>
VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 15:11:11 07/20/04 Tue
Author: Mt Healthy Mtneer, the token practicing Lutheran here
Subject: A Lutheran's response to Abba's Son's paper on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Life of a Believer

Before we start, a few notes:

Abba's Son asked me to read a paper of his on the Holy Spirit because he was interested in the perspective of a Lutheran on this topic (I do believe he was taking a class that included Reformation history at the same time so he became curious as to another point of view on the same topic).

Please be aware that I am but an initiate when compared to the two seminarians that post on this board, but I will try to do my best.

I tried to keep the text of the paper the same as it was presented to me but I have done the following:

1. edited irrelevant spacings, such as on the title page.
2. inserted page numbers in bold (they did not copy over from Word) so as to break up the text and to make it easier to reference later on, if needed or desired.
3. My comments will be inserted in the text (they are orange) as you read along.
4. Any stray html code is mine, please ignore it or fix it in a reply.

One other note:

Abba's Son had footnotes which did not copy over from Word. I chose not to re-insert them. However, the last page is a bibliography.



THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER IN ROMANS 8:1-27

A Report

Presented In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Course NT 525 Romans

November 2003



Page 2


TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………3
8:1-4……………………………………………………………………………………..3
8:5-8……………………………………………………………………………………..7
8:9-11…………………………………………………………………………………....9
8:12-17…………………………………………………………………………………11
8:23…………………………………………………………………………………….14
8:26,27…………………………………………………………………………………15
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………..16
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………..18

page 3



INTRODUCTION
The eighth chapter of Romans is perhaps one of the most remarkable and beloved in all of Scripture. With the possible exception of discourse material in the Fourth Gospel, nowhere can a more concentrated development of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer be found. Nearly half of the thirty-nine verses contain an explicit reference to the Holy Spirit, and all nineteen of these references occur within the first twenty-seven verses. It is apparent that Paul was trying to tell the believers something. “The Holy Spirit is more than available, and you need Him!”
The goal of this report is to examine the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in Romans 8:1-27. Within these verses, the reader can find freedom, guidelines for holy living, identity, hope, patience, and a source of strength when words cannot express mere feelings. Romans 8:1-27 offers us incite into the operation of the Holy Spirit for our lives in salvation, sanctification, and Spirit-filled living. Paul has laid bare before us a fresh and breathtaking lifestyle available to those who are willing to place their trust in Christ Jesus and who are prepared to depend completely on the work of the Spirit of God.
8:1-4

Romans chapter eight must be considered in the context of the argument of the section in which it is to be found. Paul began an argument in the form of a diatribe in chapter six that dealt with the topic of being free from sin. He had spent the first five chapters of his letter to the Romans explaining that everyone, both Jews and Gentiles, had fallen short of God’s glory, but that through Jesus Christ grace had been made available

page 4



for all. Paul’s imaginary interlocutator immediately objects with the thought that a believer could continue in sin so that grace might increase. (Romans 6:1) Paul answers the question as compact and forceful as he can by insisting that the thought should never even cross the mind. In chapter six, he goes on to demonstrate that sin is completely incompatible with the Christian life.
The argument resumes in chapter seven, as Paul assures his readers that they are not only free from sin, but that they are also free from the law. In Romans chapter seven, Paul uses first-person vernacular that has been the cause for much debate. The question arises whether or not Paul is using a purely rhetorical device or if the struggle in this chapter is his actual experience. If the person described in Romans 7:7-25 is, in fact, Paul, does it describe Paul’s prior or post-conversion experience? Looking at Paul’s statement in 7:7b, “Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law,” would be a shocking statement for a faithful Jew to read.

Why would it have been so shocking? Luther emphasizes that the Law is the mirror that sshows the sinner his (or her) sin. To me that is cconsistent with the Old Testament and New Testament Pharisees as well.

However, this argument must be interpreted as a revelation regarding the law after Paul’s conversion. “Origen and most of the Greek fathers held that Paul is speaking here of those under the law and without Christ. Augustine and many of the Latin fathers believed that Paul in this passage is speaking of the Christian.” Augustine and the Latin fathers must be wrong. The seventh chapter of Romans is written from a regenerate man reflecting on a miserable life of condemnation under the law. It is said, “hindsight is 20/20.” Paul is sharing with his readers his own experience with the law prior to his conversion.

