LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
AN EXEGETICAL PAPER ON
(ROMANS 8:1-8)
(ROMANS 8:1-8)
AN ASSIGNMENT SUBMITTED TO DR. DAVIS
NGRK505-D01
BY
PAUL HORNE
SUFFOLK VA
MAY 5, 2014
Introduction
Paul’s letter to
the church in Rome is one of the most theologically rich works ever written. We know that it was written by Paul, because
he tells us as much in the very beginning of the book (1:1). There is a little bit of a debate about when
the letter was actually written but for the most part scholars agree that it
was written around A.D. 57. To support this assumption Carson and Moo suggest,
“The date at which Paul wrote Romans will accordingly depend on the date of
Paul’s three month stay in Greece; fixing this date depends, in turn, on the
chronology of Paul’s life and ministry as a whole. While we cannot be certain
within a year or two, A.D. 57 is the
best alternative….”[1]
Now
we have an understanding of when the letter was written, but whom was it being
written to? Well we know that it was to a church Paul had never visited much
less founded. There has been speculation that Peter founded the Roman church;
while it is much more feasible to think that Jews converted on the Day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:10) were the first to
bring the gospel to Rome.[2]
It is thought that by the time Paul wrote this letter that the church was made
up of more Gentile believers verses Jewish ones, due to the expulsion of Jews
by Claudius. That is not to say there were no Jewish believers just fewer than
before.
All
of this is important because the section of Scripture we are dealing with has a
huge impact on the understanding of the Law, the flesh and their places verses
the Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we are no longer trapped under the
power of law or condemned through the weakness of the flesh.
Exegesis
In
this section of the paper I will attempt to exegete Romans 8:1-8. It seems that
the “therefore” found in verse one is not considered a direct link back to
chapter seven, but it goes as far back as to chapter three according to some
commentators. Everett Harrison says, “…he finds it hard to associate the
“therefore” with anything in the immediate proceeding context. The connection
must be sought in the entire sweep of the thought as developed from chapter 3
on.”[3]
Moving on, we notice that Paul uses the word nyn “now” indicating that something is taking place at a particular
moment in time. Moo notices that, “the combination “therefore, now” is an
emphatic one making what follows a significant conclusion.”[4]
The now, however plays a significant role according to Schreiner, “The vuv (nyn, now) in verse 1 signals a new era
of salvation history, one in which God’s covenantal promises are being
fulfilled, when his people are enjoying freedom from condemnation God
promised.”[5]
The adverb nyn is used 145 times in
the New Testament; its semantic range varies : “adv.
of time [see also 3815]; ≡ Str 3568; TDNT 4.1106—1. LN 67.38 now, at the same time (as the discourse),
(Jn 16:22); 2. LN 67.39 just now, presently, a short while before, i.e., a time just before or after the
discourse (Jn 11:8); used with the article the present (time), (Ro 8:22)”[6] It is clear with a
closer look at the reading that Paul’s use of the term means “now, at the same
time as the discourse.” The question that comes us is therefore now what? Paul
answers that question when he tells the reader that there is no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus.
The
word katakrima “condemnation” appears
three times in the New Testament and each time is in the book of Romans here in
chapter eight and then twice in chapter five. Condemnation is a forensic term
which includes both the sentence and the execution of the sentence. But for
believers there is no condemnation at all.[7]
Now according to Chuck Lowe:
There is only one way for the deserved
judgment to be averted: through the redemptive and substitutionary death of
Christ as a propitiation for sin, for all who believe (3:21-26)….For its
present purposes it is enough to note that the condemnation in view is clearly
the eschatological judgment of sin, which is escaped only through the alien
righteousness of Christ. [8]
It is through this substitution
that we no longer have to worry about the power of sin and death because the
death of Christ has destroyed that bondage.
