verses 9-11, 14-17, and 23-25 above) also the spirit helps-together with our weakness (the spirit within us gives what it receives so as to use regarding our lack of strength, it renders the appropriate assistance in a specific circumstance, it takes hold of the matter of the infirmity that we have so as to provide us with support in each situation)…

• for we did not know and continue not to know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with our minds)
  • the thing that we should pray in accordance with that-which is necessary (in conformity and proportion to/with what is binding, as it ought to be prayed in each situation or circumstance; we don’t know what we should say in order to express and communicate as necessary to God our Father),
• but contrary to us, the spirit itself (the same spirit that is within us)
  • intercedes on behalf of us (meets and talks with God in our interests)
    • with unutterable groanings (groanings that cannot be spoken by us with the voice/sound of words; the holy spirit-life within us makes sighs in distress which cannot be expressed to us nor can they be expressed by us when we utter sounds with our voice using our physical fleshy organs of speech to speak words in any language),
• and the One Who is searching the hearts (God is presently and actively tracing or tracking the center or core of our beings)
  • knew and continues to know (perceives, sees to the end of perceiving and knowing with His mind)
    • what the thinking of the spirit is (the end-product of the spirit’s action of thinking, the thoughts produced in/by the mind of the spirit within us; refer to verse 6 above)
    • because it intercedes in accordance with God (it meets and talks with God in conformity and proportion to/with God's will and purposes – it does not intercede according to man's way of thinking, but according to God's way of thinking)
    • on behalf of holy-people (in the interests of sanctified-people, saints – all of us Christians),

…and we knew and continue to know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with our minds) that…

• with the people who are loving¹ God,
  • God works-together ([some Greek texts omit the noun “God” in this phrase, however, it should be understood that God is the subject of the verb “works together”] God presently and actively is doing work, producing effects in conjunction with those who love Him with His kind of love; we are co-workers; God is jointly expending energy together with the people loving Him, regarding)
    • everything (all – the object being worked is every single thing that God and those who love Him are working together – this is not referring to anything else that we are not working together)
    • into good (for the purpose of, with a view to, directed to and resulting in that-which is good, a good-thing, that-which issues from God; God is the One Who issues His goodness and He sets the standard for what is good and to be conformed to by those who love Him),
• emphatically and specifically with the people who are being called (invited people, those given the invitation, the invitees; refer to Romans 1:1, 6 and 7 – God works everything together with those who love Him, called-people, and whatever we work together results in that-which is good)
  • according to purpose (in accordance, conformity, and proportion to/with God’s proposal, what God purposed beforehand, that-which He put or set before Himself to do in advance of it actually occurring, His plan) –

…because the people whom God knew beforehand (all the people collectively, together, not individually, whom He had a truly active and relative knowing of in advance, whom He was personally knowledgeable of prior to time of our existence)…

• He also definitely marked out beforehand (in addition God set the boundary regarding us beforehand, He separated off the limited-area, the border, the horizon, the limits relative to us beforehand,  in-advance or ahead-of it actually occurring)
  • to be people formed together with (people who are jointly-formed, co-formed, our whole make-up being fashioned, shaped, caused to share the form in conjunction with)
    • the image of His son (the icon, resemblance, representation of God's son who is the Lord Jesus Christ; refer to verse 3 above)
    • the purposed objective being for him to be firstborn among many brothers (the first one born or given-birth-to among a lot of other brothers; the word “firstborn” indicates that there is at least one more born after this first one and it emphasizes birth, being brought-forth; he is God’s firstborn among a lot of others born at a later time than he was born),

…and whom God marked-out-definitely-beforehand…

• these people He also called (God invited),

…and whom He called…

• these people He also made-righteous (God justified, set-forth by a judicial act declaring us righteous),

…and whom He made-righteous…

• these people He also glorified (God gave importance, splendor and renown to us).

God did not know each of us individually from the beginning recorded in Genesis 1:1, but from the instant that He planned His plan of redemption (first recorded in Genesis 3:15) God personally knew what He determined and willed to do, part of which was that He would make it available for people to permanently receive holy spirit. We are all God's sons. We have God's gift of holy spirit within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us. Therefore Christ and all the holy-people are brothers, sons of God, but Christ Jesus himself is the firstborn. In the future all holy-people will receive new spiritual bodies as Christ has already received when God raised him up alive from among the dead-people.

In verses 22, 23 and 26 above, Paul used the root-word "groan" three times in rapid succession thus emphasizing that we and the creation and the holy spirit-life within us are all eagerly-awaiting the coming of Christ Jesus when our full-redemption will come to pass in glory.

Verse 26(a) refers to the truth that we do not know what-thing we may pray according to that-which is necessary…. Our fleshy mind’s knowledge and understanding is limited, even though it is a fact that we may gather a lot of information via the 5 senses of flesh and/or via our holy spirit-life revealing information to us that we can understand about a specific situation or circumstance.  