I agree.

This is

page 5


why he can conclude that the believer is free from the law and can end this discourse with praise. “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)
Paul has now laid the groundwork for his discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Romans 8:1-4 forms a bridge between chapters seven and eight, in which Paul asserts the dramatic change of ownership for believers in Christ. The Spirit had last been mentioned in 7:6, indicating the freedom that was available. He then continues the discussion by telling his recipients that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (8:1,2) Liberation from the law of sin and death through Christ is to give up looking to the law for either justification or sanctification. Paul has just explained that sin and the law produce nothing less than death; he now ventures into an explanation of how the Spirit produces life. John Stott points out that it is noteworthy that Paul uses the first person singular in verse two, which was a prominent characteristic of chapter seven. Even Paul himself had been delivered.
Paul continues to use the word law, or nomos, to compare and contrast the Spirit of life with the spirit of sin and death. Throughout the entire letter, Paul has used this word interchangeably to represent different aspects of law. In some instances, nomos refers to the Law of Moses, the Torah, revered by all Jews. At other times, nomos refers to a corrupted version of Moses’ law. And, still, nomos is also referred to as a guiding

page 6


rule or principle. Most scholars agree that the law here is a principle on which the Holy Spirit works. It is a principle that “operates in power.”
Gordon Fee offers us a caution on the meaning of law in 8:2. He warns that the reader should not get so caught up on the meaning of “law” or nomos that the greater point is missed. “Paul is now bringing the Spirit into the picture in terms of deliverance and freedom from the tyranny of sin that he expounded in 6:1-23.” When the Holy Spirit comes into a person, that person is set free from bondage to evil and finds a new power for living. This new power is strong enough to defeat sin and lead the liberated person into a life of holiness. The question arises, what (or rather, who) is the Spirit of life and how does it operate in the life of the believer?
The Spirit of life is the life-giving spirit. He is the Spirit of life because he is, in fact, the Spirit of God. He is the source of life for all who come to God through Jesus Christ. The presence of the Spirit is the distinctive mark of the believer. The believer has been freed by a decisive act from the effects of sin and death. Authority and power have been exercised through the law of the Spirit of life. Douglass Moo states, “the Spirit exerts a liberating power through the work of Christ that takes us out of the realm of sin and the spiritual death to which sin inevitably leads.”
Not only does the Spirit of life free the believer from sin and death, He also makes it possible to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. When the believer comes to identify his life with the Holy Spirit, and is, in fact, indwelled by Him, then that

page 7


believer is able to attain a standard of living otherwise impossible to reach in his own strength.

It is impossible for anyone to attain this, no matter what their state of grace.

Being able to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law is impossible apart from the saving grace of Christ’s work. Those people who live in the sphere of influence of the Holy Spirit fulfill the law if they “walk according to the Spirit.” (8:4)

Lutherans would teach that all people sin and none, no matter what, are able to live a sinless life. My particular church quotes 1 John 1:8 every Sunday: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

This is not a commentary about our lives before we were Christian. It is a commentary about our lives right now - we are imperfect and sinful as believers as well.

MY question is: Are you saying that believers can live a sin-free live now?

Paul finds that the metaphor of walking demonstrates a steady, if otherwise unspectacular, progress for the believer. Paul is clearly stating that the Christian life is a journey, not simply a destination.

I agree!

