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ROMANS 8:35-39
What Christian has not
thrilled to the words of praise found in our text here?
No doubt the assurance of
every Believer in Christ could be further strengthened if he or
she only understood this Bible Passage.
Study it with us!
Memorize it. Apply it to your lives! Preach it.
Teach it. Delight in it to the Glory of God!
You'll be glad you did some
day!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
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A Preacher in his Study
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ROMANS 8:35 ...
Today we are
together beginning a brief study of Paul's great doxology in
Romans 8:35-39. (Posted Monday, March 8, 2004 at 9:30 AM)
"Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the
day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
The Book of
Romans has Paul's best known and most thorough doctrinal
teaching available today. The first eight chapters of this
great Epistle are full of some of the greatest teaching in the
Bible. But ... look at how Paul closes this section. He ends
it with a burst of praise!
Doctrine
should lead us to praise!
Let's just
notice the first verse today. "Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword?" (Romans 8:35)
The verb
"separate" is a translation of the Greek term "chorizo"
(pronounced kho-rid'-zo). The most unusual thing about the word
is that it is only used 13 times in the whole Bible! It comes
from the noun "chora" which means "space or room." When put into
verbal form it has the idea of "putting space between two
things." Putting "room" between them! It has the meaning: to
separate, to leave, to depart or to be taken away!
No one can put
"room" between you and your Lord! No one can "distance" you
from His Love! (Wow!)
The noun love
is "agape" and means God's deep sacrificial giving unselfish
love. The kind that sent Jesus to die on the cross to save
sinners like you and me!
The term "love
of God" does NOT mean my love for God ... but His Love for me!
Then Paul
begins one of his famous "lists."
Here are brief
definitions for each word in our verse today:
"Tribulation"
(Greek = "thlipsis") means pressure! To squeeze in tightly!
(Pressure from on top!)
"Distress" had
the same kind of idea too. "Stenochoria" means literally
"narrow" (stenos) + "room" (choros)! (Pressure from the
sides!) A "stenographers" pad is one which has a narrow space
for writing!
"Persecution"
comes from the verb that means "to pursue, to chase" ("dioko").
When one is being persecuted (in this sense) a foe is chasing
him to do him harm!
"Famine"
(Greek = "limos") is derived from the verb which means "to be
absent or to leave." It suggests that food has left you!
Nothing to eat! (Paul has been hungry at times in his preaching
of the Word. This probably is not fasting either. That's
voluntarily going without food ... and is a form of worship.
Paul would not have categorized that as famine. In fact, he
would not have even mentioned his own fasting procedures. Those
are done in secret!)
"Nakedness" is
the Greek noun "gumnotes." Change the "u" to a "y" and bring it
into English and you have the word gymnasium (gym). It means
literally "naked." The name comes from the Greek and Romans
practice of exercising with no clothes on one's body. Gyms were
places where literally the participants were unclothed. That's
why the believers did not participate,
"Peril" is "kindunos,"
meaning danger. It's only found 9 times in the King James Bible
and is translated "peril" all of those times. (A condition of
threatening circumstances)
And "sword" is
the Greek word "machaira," which means a sharp long knife now
called a sword. It comes from the root word for "battle." Our
word "machete" comes from this noun.
The very fact
that these kinds of "barriers" are listed proves how very
difficult Paul's ministry had become.
Any one of
these events could well be called "earth-shaking" or
"life-changing," but (praise God) they cannot move you away from
God's Love to you! No separation ... not even enough to wedge
in a single little doubt!"
I guess it's
best here to repeat something Paul said earlier in the chapter:
"IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?"
Romans 8:31
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ROMANS 8:36 ...
This Bible study
is posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 8:20 AM from home! Look
with me at Romans 8:36. It is part of Paul's first great
"doxology" in Romans.
"As
it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
(Romans 8:36)
It is obvious
that Paul is quoting from the Old Testament. His "formula" for
doing so often is: "It is written."
He quotes
Psalm 44:22. "Yea, for thy sake are we
killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the
slaughter." That's nearly an identical rendering of the
original verse.
This verse
certainly would not be popular in many realms today. There has
developed a culture of "health and wealth" philosophy among many
in America ... and it is just NOT Scriptural.
Do not
misunderstand me. God CAN bless and He can bless mightily!
(And I want to be a candidate for every blessing God has!)
BUT Peter
tells us to ... "Beloved, think it not
strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you." 1 Peter
4:12
And Paul again
adds: "Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy
3:12
Let's look at
a few words in our Romans 8 verse.