Schreiner states, “…the flow of thought here suggests that the term
cannot be confined to forensic categories; believers are not under condemnation
since they are no longer under the dominion of sin….The tyranny of sin under
which Israel lived had been lifted by Christ.”[9]
Taking
a look at verse two, we notice two contrasting points, the Law of the Spirit
and the law of sin and death. Paul purposefully draws this distinction between
the two. Moo believes that, “the for indicates that this verse is the ground of
the “no condemnation in Christ” announced in verse one. [10]
The word nomos or Law is used over 190 times in the New
Testament and 74 of those times are found in the book of Romans, and three
times in our section. However it is
disputed as to how the word is used in each sense. According to the Louw Nida :
The
occurrence of νόμος
two times in Ro 8:2 poses certain problems of both translation and
interpretation: ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέν
σε ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου ‘for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus freed you
from the law which leads to sin and death.’ In the second occurrence of νόμος, the meaning is clearly the rules and
regulations of the OT law, but in the case of the first occurrence of νόμος, there is no such formulation of
decrees. The reference in this instance must therefore be to certain basic
principles. If, however, one understands νόμος in the sense of a type of abstract ‘governing power,’ it is
possible that the reference in the phrase νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος
τῆς ζωῆς is to this
governing power of the Spirit of life which frees one from the law which
stipulates sin and death.[11]
This word has a very varied
semantic range. At one point it means a feeding place for cattle, or food; or
it can mean law, ordinance or custom. What kind of law is Paul referring to here
when he says “law”, is it the Law of Moses or is it some kind of moral Law we
all should have knowledge of. In regards to the first occurrence nomos cannot refer to the Mosaic Law.[12]On
this point Schreiner disagrees with Moo. What is the Law of the Spirit? The
best way to identify what it is, is to define what it is not. We know that the
law of the Spirit does not result in sin nor death, but the Mosaic Law does.
Schreiner points out, “That the Mosaic law results in sin and death is evident
from Paul’s discussion of the law in Rom. 7. These twin powers are the inevitable
result when unregenerate people encounter God’s law.”[13]
In
regards to this, Morris believes that, “Paul is saying that when the Holy
Spirit comes into a person that person is liberated from bondage to evil and
finds a new power within, a power that causes the defeat of sin and leads the
liberated person into goodness and love.”[14]
So the law of the Spirit is not of any Spirit but that of the Holy Spirit,
which brings forth a liberation that cannot be found under the law of sin and
death, otherwise known as the Mosaic law. With regards to the first use of nomos Moo takes the stance that, “to
make the Mosaic law the liberating agent in v.2 would be to make v. 2
contradict v.3 . But, more seriously giving the law this kind of role would
contradict and oft-repeated tenet of Paul’s theology.”[15]Keep
in mind that some commentators do not feel the law mentioned the second time
has anything to do with the Mosaic law. This author would disagree after seeing
all of the evidences put before me.
It
is encouraging to know that we have been set free from the law of sin and death
by the law of the Spirit. One should ask, “How has this taken place?” Verse
three give us that answer; that God has done what the law was unable to do
because it was weakened by the flesh. The Law held up its
perfect standard, but was unable to empower us to live up to that standard
because of the weakness of our flesh. There was nothing wrong with the Law. The
problem lay with the weakness of our flesh.[16]Schreiner
and Moo share similar points of view on this topic, however, this author
prefers how Schreiner describes the situation. He says, “The inadequacy of the
law is not due to its content (cf. 7:12); the weakness of the law is located in
the flesh, the unregenerate nature of human beings.”[17]But
we should not have a negative view of the law because it has done its job it
has shown us what sin is. We shouldn’t think of the flesh as frustrating the
law, because the law was never meant to be the means of attaining
righteousness.[18]
A word that is important in this discussion is flesh (sarx). While it would seem simple that flesh means flesh,
the meat on bone, I do not believe that is what Paul is referring to. So if that is the case then what is the words
semantic domain (or words it could mean)? According to the Enhanced Strong’s
Lexicon, sarx has “…151 occurrences; AV translates
as “flesh” 147 times,[19]….”That
is not all it translates as, here are some of the other translations and
definitions:
flesh,
corporeal mass of human and animal (Rev 19:18; Eph 5:30 v.r.); 2. physical body (1Ti 3:16); 3. people, a physical human being (Jn 1:14; 1Pe