Verse four is extremely important for an understanding of sanctification. The thought is not necessarily that the law requires one to be righteous, but to have the righteousness of God. Holiness is the ultimate purpose of the incarnation and atonement. Christ stepped out of glory, taking on the likeness of sinful flesh, so that we might be conformed to His image. Holiness consists of fulfilling the just requirements of the law. God did not make a mistake when He gave the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, and he is not now going to “plan B.” There is a righteousness within the law that God desires for His children to attain. It is a righteousness that commands us to “be holy, because He is holy.” The only way this holiness is possible is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

8:5-8


Paul moves into his next paragraph and juxtaposes the desires and mind of man with the desires and mind of the Spirit. Verse five serves as a definition to carry his

Page 8


argument. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (8:5) Paul is developing a contrast between flesh and spirit. Flesh, as Paul uses it here, can be defined as “the whole of our humanness viewed as corrupt and unredeemed.” Spirit, on the other hand, is here defined as nothing less than the Holy Spirit Himself, “who not only regenerates, but also indwells the people of God.” Paul’s intention is to present the flesh as bringing death and the Spirit as bringing life. Those whose desires are focused on themselves and worldly possessions deny themselves fellowship with God and all of the benefits and blessings that follow.

I agree! Remember the movie City Slickers? Curly the Cowboy imparts some wisdom to the Billy Crystal character when he tells him the secret of life is "one." Find that one thing and focus on it.

The believer must recognize that the desire of the Spirit is to please God. The Spirit is none less than the Holy Spirit who proceeds from God Himself. His desires are to glorify Christ and to show Him to us, while forming Him is us. In order for this to be achieved, the mind must be set on the Spirit. The thought life must be completely absorbed in the Spirit regarding interests, affections and purpose for living. Meditation and contemplation on the desires of the Spirit is in direct opposition to concentration on oneself. Our mindset expresses our nature as Christians or non-Christians. The thoughts we fail to take under control have eternal consequences.

Do we live in a state of grace or not? I am not saying that belief is a "get out of jail free card" - go do what you want. But, it is a "get out of Jail free card"...

Our attitude toward God is expressed in our concerns.

Our patterns of behavior - yes. Our total behavior? That is impossible because we are sinful beings.

Lutheranism does not have a formal behavior code or book like Calvin created and like some churches do today. Lutherans teach that that is non-productive in the long run - to us it looks exactly like the Pharisees who are so busy avoiding sin and checking the Law to see if they are living by the rules that they miss the joy of God and they don't even reach out to those in need. Specifically, I am put in mind of those that are angered that Jesus healed people on the Sabbath and that he broke the Sabbath rules. Which is more important - the healing or the rules?

All of these thought patterns must be taken under control and must be released to the Spirit.

Lutheranism teaches that that is absolutely impossible and to try to do so is futile. In fact, Luther's own personal story is that of a monk who tried to achieve perfection but was acutely aware of his own failings. He searched the scriptures and was inspired to realize that we are forgiven - not because of our obedience (because even the best of us is terribly disobedient) or by rituals but only by our faith in the saving power of Christ's sacrifice.

A lifestyle that is rooted in the flesh proceeds directly from a mind that is

page 9


focused on the desires of the flesh, but a lifestyle that is rooted in the Spirit proceeds directly from a mind oriented to the Spirit. Verse eight is a summary of this line of thought. “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”

In the previous paragraph, are you making points about Christians who sin or are you making comparisons between believers and non-believers?

8:9-11


Paul begins the next section of his argument by addressing the believers in Rome directly. Paul had never visited the church at Rome prior to writing this letter. He does not know whether or not they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues.

Is this a requirement? The only mention I personally remember was the Pentecost story.

Lutherans have issues with the whole "speaking in tongues" issue for one reason - on Pentecost they spoke in tongues but were understood by those they were speaking to - they spoke in real languages to people who understood them. We hear about and see people doing this who speak gibberish that no one understands (sometimes there's a translater). Lutherans would be impressed if speaking in tongues meant that you could stroll into an immigrant neighborhood and by the power of the Holy Spirit be able to speak directly to them without prior knowledge of the language. That was what happened on Pentecost. The other thing seems to be worthless grandstanding to us.

Also, did Paul himself have a speaking in tongues experience when he converted?

He simply knows that they are fellow believers; therefore, they have the Spirit of Christ living within them. This is Paul’s way of distinguishing believers from non-believers. He has already settled the fact that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile before God. Now, it is simply those who belong to Christ and those who do not.

Yes!