"Is written"
is the verb Paul uses to describe the Scriptures. The most
interesting thing about the form of this little action word is
the "sense of timing" it has. It's a "perfect passive" verb in
the indicative mood. The "action" was begun in the past and
finished in the past ... BUT has ongoing (up to this very
minute) power and influence associated with it! That's EXACTLY
the way to describe Bible Inspiration (Completed in the Past,
once for all! No more Scripture is being written!) and
Illumination (Still going on every time a Spirit filled believer
reads the Word!). Here is a classic example of grammar teaching
good accurate Bible doctrine!
"For Thy sake"
translates a preposition ("heneka") that means "on account of"
or "for the cause of" or "for thy sake." It is NOT "huper"
(hyper in English) which means "in the place of!" I did not die
in His Place ... He died in my place! Now we may be asked to
die for his sake in the line of Christian service. BUT, even if
so, there would be nothing redemptive about our deaths! But
what a "testimony" it would be! In fact the Greek word for
testimony/witness is the word "martyr!"
"Killed" is
the verb "thanatoo" and means "put to death!" It is an
indicative present verb --- ongoing action. Persecution of
believers never stops according to these verses!
And
"accounted" is "logizomai which is a mathematical term. It
means numbered or calculated. Just one more Christian slain
today! (To take an inventory!) The world has slain so many
believers that history seems to have "lost" count! BUT God
knows exactly ... and will reward each of them with a "crown" on
the great day of the Judgment Seat of Christ! In Revelation
2:10 Jesus promises: "Be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
"Sheep for the
slaughter" is the Biblical way of saying many deaths ...
unending deaths ... unnoticed deaths! Even to the world ...
unimportant deaths! You would have never thought that any death
would be "unimportant." But America slaughters a million and a
half unborn babies annually and they are all considered
unimportant by the Supreme Court of our land! So don't think
the day could not come when Christians are valued the same way!
BUT here's the
good news. If they kill you today ... you will not be separated
from the Love of God and the God Who gives that Love! In fact,
you would meet Him face to face!
It is just a
simple fact ... Christian's can't lose! Whether by life or by
death ... victory awaits!
Again,
"If God be FOR us, who can be
AGAINST us?" (Romans 8:32b)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ROMANS 8:37 ...
This sermon
thought was posted March 10, 2004, and is part of a short study
of Paul's great doxology preached at the end of Romans chapter
8.
"Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
Romans 8:37
"Nay" is a
conjunction (in Greek it is spelled "alla") meaning "but, on the
contrary or rather." It is only translated "nay" 4 times in the
King James Version (of 637 uses)! It is rendered "but" 573 times
and "yea" 15 times and "yet" 11 times!"
What an
"umbrella" term is the expression "in all these things!" ("en
toutois pasin") It includes every so-called "barrier" that Paul
has mentioned thus far. (From "tribulation" to "sword!")
Those things
don't bother the Believer. Paul is of the opinion that the
Christian is victor over every enemy that would try to
"separate" him from the love of God!
In fact, he
not only says that we are victors ... but we are "more than
conquerors!" The phrase is a translation of ONE Greek word, "hupernikao!"
It would literally in English be "hyper conquerors!" "Nikao"
means "to subdue or to overcome!" "Hyper" means above or
beyond! It greatly intensifies the meaning of a verb! What
POWER Paul believes to be in the cohesive Energy of the love of
God! Paul says nothing can "break you apart" from God's love!
(Sometime read about the power that holds an atom together! How
hard it is to break one apart! And the results of doing so!
The same Creator Who bonded the atom also loves you with a
binding Love! See Hosea 11:4 where God said ---
"I drew them with cords of a man, with
bands of love:
and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws,
and I laid meat unto them." Wow! Bands = cords, ropes,
chains! This is the Old Testament Romans 8:35-39! (Here Hosea
gives us a pretty good verse for studying God's "drawing" power
too!)
We are
conquerors THROUGH Him Who loved us so. "Through" obviously is
a preposition. In Greek it is "dia." It means the "channel
through which something flows!" (In the accusative case as here
... "because of, on account of, or even for the sake of!)
It's all about
JESUS!
It's all
because of Jesus too!
And the verbal
"loved" is a participle that's in the aorist form. That means
He is speaking a love that is completed in the past! (Now don't
get alarmed, plenty of other verses DO tell us that He loves us
today and will do so eternally!) This Love completed in the
past is a not-so-obscure reference to Calvary! That's WHERE
God's love is most visibly manifested!
All of us
Christians ought to stop a minute and just praise the Lord!
Why? Because ...
"Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us."
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ROMANS 8:38 ...
This Bible Study
was placed here Thursday morning, March 11, 2004. It is an
analysis of Romans 8:38.
