Romans 8:33

Who shall lay any thing to the charge The Gr. word is technical and legal. The legal ideas of accusation, condemnation, acquittal, which have been so prominent through the Epistle, here reappear, in a final statement of the certainty of the Divine Acquittal of those who are in Christ. No doubt the great "Accuser of the Brethren" (Revelation 12:10) is in view in this phrase, though not exclusively.

God's elect The persons chosen by Him and belonging, as such, to Him; identical, manifestly, with the "foreknown, foreordained, called, justified, and glorified." The phrase occurs Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27: Luke 18:7; Colossians 3:12; Titus 1:1. The word "elect," (chosen,) is always used in N. T. in connexions that indicate the highest dignity and worth in the sight of God. The present passage throws as much light on the greatness of its meaning as any other. Cp. with it specially Ephesians 1:4-5. In the O. T. Israel is "My people, My chosen, (Isaiah 43:20.) In the N. T. the chosen are "the Israel of God," (Galatians 6:16: cp. Galatians 3:29; Romans 4:11.) As with the old so with the new Israel, the choice is emphatically sovereign. On the other hand, the choice of the "justified and glorified" takes effect through means;through the Gospel. See 2 Timothy 2:10; (a passage sometimes, but not justly, quoted against a sovereign election to salvation;) and ante, note on "work together," Romans 8:28.

It is God, &c. The Gr. equally allows the rendering Is it God, &c.? And this on the whole is more likely to be right, if only because we are here in a series of questions, (from Romans 8:31-35 inclusive,) the force of which is surely greatest when unbroken. The doctrine of the passage is unchanged by the difference of rendering. The only finally effectiveAccuser must be God Himself; but He is pledged to be the very opposite.

that justifieth "him that believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3:26.) The use of this word here, so amply illustrated already, shews how entirely the acquittal and acceptance now in question are "not of works."