The presence of the Spirit in believers is not simply reserved for Charismatics and Pentecostals or otherwise “unusual” groups of believers. The presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer is the normal and necessary attribute of being a Christian at all. “Being led by the Spirit is not restricted to a few ecstasies, but is to be seen as a typical experience of all God’s children.” Paul is developing a new definition of what it means to be a Christian. Accord to C.K. Barrett, “Christians are men whose lives are directed from a source outside themselves.”

page 10


It is important to notice the “mutual indwelling” of the believer and the Spirit in 8:9-11. Paul begins to speak of the Spirit “in” believers, while the believer is simultaneously “in” the Spirit. Verse nine is exceptionally important to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit for at least two reasons. First, the proof of the authentic believer is seen as the possession or indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Does this mean speaking in tongues?

Second, Paul uses several synonyms to describe the Holy Spirit. He calls Him, “the Spirit, “the Spirit of God,” and “the Spirit of Christ” interchangeably. Paul is thinking of the Spirit of Christ as the means of the indwelling of Christ in and among the believers, as well as viewing this indwelling of Christ as the utmost evidence of their belonging to Christ as the new covenant Lord. Gordon Fee elaborates, “The indwelling Spirit…opens up for us new possibilities for righteousness unknown before. The indwelling presence of God by His Spirit puts us under obligation. God’s new people must serve in the new way of the Spirit.”
Moving on to verse ten, Paul makes very little distinction between the indwelling of Christ and that of the Holy Spirit. If Christ, or the Spirit of Christ, is in you, two natural consequences must follow. First, your body is dead. Paul built this argument in chapter six and reinforces his thought here. Second, while the body is dead, the Spirit has given life. Why had the Spirit given life? Because of righteousness! Our bodies may have been destined to die, but the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells within us and guarantees that our ultimate end will not be the grave. God will give life to those bodies again. It is the presence of the indwelling Spirit that

page 11


assures our future resurrection. According to Robert Morgan, “The close connection between God’s Spirit and the resurrection of Jesus means that God by His indwelling Spirit will give life to the mortal bodies that the Spirit indwells.”
Paul’s eschatology in these verses presents an “already/not-yet” tension which informs the reader that while the body is already alive in Christ, the Father, in due course, will raise the body from the grave. The role of the Holy Spirit in 8:9-11 is the deposit made for our future resurrection. Gordon Fee states, “His reason for identifying the Spirit as ‘the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead’…is to make the closest possible connection between Christ’s resurrection and ours.”
In Romans 8:9-11, Paul emphasizes four points. The presence or absence of the Spirit in the life of the believer marks those who belong to Christ and those who do not. It is no longer important if you are Jew or Gentile. Second, the emphasis is on the “indwelling” nature of the Holy Spirit. In an earlier letter, Paul described the Corinthians as being the temple of the Holy Spirit. (I Cor. 3:16) It can be a safe assumption that he has the same idea in mind. Third, these verses emphasize the eschatological tension of the resurrection of the body. This is based on the indwelling Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, and has the power to do the same for the believer. Lastly, these verses demonstrate the “thoroughly Trinitarian presupposition of Paul’s way of talking about salvation in Christ.”

8:12-17


page 12

Paul is serious about the need for us to put the new life that God gives us into effect. Our response is not an option. It is not simply for Charismatic or Pentecostal believers. It is for every regenerate soul. Through Christ Jesus, we are under obligation as men raised from the dead. This obligation is a consequence of Christ indwelling us through the Spirit. The believer is now indebted to live a righteous and holy life. To live according to what He desires is an obligation to the Spirit. One carries out this obligation through a mortification of the misdeeds of the body.
Mortifying the misdeeds means literally killing them off, or getting rid of them altogether. It must be observed that the present tense is used which indicates that this is to be a continuing activity. Putting to death the misdeeds of the body is not something that can be done once and for all. This mortification must be a daily duty.

This seems to contradict your comments on page 8 and page 13.