"For
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come..." Romans
8:38
The verb
"persuaded" means "to induce one to believe." It's an
indicative perfect passive verb. Paul got "persuaded" in the
past ... and he has stayed that way ever since! The "passive"
voice means that Paul didn't persuade himself either! He was
"persuaded" or "convinced" by Another! (Notice the capital "A"
on Another!)
I find 3 times
in Scripture where Paul is persuaded. In Acts 26:26 he was
persuaded in discernment! In 1 Timothy 1:12 he was persuaded in
salvation. And here he is persuaded in security! (This alone
would make an interesting study.)
The word for
death is "thanatos." It usually means physical death, cessation
of life.
"Life" is the
Greek noun "zoe." It has become a proper name in English! It
gives us our word "zoo," where living animals are. (The verb "zao"
means to live.)
Angels and
principalities and powers all are terms Paul uses to link us to
the "spirit" world.
"Angels" are
literally "messengers" of God. (In Revelation the word seems to
be used even of pastors of local churches! Not even some false
preacher can knock you out of being in God's Love if you are
truly saved!) Of course there are "fallen" wicked angels too.
They are called demons or devils.
"Principalities" ("arche") are perhaps even more powerful
spirits than the "angels" themselves! The word means chief or
first! An "arch" angel means the first angel in power and
rank! See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 for the term in Scripture.
"Powers" ("dunamis")
are members of the spirit world who have great inherent
strength. Strength within themselves! Of course power comes
from one of two places ... God (all power) or the devil (limited
power)! The word comes from a verb that means "to be able!"
(Force!)
"Things
present" translates the Greek noun "enistemi" which combines
"en" and "histemi." To stand in! Things, events, circumstances
that are in place right now ... at hand ... impending! Whatever
problem you are facing RIGHT NOW cannot separate you from the
love of God! Problems can "stand in" you face sometimes!
Really bother and distract you! But they can't pry you from the
love of God!
And "things to
come" (Greek = "mellonta") is derived from the verb "melo" which
means to care or to have concern or to attend to! (Things that
are so important and overbearing on you that you can think of
nothing but them!) These are issues that make you worry
constantly ... mind controlling problems! (Wow!)
I would say
that Paul has just about covered everything.
He is
absolutely SURE that the real Believer is secure in the Love of
God!
I believe we
are too ... and the only proper response to this truth is to
PRAISE THE NAME OF OUR DEAR SAVIOUR!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ROMANS 8:39 ...
This Bible Study
concludes a short trip through one of the greatest paragraphs of
praise in all Scripture! (Romans 8:35-39) Today we
particularly notice that last verse, number 39. (This was
posted Friday, March 12, 2004, at 8:45 AM)
"Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord." Romans 8:39
Paul is
absolutely sure that NOTHING can sever us from the Love of God!
He includes
"height" and "depth" in the list. Height ("hupsoma") means
anything elevated or lifted up ... but in first century Greek
usage the words (including "depth") were astronomer's terms.
They spoke of stars and heavenly bodies. In Paul's day nearly
all the heathen believed that the "stars" drastically influenced
(or even controlled) one's life. (These Roman converts were
formerly pagans.) They believed that if a star (or planet
today) or comet or constellation was at it highest point in the
heavens it meant one thing ... and if at its lowest point in the
skies it mean something else.
Paul here says
it does NOT matter where the stars are ... if you're washed in
the Blood of Jesus ... you are "IN" the Family. The sun or moon
just can't do anything about it! (Glory to God!)
The little
word "depth" is a translation of the Greek noun "bathos." It
means "deep." Our very word bath comes from it! To the ancient
Greek mind a "bath" was luxurious ... being in deep water! They
had little indoor plumbing as we know it and taking a real bath
was difficult! (One lexicon says that the word "bathos" also
means profound! Profundity can't frustrate God's Love either!)
The noun
"creature" means anything created! ("ktisis") It comes from a
verb that means "to fabricate, to build, to design!" And even
that is derived form a root source that means "to acquire or to
own!" Think! Our Creator not only made us ... but designed and
fabricated us! He also owns us!
Even those
angels Paul mentioned in an earlier verse are "created" beings!
But here he
says any "other" creature. The adjective "other" translates the
Greek word "heteros" and demands the meaning: another of a
different kind! (Heterosexual = another sex of a different
kind! Male ... female!) In Paul's world they also believed in
fantastic fictional creatures of all kinds. They can't hurt the
believer either! (Like an E.T. or a Superman or a "Test Tube"
baby or a cloned creature of some sort!)
"Shall be
able" is a form of "dunamis" (as a verb). They just CAN NOT do
anything to separate a child of God from the love of his or her
Heavenly Father! The "middle" voice of this verb means that
even if they try (to separate us from God's love) ... they will
be impacted in the process! Woe be unto them!