God says that He hears the prayers of the people who walk uprightly and He delights in those prayers, referring to prayer to God in English or in whatever language we normally speak in. We may also pray to God in spirit by praying with a tongue (refer to I Corinthians 14:14, Ephesians 6:18, and Jude 1:20) – however this is not what verse 26(b) is referring to in the phrase “the spirit itself intercedes-on-behalf-of (us) with unutterable groanings.” We do not know nor can we express with our current physical fleshy bodies the fullness of what we should pray according to that-which is necessary, and so the gift of holy spirit within us also helps in this area of our lives – it is not limited to individuals’ specific situations or circumstances but it covers all holy-people as verses 27 and 28 explain.

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

[Reference: Genesis 3:15, 17:5; Numbers 23:19; Joshua 1:3; I Samuel 16:7; I Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 84:11; Luke 10:40; John 4:24; Acts 4:28; Romans 1:1, 3, 4, 6 and 7; I Corinthians 1:2, 2:7-10, 3:9, 6:11, 12:28, and chapter 15; II Corinthians 3:17 and 18, 4:4, 6:1; Ephesians 1:3-14, 3:6 and 11, 6:18; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:13-19, 27, 3:4, 4:11; I Thessalonians 3:2, 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 2:13 and 14; II Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 1:6, 2:10-18, 12:23; James 1:12, 2:5; I Peter 1:2 and 20; Jude 20; Revelation 1:5.]

Verses 31-34:

^.31Therefore what will we say towards these-things? Since God (is) on behalf of us, who (is) against us? ^.32He-Who indeed did not spare (His) own son but He gave him over on behalf of all of us, how will He not also grace to us all-things together with him? ^.33Who will arraign against (the) selected-people of God? God (is) the (One) making-righteous. ^.34Who (is) the (one who) will be condemning? But unitedly Christ (is) the (one) having died but rather having been raised-up, who also is in (the) right-side of God, who also intercedes on behalf of us.

Following-on logically from what is written in the previous verses…

• what will we say (mindfully tell others) with a purposed reference to these things?

Since/if God continues to do things on our behalf (in our interests)…

• who is against us (who is there who could descend against us, opposed to us, who can bring us down from the standing in which God has placed us)?

He-Who emphatically did not spare His own son (God definitely did not abstain from doing something to/with His own son Jesus Christ)…

• but contrary to sparing him, God gave him over (handed him over, delivered him alongside or beside others,  handed him along into the power of another)
  • on behalf of all of us (in the interests of everyone of us, all holy-people),
• how will God not also grace to us (bestow to us with unmerited or undeserved favor)
  • all-things together with him (everything in conjunction with Christ)? Of course God will grace to us all things together with His own son. God will not be forced to do this as though it will be some kind of wage, but God will do all the things that He has promised to/for us graciously.

Who will arraign (bring a charge, accuse, summons, call into court) against the selected-people of God (His elect people, all of us who have been chosen-out by Him from other people because we voluntarily accepted what God makes available to mankind, we believed what He says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and became holy-people)?

• God is the One Who is making the selected-people righteous (justifying us, setting us forth by a judicial act declaring us righteous).

Who is there who will be condemning (bringing a decision, a pronounced sentence, judgment down against us)?

• But unitedly Christ is the one having died (at the same time Christ Jesus has already died on our behalf [some Greek texts do not include the word “unitedly” and include the word “Jesus”])
  • but rather having been raised-up (even more-so, very much more Christ is the one who has already been raised up alive by God; refer to verses 1-4 above),
    • who also is presently and actively positioned in the right-side of God (Christ is within the sphere of action of and is continuing at God’s right-hand side, which gives him the authority, power, honor, blessing, grace, approval, and excellence being an extension of the power, etc, of the One Whose side he is at – God’s right side),
    • who also intercedes on behalf of us (Christ meets and talks with God on our behalf, in our interests).

The phrases "in/at/by/with/to the right-side" and “out-from the right-sides” are sometimes used literally, as being at the right-hand side or the right hand of someone or something. They can also be used metaphorically referring to a place or position of authority, power, honor, blessing, grace, approval, and excellence; being an extension of the power, etc, of the one whose side he/she is at. Additionally, these phrases may refer to the agency whereby someone is placed into such a position, or is given one or all of these. Christ is presently seated within the sphere of action of, and continuing at, God's right-hand side because this is where God placed him when He raised him up from among the dead-people.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who intercedes on our behalf personally and via the holy spirit-life within each one of us as detailed in verses 26 and 27 above.

Some of the questions above are rhetorical since Paul has already explained in this writing that we are God’s sons now, including the promises, blessing, and inheritance which God gives to us now and in the future by means of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Reference: Numbers 23:19; John 3:16-21; Acts 2:33, 5:31; Romans 1:16 and 17, 3:21-26, 4:25 – 5:2 and 8, 6:9; I Corinthians 6:11, 12:12-14 and 27; II Corinthians 3:18, 5:21; Galatians 2:16 and 20, 3:13; Ephesians 1:3-14 and 20-23, 4:15, 5:2 and 25; Colossians 1:18 and 27, 2:9, 10, 19, 3:1 and 12; I Thessalonians 5:10; Titus 1:1, 2:14; Hebrews 1:3 and 4, 7:24 and 25, 8:1, 9:24, 10:12, 12:2; I Peter 1:1, 3:22.]