Mortification of the misdeeds is significant in the following ways. First, it clearly recognizes evil for exactly what it is. Once evil is seen as evil, it leads to such a decisive and thorough negation of it that the only thing left to do to it is “putting it to death.” Second, mortification is something that we have to do. It is not an option. Stott comments, “Inconsistency between who we are and how we behave is unthinkable, even ludicrous.” We are not to passively wait for the sinful nature to grow tired and die on its own. (Which, of course, is ridiculous!) It must be put to death. We can no longer live in it. This mortification will not be done for us. We are under obligation to do it ourselves. Finally, the death of mortification is the only road to life.

page 13


Once this mortification takes place,

Is it once and for all or is it daily as on the previous page?

Paul gives us the assurance that we have an inheritance in Christ. “The Spirit of God testifies to our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (8:16,17)
We have been given the assurance of our membership in the heavenly family. Paul returns to an eschatological tension of future salvation and glory for the believer. The believer has already been adopted into God’s kingdom but must wait for the inheritance.
Paul is the only New Testament writer to use the word “adoption.” He uses it a total of five times within the Pauline corpus; three of these occurrences are in the letter to Romans. The word for adoption never occurs in the LXX because the Jews did not practice adoption. It is most likely that Paul used the illustration from Roman or Greek law. Both cultures had a high view of adoption, and this passage to the Gentile church would have carried more meaning than to a church in Jerusalem.

I did not realize this.

Verses fourteen through seventeen can be summarized in the following ways. First, the Spirit leads us into holiness. While it is the responsibility of the believer to put to death the misdeeds of the body, it is the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do so.

A very Lutheran thought - but the misdeeds cannot be completely eliminated.

Second, the Spirit replaces fear with freedom in our relationship to God. No longer must the believer be alone in the world. The Spirit of Christ has indwelled him and is with him wherever he goes. Third, the Spirit prompts us in our prayers to call God “Abba, Father.” “Abba” is a special term in Aramaic that points to a loving and intimate relationship between a father and a child. Believers have been

apge 14


given the divine privilege of being a part of the heavenly family and are allowed to address God in this familiar manner.
Perhaps one of the best characteristics about this life in the Spirit is “sonship.” This intimate relationship with God is most adequately expressed in prayer. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us an example of this Himself when He provided us with the great model prayer, beginning with “Abba, Father.” (cf. Matt. 6:9) This section informs us of our identity. The world can longer say who we are because, in fact, we are heirs of God. We have all of the rights and privileges as His heirs, and we anxiously await the glorious inheritance He has planned for His children.

8:23


The first fruits refer to the Jewish custom of bringing the first of the harvest to the temple and offering it to God. It was the first portion of the harvest, a first installment, henceforth, representing a pledge of the final delivery of the whole. Thus, the whole harvest was considered to be consecrated, set apart for God’s blessing. And, because of this consecration, the thought of later fruits was hoped for. The measure of the Holy Spirit that God has now given us is only a foretaste, a first fruit, of the blessings that we will have in God’s perfect timing. Barrett says, “The Holy Spirit is regarded as an anticipation of final salvation and a pledge that we who have the Spirit shall in the end be saved.” Stott offers a very interesting possibility of what Paul may have had in mind when he described the Holy Spirit in our lives as a first fruit. It is possible that Paul was thinking about the Feast of Weeks, which celebrated the reaping of the first fruits. This

page 15


very festival (called in Greek, “Pentecost”) was the same one celebrated when the Holy Spirit was first poured out.

I doubt it since you just made a great point about the use of adoption metaphors being directed at Gentile readers, this would have had little if any meaning to Gentiles. More likely, the firstfruits reference was like earnest money or a downpayment when buying a house.

It is through the Spirit who operates for us as first fruit that we await our final adoption. This adoption takes place in the form of redemption for our bodies. The Spirit plays the key role in our present existence. He is evidence that we are in right relationship with God; and, He is a guarantee that our future relationship with Him is secure.
Paul compares the believer to the creation, which also groans, waiting for its final redemption. We, however, have an advantage that the creation does not; we have the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to consider the status of creation and the believer in terms of guilt before God. The creation was subject to frustration because of the fall of mankind. The creation has no guilt before God because it has never made a transgression against Him. The believers’ status before God in verse twenty-three is equal to that of the creation.

