Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1-13. Security of the justified. The mind of the Spirit, not the mind of the flesh, is their characteristic

1. therefore To what does "therefore" refer? To the discussion of the inner conflict just previous? Or to something remoter in the argument? The text is sometimes so printed as to carry on the connexion unbroken from ch. 7 some distance into this ch., and thus to make the discussion in Romans 7:7-25 the premiss of this "therefore." But against this we think that, (a), both in contents and in tone, ch. 8 is a whole in itself, with one grand topic, the Security of the Saints, traceable throughout; and that (b) there is nothing in the last paragraphs of ch. 7 to suggest directlythe present statement, though much to illustrate and enforce it. Had ch. 7 endedwith "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord," it might have seemedotherwise, (though see note on those words;) but ch. 7 actually ends with the strongest assertion of the sin-awaking and sin-detecting power of the Law and the consequent strife of the soul. It is thus far better to refer this exordium of ch. 8 to the wholeprevious argument, but specially to such parts of it as detail the way of Justification. More specially still it is connected with chh. 5 and 6, and the first section of ch. 7, which state (under various imagery) the union of the justified with their Head, Master, and Bridegroom.

Hitherto the Epistle has discussed and explained, from many sides, the great matter of Justification, and its immediate results, (union with Christ, bondservice to God, the liberation of the will, &c.). The last topic thus considered is the attitude of the Lawtowards the soul an attitude such that the Law cannot (in the regenerate or unregenerate) subduesin, but can only expose and condemn it. This has been shewn partly to vindicate the holiness of the Law, partly to expose the malignity of sin, partly to re-inforce the truth, already proved, that Justification is to be attained by another way.

Now, to the close of ch. 8, the argument (without wholly leaving former topics and reasonings) rises to a fuller view of present results, and to the first full statement of the eternal Sequel. It is needless to point out the majesty and splendour which mark the whole passage.

no condemnation The word "no" is strongly emphatic in the Greek. The Gr. for "condemnation" here occurs elsewhere in N. T. only ch. Romans 5:16; Romans 5:18. The cognate verb is frequent, and occurs e. g. Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:32 (last clause). As regards the soul, the verb means to pass sentence of death. Such sentence "is not," for those who are in Christ; they "shall not come into condemnation, but are passed from death unto life." (John 5:24.) "Who is he that condemneth?" (Romans 8:34.)

Observe that the word "is" is not in the Gr. There is no specification of time. Q. d., "such a condemnation is inconceivable."

in Christ Jesus See for parallels to this important phrase, Romans 6:11, (E. V. "through, &c.,") Romans 12:5; Romans 16:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1Co 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17, &c. And cp. Ephesians 5:30, where the key to its special meaning appears. The brethren of the Second Adam are regarded as solidairewith Him in the sense both of holy dearness and inseparable interest; specially the latter. The former idea is conveyed rather under the figure of the Spouse; the latter under that of the Body and the Head. The whole previous argument of the Epistle makes it plain that those who are "in Christ" are those who have been "justified through faith." (Ch. Romans 5:1.). No merely external position of opportunity or privilege can satisfy the phrase, in view of such a verse as this, or as 2 Corinthians 5:17. On the other hand, the phrase (strictly speaking) indicates not the inner experienceof the justified which rather appears in the phrase of "Christ in them" (Colossians 1:27, &c.,) but their standing and interest.

who walk, &c. Better, walking, as they do, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. If these words are retained, they must be taken as a descriptionrather than a definition. The conditionof freedom from doom is, to "be in Christ Jesus;" but that happy position does, as a fact, result in, and so is characterized by, a "walk after the Spirit." The words will thus serve as a caution against the abuse of the doctrine of gratuitous justification; but not as a modification of it. The point is admirably elucidated by Calvin's remark, that "it is faith alone which justifies, but the faith which justifies can never be alone."

But it is probable that the words from "who walk" to "after the Spirit" are to be omittedhere. Almost for certain the lastclause, "but after the Spirit," must so be omitted. Very possibly they were inserted here by copyists, who conceived the previous statement too absolute to be trusted alone to the reader, and so borrowed a quasi-note from Romans 8:4.