Verses 35-39:

^.35Who will separate us away-from the love¹ of Christ, (will) pressure or restraint or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ^.36According as it was written² that, "By-reason-of You we are put-to-death the whole day, we were calculated as sheep of slaughter" – ^.37but in all these-things we are super-victorious by means of the (one) having loved¹ us.

^.38For I was persuaded² that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulerships nor (things) having stood-in² nor (things) being about to (stand-in) nor abilities ^.39nor high-thing nor depth nor different creation will be able to separate us away-from the love¹ of God, the (love) in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Who will separate us (put us apart, part us, cause to sever us asunder) away from Christ's love¹ (God’s kind of love belonging-to and proceeding-from Christ, the Godly-love that the Anointed-one, the Messiah has and evidences to/for us), will…

• pressure (compression, stress that afflicts, whatever may be pressing-upon or squeezing, whether it be physical or mental or spiritual) or
• restraint (as a crowd of people in a narrow place and in need of space, confinement, restriction) or
• persecution (being pursued with malignity as enemies) or
• famine (failures, not having food, in want of food) or
• nakedness (in a state of bareness, ill-clad, being scantily clothed, without wearing clothes because of being in want of physical items such as outer-garments to keep us warm) or
• danger (risks, the outcome being uncertain) or
• sword (the type of knife used for slaughter, cutting or slicing its way through obstacles, and usually worn together with a longer sword)?

These are things that could cause major disruption in a person's everyday living of life, but even if we were in the middle of all of them – it would be just as what was previously written in the old covenant writings…

• "By-reason-of You (it is for Your sake, for the sake of God that)
  • we are put-to-death the whole day (being caused to become dead, to die during the entire day),
• we were calculated (reckoned, counted, computed)
  • as sheep of slaughter (in comparison to being sheep ready for sacrifice, prepared for killing; refer to Psalm 44:20-23 where David prays to God regarding a bad situation reminding Him that he is doing everything he can for Him and asks for His help quickly)" –

…but contrary to what is manifested in the physical fleshy realm…

• in all these-things (during the times when every one of the things described in verse 35 above are occurring)
  • we are super-victorious (we are conquering superly, we have the victory over and above any person or spirit who would cause these things to happen to us as we live our everyday lives; we are extremely victorious, conquering beyond measure)
    • by means of the one having loved¹ us (through Christ who loved us with God’s kind of love; Christ is the agency by way of which the initiated progress of our being super-victorious passes-through in order to reach its accomplishment; we would not be super-victorious without Christ; he is interposed between the start and the result of our having the victory).

In truth, I (Paul) was persuaded and I am still persuaded (convinced) that…

• neither death (physical death)
• nor life (physical life)
• nor angels (messengers, whether spirit angels or human messengers)
• nor rulerships (first-placed, chief or dignified-hierarchical positions, which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves)
• nor things having stood-in and continuing standing-in (things which are presently in force)
• nor things being about to stand-in (things which are on the point of coming into existence, into force)
• nor abilities (able-powers, capability being evidenced, which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves)
• nor high-thing (occupying a high place or position, elevation)
• nor depth (occupying a deep-down place or position)
• nor different creation (any other created-thing that is of a different kind/sort to what is already referred to in the list above)
  • will be able (will have the ability, able-power, capability) to separate us away-from God’s love¹ (the love that God evidences to/for us),
    • emphatically and specifically the Godly-love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (within the cause and sphere of action, character and attributes of Christ Jesus our Lord).

Christ Jesus is the Lord/Master of all holy-people. We are limbs of the one spiritual body of Christ, similar to an eye or arm or leg being in the physical body. We are living to God in Christ Jesus and therefore in the spirit category we live within everything that Christ is now.

Nothing or nobody or no-spirit will be able to separate us away-from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[Reference: Psalm 44:22; Matthew 3:7; John 3:16, 16:33, 17:26; Acts 8:32, 11:19 and 28, 12:2, 13:50, 14:22; Romans 2:9, 5:5 and 8, 12:4 and 5; I Corinthians 3:22, 4:11 and 12, 12:12 and 13, 15:23-25, 31 and 57; II Corinthians 4:17, 6:4, 11:23-33, 12:10; Galatians 1:4, 2:20; Ephesians 1:19-23, 2:4, 3:17-19, 5:2, and 23-32, 6:10-18; Colossians 1:27; II Thessalonians 1:4 and 6, 2:2 and 16; I Timothy 1:14;  II Timothy 1:7 and 13, 3:11; Hebrews chapter 1; James 2:15; I Peter 3:22; I John 3:1, 4:7-16. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]