I assume you mean that as all of creation will be renewed when Christ returns, believers will also be renewed. I assume you did not mean that all of creation is currently liberated.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” (8:1) The believer does not have to view his suffering as a penalty.

8:26,27


Paul is concluding his argument concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer by going to the heart of a believer’s religious duty, prayer. Prayer is the most basic religious duty to which God has called us. Even so, without the Holy Spirit operating in our lives, we are too weak to know how we ought to pray. “Man does not know the secret prayers which alone can give him access to God.”

????

“In the same way,”

page 16


connects the assistance of the Holy Spirit in prayer to the help received from the Spirit from groaning in frustration. Morris points out that the Spirit does not remove our weakness. Although the lack of strength may be there, He gives us the aid we need to press through. Our weaknesses should not be regarded as sin. Not allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to and through us and letting our weaknesses overcome us is sinful. One of the subtlest tactics that the devil uses to defeat believers is pride. There are too many believers who view themselves as spiritual giants and see less need for the operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Paul is very clear in demonstrating that we are weak. In fact, we are so weak we do not even know what we should pray for; and, left to ourselves, we will certainly fall into troublesome situations.

As we often do even with the Spirit living in us.

The weakness has rendered the believer so helpless that he does not know how to pray in a proper manner. “The Holy Spirit identifies with our groans, with the pain of the world and the church, and shares in the longing for the final freedom of both.”

CONCLUSION


Romans 8:1-27 presents multiple ministries of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Spirit of life has set the believer free from the law of sin and death. The righteous requirements of the law can be met in those who live according to the Spirit. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind that is controlled by the Spirit leads to life. The believer can put to death the sinful nature if the Holy Sprit is living in him.

No - if he could then Christ's sacrifice would have been for nothing.

The resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit has given life to the mortal body, both now and in the future salvation of the believer. Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God and have the right to call Him

Page 17


“Abba, Father.” Furthermore, the believer has not received a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of Sonship. The Spirit Himself even testifies with our spirit that we are indeed God’s children. The believer has been given the first fruits of the Holy Spirit as a down payment; and, though he may groan inwardly, the believer can anticipate the future salvation of both the creation and his own body. The Spirit helps us in our weakness; He teaches us how to pray, and He intercedes in prayer on our behalf.
Romans chapter eight begins by telling us that there is no condemnation for the believer. Paul ends with a “hymn of triumph,” confirming that the believer will end with no condemnation.
“What then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against
us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He
not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:31-39)

page 18


BIBLIOGRAPHY


Adewuya, J. Ayodeji. “The Holy Spirit and Sanctification in Romans 8:1-17.” Journal of
Pentecostal Theology, 18 (2001), 71-84.

Barrett, C.K., The Epistle to the Romans. London: A & C Black, 1991.

Boyd, Robert F. “The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer.” Interpretation, 1 Jan 1954,
35-42.

Davies, Donald M. “Free From the Law: An Exposition of the Seventh Chapter of
Romans.” Interpretation, 2 Apr. 1953, 156-162.

Dillon, Richard J. “The Spirit as Taskmaster and Troublemaker in Romans 8.” Catholic
Biblical Quarterly, 60 Oct. 1998, 182-202.

Fatehi, Mehrdad. The Spirit’s Relation to the Risen Lord in Paul. Tubingen: J.C.B. Mohr,
2000.

Fee, Gordon, God’s Empowering Presence. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.

__________. Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996.

Gieniusz, Andrzej. Romans 8:18-30: Suffering Does Not Thwart the Future Glory.
Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999.

Hay, Donald M. and Johnson, E. Elizabeth. Pauline Theology. Vol. III, Romans.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.

Longenecker, Bruce W. ed. Narrative Dynamics in Paul. Louisville: Westminster John
Knox, 2002.

Moo, Douglass J. Romans: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2000.

Morgan, Robert. Romans. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. 1997.

Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.

Seifrid, Mark A. “The Subject of Romans 7:14-25.” Novum Testamentum, 34 Oct. 1992,
313-333.

Stott, John. Romans: God’s Good News for the World. Downers Grove: Intervarsity,
1994.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Post a message:
This forum requires an account to post.
[ Create Account ]
[ Login ]
Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.