Romans 8:35

Who shall separate us He speaks in view of these amazing proofs of the grace and truth of the Father and the Son. "Who," not "what;" although the following words are of things, not persons. This is in harmony with the intense and vivid tone of the whole passage. Cp. John 10:28-29; "no oneshall pluck them out of my hand; no onecan pluck them out of my Father's hand." "Us" is slightly emphatic by position: q. d., "us, thus cared for and pleaded for."

the love of Christ Same word as 2 Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 3:19. It is the love of Christ for us, not ours for Him. The whole context here relates to our security through the goodness of God. In what sense are the things now to be named viewed as "not separating" us from this love? Probably they are to be taken as so many veils or clouds between us and the (outward) manifestation of the love; things which might tempt the believer to think that his Lord had forsaken him. St Paul assures him that this cannot be really so; the separation is but seeming; the love is indissoluble.

tribulation, &c. St Paul had indeed a right to use such language as the language of experience. See e.g. 2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 2 Timothy 3:10-12. Cp. Hebrews 11:35-38, (of the O. T. saints.)

It will not be out of place to quote from the letter of a sufferer for his faith, in the French galleys, 1739: "Having, by the grace of God, made a Christian profession, we are bound to be faithful soldiers and submit to the Lord's will. Our chains are where He has placed them. Our persecutors think to disgrace us by putting us with malefactors; but in this we are honoured of God, who gives us cause for rejoicing that He counts us worthy to bear shame for the name of Jesus.… God has predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son, that suffering with Him we may also be glorified together. Our life is hid with Christ in God; but when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." (Letter of M. Villevaire, in Bonnefon's Life of B. du Plan, p. 241, Eng. Trans.)