Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 8:38

Romans 8:38. For I am persuaded. In thus expressing his own triumphant conviction, the Apostle not only sums up what precedes, but goes further. The list here given exceeds the previous one; not only so, but to the great facts of God's purpose, and the gracious facts of Christ's work, there is added the subjective side, the personal confidence of the Apostle himself.

Neither death, nor life. ‘Death' is named first, probably because of the reference in Romans 8:36, and the natural antithesis is ‘life.' Dying or living, we are the objects of this love. It is altogether incorrect to explain: ‘neither anything dead nor anything living.'

Nor angels, nor principalities. This second pair refers to angelic beings; the latter term to a higher order. Comp. Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:15. The insertion at this point of the phrase ‘nor powers,' which should be placed at the close of the verse, shows that the early transcribers so understood the passage. But it is difficult to determine whether we should understand good angels, or bad, or both. To refer the one term to the former, and the other to the latter, is both abrupt and arbitrary; to leave the evil spirits unnoticed in such a catalogue would seem strange- Hence, we may refer both terms to both classes, in the wide hypothesis the Apostle here conceives.

Nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers. Instead of continuing the arrangement by pairs, the Apostle now gives two sets in threes, ‘in such a way, that to the two which stand contrasted, he adds a third of a general character' (Meyer). The first and second terms point to vicissitudes of time, the third to earthly powers of any kind. This seems to be the only sense of ‘powers,' which is in accordance with the position assigned it by the best authorities.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 8:38

Old Testament

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