There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. In this surpassing chapter the several streams of the preceding arguments meet and flow in one "river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne... [ Continue Reading ]
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HATH MADE ME FREE, [ eleutheroosen (G1659)] - 'freed me,' referring to the time of his conversion. Since the sense of this verse must rule that of... [ Continue Reading ]
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: FOR WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO ... 'Few texts (says Fraser truly) have been more teased with the criticisms of the learned, which... [ Continue Reading ]
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. THAT ('IN ORDER THAT') THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW, [not dikaiosunee (G1343), but dikaiooma (G1345)] - 'the righteous demand of the law;' the practical obedience which it calls for (s... [ Continue Reading ]
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. FOR THEY THAT ARE AFTER ('ACCORDING TO') THE FLESH - under the dominating influence of the fleshly principle, DO MIND [ fronousin (G5426 )] THE THINGS OF THE FLESH - i... [ Continue Reading ]
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. FOR. This is scarcely to be taken as a mere particle of transition here, like 'But' or 'Now;' but neither is it intended to assign a reason for the statement of Romans 8:5. The mind of the apostle is running upon... [ Continue Reading ]
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD. The desire and pursuit of carnal ends is a state of enmity to God wholly incompatible with true life, and peace in the soul. FOR IT IS N... [ Continue Reading ]
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. SO THEN ('AND SO;') THEY THAT ARE IN (AND, THEREFORE, UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF) THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD - having no obediential principle, no capacity, no desire to please Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. BUT YE ARE NOT IN THE FLESH, BUT IN THE SPIRIT, IF SO BE, [ eiper (G1512)] - not 'seeing that' (as Chrysostom and other Greek fathers, al... [ Continue Reading ]
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. AND IF CHRIST BE IN YOU - by His indwelling Spirit, in virtue of which we have one life with Him. Who can fail to see, from this way of speaking of the Holy Spirit-called indiscriminately "t... [ Continue Reading ]
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. BUT ('AND') IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU - i:e., 'If He dwell in you... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. THEREFORE, BRETHREN, WE ARE DEBTORS, NOT TO THE FLESH, TO LIVE AFTER THE FLESH - q.d., 'Once we were sold under Sin (); but now that we have been set free from that hard master, and become servants to Righteousness ... [ Continue Reading ]
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE - in the sense of Romans 6:21; BUT IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY THE DEEDS OF THE BODY (SEE THE NOTE AT ROMANS 7:23 ), Y... [ Continue Reading ]
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD - `these are sons of God.' The reader will observe the new light in which the Spirit is here held forth. In the preceding verses He was spoken of simply as... [ Continue Reading ]
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. FOR YE HAVE NOT RECEIVED - rather, 'For ye received not;' that is, when ye believed through grace. THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE. The meaning is, The spirit ye then... [ Continue Reading ]
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: THE SPIRIT ITSELF, [ auto (G846) to (G3588) pneuma (G4151)] - it should be 'Himself.' It is unfortunate that our English version here and elsewhere follows the Greek construction, which requires the pronoun to be... [ Continue Reading ]
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. AND IF CHILDREN, THEN HEIRS, [ kai (G2532) kleeronomoi (G2818)] - 'heirs also.' HEIRS OF GOD - of our Father's kingdom (compare Galatians 4:7, "and... [ Continue Reading ]
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. FOR I RECKON, [ logizomai (G3049)] - as in Romans 3:28, expressive not of doubt (as Jowett), but of reflection-q.d., 'For when I speak of our present sufferings and o... [ Continue Reading ]
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. FOR ... 'The apostle (says Hodge), fired at the thought of the future glory of the saints. pours forth this splendid passage (to the end of Romans 8:22), in which he represents the whole creation groani... [ Continue Reading ]
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, FOR THE CREATURE ('THE CREATION') WAS MADE SUBJECT TO VANITY, NOT WILLINGLY - i:e., through no natural principle of decay. The apostle, personifying creation, represents it as on... [ Continue Reading ]
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. BECAUSE, [ dia (G1223) ton (G3588) hupotaxanta (G5293) ep' (G1909) elpidi (G1680), hoti (G3754)] - or, 'by reason of Him who subjected it in hope, That.' Since the... [ Continue Reading ]
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. FOR WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE CREATION GROANETH AND TRAVAILETH IN PAIN TOGETHER UNTIL NOW.... [ Continue Reading ]
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. AND NOT ONLY [THEY] BUT OURSELVES ALSO, [ ou (G3756) monon (G3440) de (G1161), alla (G235) kai (G2532) autoi (G... [ Continue Reading ]
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? FOR WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE, [ tee (G3588) gar (G1063) elpidi (G1680) esootheemen (G4982)]. This sense of the words makes hope the instrument of salvation, which it can only be if we view hop... [ Continue Reading ]
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. BUT IF WE HOPE FOR THAT WE SEE NOT, [THEN DO] WE WITH PATIENCE WAIT FOR IT - i:e., then, patient waiting for it is our fitting attitude. The Spirit's Intercession for the Saints (Romans 8:26)... [ Continue Reading ]
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT ALSO ... - q.d., 'I have already shown you the varied offices of the blessed Spirit t... [ Continue Reading ]
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. AND - rather, 'But' (all inarticulate though these groanings be) he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he-th... [ Continue Reading ]
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. AND - rather, 'Moreover,' 'Now,' or some other such word, to mark, better than the ordinary copulative "And," what this verse clearly is-a transition to a new train of t... [ Continue Reading ]
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. FOR - as touching this "calling according to His purpose," WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE - or 'fore-ordain.' In what sense are we to t... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. MOREOVER - rather, 'And' or 'Now;' for the same train of thought is still in course of development, WHOM HE DID PREDESTINATE, THEM HE ALSO CALLED -... [ Continue Reading ]
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? WHAT SHALL WE THEN SAY TO THESE THINGS? As Bengel says, with his own unrivaled terseness, 'We can no further go, think, wish.' This whole passage, in fact-on to , and even to the end of the chapter-strikes all thoug... [ Continue Reading ]
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? HE, [ hos (G3739) ge (G1065)] - rather, 'He, surely.' It is a pity to lose the emphatic particle of the original, when it can be expressed idiomatically (as it cannot always... [ Continue Reading ]
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. WHO SHALL LAY ANYTHING TO THE CHARGE OF, [ engkalesei (G1458)] - or, 'bring a charge against' GOD'S ELECT. Here, for the first time in this Epistle, believers are called the "elect" In what sense this is meant wil... [ Continue Reading ]
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. WHO IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH? IT IS CHRIST THAT DIED. A number of expositors (after Ambrose and Augustine) read this as a question: "God that... [ Continue Reading ]
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? This does not mean 'our love to Christ;' as if one should say, Who shall hinder us from loving Christ?-but 'C... [ Continue Reading ]
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. AS IT IS WRITTEN ( ), FOR THY SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL THE DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER. This is quoted as descriptive of what God's faithful people may expect from... [ Continue Reading ]
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS, [ hupernikoomen (G5245 )] THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US - not (as Hodge takes it) 'We are so far from being conquered by all these things, that they do us, on the con... [ Continue Reading ]
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, [ oute (G3777) dunameis (G1411)]. This last clause ("nor powers") - i... [ Continue Reading ]
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. NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE - rather, 'created thing,' any other thing in the whole created universe of God, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US. 'All... [ Continue Reading ]