Romans 8:35

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 'Christ's love to us,' as is clear from the closing words of the chapter, which refer to the same subject. Nor would the other sense harmonize with the scope of the chapter, which is to exhibit the ample ground that there is for the believer's confidence in Christ. 'It is no ground of confidence (as Hodge observes) to assert, or even to feel, that we will never forsake Christ; but it is the strongest ground of assurance to be convinced that his love will never change.' SHALL TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION, OR FAMINE, OR NAKEDNESS, OR PERIL, OR SWORD? - q.d., 'None of these, nor all of...

35._Who shall separate us_, _etc. _The conviction of safety is now more widely extended, even to lower things; for he who is persuaded of God’s kindness towards him, is able to stand firm in the heaviest afflictions. These usually harass men in no small degree, and for various reasons, — because they interpret them as tokens of God’s wrath, or think themselves to be forsaken by God, or see no end to them, or neglect to meditate on a better life, or for other similar reasons; but when the mind is purged from such mistakes, it becomes calm, and quietly rests. But the import of the words is, — That whatever happens, we ought to stand firm in this faith, — that God, who once in his love embraced us, never ceases to care for us. For he does not simply say that there is nothing which can tear God away from his love to us; but he means, that the knowledge and lively sense of the love which he t...

32-39 All things whatever, in heaven and earth, are not so great a display of God's free love, as the gift of his coequal Son to be the atonement on the cross for the sin of man; and all the rest follows upon union with him, and interest in him. All things, all which can be the causes or means of any real good to the faithful Christian. He that has prepared a crown and a kingdom for us, will give us what we need in the way to it. Men may justify themselves, though the accusations are in full force against them; but if God justifies, that answers all. By Christ we are thus secured. By the merit of his death he paid our debt. Yea, rather that is risen again. This is convincing evidence that Divine justice was satisfied. We have such a Friend at the right hand of God; all power is given to him. He is there, making intercession. Believer! does your soul say within you, Oh that he were mine!...

Verse 35. _WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST?_] I do think that this question has been generally misunderstood. The apostle is referring to the persecutions and tribulations to which genuine Christians were exposed through their attachment to Christ, and the gracious provision God had made for their support and final salvation. As in this provision God had shown his infinite love to them in providing Jesus Christ as their sin-offering, and Jesus Christ had shown his love in suffering death upon the cross for them; so, here, he speaks of the love of the _followers_ of God to that Christ who had first loved _them_. Therefore the question is not, Who shall separate the love of Christ from us? or prevent Christ from loving us? but, Who shall separate _us_ from the love of Christ? _Who_ or _what_ shall be able to remove _our affection_ from him? And the questions that immediately...

WHO SHALL SEPARATE US - That is, finally or entirely separate us. This is a new argument of the apostle, showing his strong confidence in the safety of the Christian. FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST - This expression is ambiguous; and may mean either our love to Christ or his love to us. I understand it in the former sense, and suppose it means, “Who shall cause us to cease to love the Saviour?” In other words, the love which Christians have for their Redeemer is so strong, that it will surmount and survive all opposition and all trials. The reason for so understanding the expression is, that it is not conceivable how afflictions, etc. should have any tendency to alienate Christ’s love “from us;” but their supposed tendency to alienate “our love” from him might be very strong. They are endured in his cause. They are caused, in a good degree, by professed attachment to him. The persecutions and t...

EXPOSITION ROMANS 8:1 (_c_) _The blessed condition and assured hope of such as are in Christ _Jesus. The summary of the contents of this chapter, which follows the Exposition, may be referred to in the first place by the student, so as to assist comprehension of the line of thought. ROMANS 8:1 THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. (The additional words of this verse in the Textus Receptus have but slight support, having probably been supplied from Romans 8:4. They are out of place here.) "Nunc venit ad liberationem et libertatem. Non autem ponit adversativam δὲ, _autem,_ sed conclusivam a!ra, erg

WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST?.... By "the love of Christ" is not meant the saints' love to Christ, but his love to them; he is indeed the object of their love, and so strong is their love to him, that it can never be destroyed; for though there may be an abatement in the fervour of it, it can never be lost; yet this is never called the love of Christ: besides, the apostle is speaking not of their love to Christ, but of the love of God and Christ to them, throughout the context; and his design is, to strengthen the faith of God's people, and comfort their souls, under their various afflictions: now nothing more effectually serves such purposes, than the love of Christ; and the things here instanced in are such, as are apt to inject doubts and fears, about interest in the love of Christ, and of the love of God in Christ, as it is interpreted in some following verses: moreo...

Romans 8:1. _There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit._ «No condemnation»: that is the beginning of the chapter. No separation: that is the end of the chapter. And all between is full of grace and truth. What a banquet this chapter has often proved to the souls of God's hungry servants! May it be so now as we read it. No condemnation even now. Many doubts, but no condemnation. Many chastisements, but no condemnation. Even frowns from the Father's face apparently, but no condemnation. And this is not a bare statement, but an inference from powerful arguments. «There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.» This is where they are. «Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.» This is how they behave themselves, not under the government of the old nature, but under the

ROMANS 8:35 Cristou/ {A} Since the reading qeou/ th/j evn Cristw|/ VIhsou/ (B Origenlat2/7) is in all probability a scribal harmonization with ver. Romans 8:39, the reading qeou/ (a 326 330 copsa Origengr1/3, lat4/7 _al_) is doubtless also a partial echo of that verse. The reading Cristou/ is strongly supported (A C D G K Y 33 614 1241 1739 _Byz Lect_ Old Latin vg syrp, h copbo goth arm eth Tertullian Origengr2/3, lat1/7 _al_) and binds together verses...

CHAPTER 8 _ 1. In Christ; no Condemnation but Deliverance. (Romans 8:1 .)_ 2. Flesh and Spirit. (Romans 8:5 .) 3. The Body and the Spirit. (Romans 8:9 .) 4. Sons and Heirs of God. (Romans 8:12 .) 5. The Time of Travail and Groaning; the Future Redemption. (Romans 8:18 .) 6. The intercession of the Spirit. (Romans 8:26 .) 7. The Saints Calling; the Challenge and the Assurance. ...