"Separate" is
(again) the word "chorizo" which means to make room, to create
space between some things! NOTHING can even cause a "crack"
between you and your God's love for you according to Paul here!
It's also an aorist infinitive --- nothing ever has yet ...
(therefore one may conclude never will in the future) be able to
separate us!
The term "love
of God" does NOT mean our love for God! That often is too
weak! It means God's love to us! That never fails!
BUT here's now
an added truth.
That love of
God comes only one way! It is IN Christ Jesus our Lord!
This
preposition "in" (Greek = "en") means (when in the dative case
as it is here): in, on, at, near, by, before or with! What an
all inclusive word!
It's all
because of Jesus!
Paul elsewhere
says that we are "accepted" of God for one Reason only!
"To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved."
(Ephesians 1:6) The "Beloved"
here is Jesus!
The full Name
of our Saviour ... Lord Jesus Christ ... is always interesting!
As Lord He is
the Sovereign One!
As Jesus He is
the Saving One!
As Christ He
is the Shining One! (Anointed with the Oil of the Holy Spirit)
What a text!
What a
doxology!
What a way for
Paul to end his "doctrinal" section of Romans!
Let's Praise
the Lord for His never ending omnipotent Love!
Jeremiah said
it too. "The LORD hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn
thee."
Jeremiah 31:3
BUT Paul said
it so much more fully!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ROMANS 8:35-39 SUMMARY
...
( Here's
one more series of thoughts from Romans 8, the closing verses.
This is being posted on Saturday, March 13, 2004, at 7:30 AM
from a motel room in Chattanooga, Tennessee)
I've just
noticed something about Paul's closing verses in his "doctrinal"
section of Romans (chapters 1-8). He asks a series of
concluding questions!
*
"IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?"
Romans 8:31
* "WHO
SHALL LAY ANY THING TO THE CHARGE OF GOD'S ELECT?"
Romans 8:33
*
"WHO IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH?"
Romans 8:34
*
"WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF
GOD?" Roman 8:35
These
questions alone ought to encourage us today!
Did you ever
notice how many questions Paul asks in his writings? A lot!
Where did he
learn to do that?
I believe ...
from Jesus, Who also asked a great number of questions!
One night
driving home this week I heard a Christian radio station (one of
the night programs) broadcast an interview with a author who has
just written a book called "Questioning Evangelism." That does
not mean that he questions the concept of winning souls to
Christ. It does mean he believes that "asking questions" can be
a good way of introducing the Gospel to sinners. (Of course,
after the questions have been asked ... some very strong
statements must be made too! For example ... many verses of
Scripture!)
You might be
surprised how well you could "guide" a conversation (steering it
away from gossip or slander, etc.) by keeping a few well-placed
questions in mind! (I am talking about spiritual questions ...
not weather or health questions!)
In Romans 8:31
above, the preposition "for" is great! It's in Greek "huper"
(our word "hyper") and means "in behalf of" or "for the sake
of!" When Jesus died on the Cross He literally "took my
place!" So now ... anyone against me must take it up with Jesus
... Who is still FOR me! (Against translates "kata" which means
"down upon!") Some folks are just down on us! Jesus is over,
above (another meaning of 'huper") us!
In Romans 8:33
above, the question is straight from the court room. It's has a
legal background. To "lay" something is to "egkaleo" it. (Kaleo"
= to call ... and eg = in!) It means to call in an accusation
against someone. To accuse them. Put the whole expression
together and you again get the preposition "egkaleo kata."
To bring into court to be DOWN upon someone! BUT our verse says
that if the Judge (GOD HIMSELF) has already "justified" you ...
who can accuse you any longer?
In Romans 8:34
above, the verb "condemneth" is from two Greek words fused
together. "Katakrino" means to judge (krino) down (kata) on
someone! Who can put you down when your Lord and Saviour and
Intercessor is highly exalted (at God's very Right Hand)? You
have One in glory who is for you! In fact ... you can't be
judged "down" because you are already IN Christ Jesus! You
yourself through the Lord Jesus are sitting in heavenly places
today! (Ephesians 2:6)
And in Romans
8:35 above, the verb "separate" is from "chorizo." This is an
unusual use of the word for sure. It means "to place room
between" two or more things! (From "chora" = space, room, empty
expanse) Paul is saying that nothing can even make a little
tiny "crack" in the Love God has for you! (Now you may think
that a little split in something would be inconsequential ...
but that would be faulty reasoning. One day a man split a very
little thing called an "atom!" I think you know the rest of that
story! It is called the atom bomb! Atomic warfare!) God
love just can't be split! It is everlasting love! (Jeremiah
31:3)
These four
questions are "celebratory" in nature.
Think about
them and rejoice!
Now this is
the beginning of a sermon!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
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