1:24); 4. human, physical nature (Heb 12:9); 5. nation, ethnic group (Ro 11:14); 6. human nature, the psychological human nature (1Co
1:26; Gal 5:19; 6:8); 7. physical
nature, as a result of
its natural development (Gal 4:23); 8. physical life (Heb 5:7); 9. σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα (sarx
kai haima), human being (Mt 16:17; Gal 1:16); 10. κοινωνέω αἵματος καὶ σαρκός (koinōneō
haimatos kai sarkos), be a person (Heb 2:14+); 11. have homosexual intercourse (Jude 7+), see 599; 12. trouble (2Co 12:7+), see 5022; 13. sexual desire (Jn 1:13+), see 2525[20]
In Judaism, “Flesh is sometimes neutral, but
it also denotes human creatureliness. This is bound up with sinfulness and
ignorance, but it does not itself stand in contrast to spirit; instead it is
the battleground of conflict between the spirit of evil and the Holy Spirit.”[21]
Paul and his uses tend to focus
more contrast between the natural and the spiritual. According to the
Louw-Nida, “the psychological aspect of human
nature which contrasts with the spiritual nature; in other words, that aspect
of human nature which is characterized by or reflects typical human reasoning
and desires in contrast with those aspects of human thought and behavior which
relate to God and the spiritual life—‘human nature, human aspects, natural,
human.’” [22] Now that we have an understanding of what
flesh means to us here in this passage, what does Paul mean when he says “By
sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh…”v.3b? There are some who would
say that Christ came in something like flesh and therefore couldn’t really be a
man. While more conservative scholars agree that he was fully man and fully
God. Morris quotes John Stott in saying, “Not ‘in sinful flesh’, because the
flesh of Jesus was sinless. Nor ‘in the likeness of flesh’, because the flesh
of Jesus was real. But ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’, because the flesh of
Jesus was both sinless and real. We must bear in mind that Paul is not giving
us a full explanation of his understanding of the incarnation; he is talking
about the way Christ saved us in his death.”[23]
I
think that it is important to note that Paul specifically chose the words in likeness
of sin meaning that Christ was still human and had to deal with human issues as
long as he walked this earth. Schreiner
asserts, “The word homoiomati was inserted
to stress the identity between Jesus and sinful flesh, yet at the same time it
also suggests that he is unique. That is, his body was subject to the disease,
death, and weakness of the old order, yet the Son himself was not sinful, nor
did he ever sin.”[24]
While he was in the flesh he was still free from sin. If he had not been free
from sin there is no way that he could be our propitiation for our sins. The
end of verse three ties back into verse one in helping us to understand why
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. In regards to
Christ coming in the likeness of sinful flesh Moo suggests:
In his doing so, of course, we may say
that sin’s power was broken, in the sense that Paul pictures sin as a power
that holds people in its clutches and brings condemnation to them. In executing
the full sentence of condemnation against sin, God effectively removed sin’s
ability to “dictate terms” for those who are “in Christ” (v.2). The
condemnation that our sins deserve has been poured out on Christ, our
sin-bearer; that is why “there is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus” (v.1).[25]
Verse
four further explains the meaning behind the first three verses. Morris points
to the fact that, “In order that
introduces the divine purpose, and since that purpose never fails of
fulfillment, it points to the result as well.”[26]
Next, Paul goes on to speak about the righteous requirement of law. There is no
way apart from Christ and his sacrificial work on our behalf that we would ever
be able to do anything to meet that requirement (Eph 2:8-9). We should note
that Paul says the laws righteous requirement is filled in us and not by us,
pointing to the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.[27]
Schreiner points out that, “…it would be a serious mistake to conclude from
this that the actual obedience of the believer is to be excluded. The obedience
of believers has its basis in the work of Christ on the cross, and this
provides the platform on which believers receive the ability to keep the law
(Reinmuth 1985:70).”[28]
Paul
goes on to tell us that we are no longer living according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit. It is only by the power of the Spirit inside of us
that we are able to live a life pleasing to God and no longer seeking after the
desires of the flesh. “Thus when we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, we are liberated.
We no longer have to sin. Through the Holy Spirit the virtue and perfection and
power of Christ’s life is communicated to us. We actually do the Law of God
from the heart. We love him with all our hearts, and we love our neighbors as
ourselves.”[29]
Verses
five through eight make a very neat and tidy section dealing with the contrast
of the flesh verses the Spirit. According to Moo in the NIVAC, “’ Mind’
translates phronema, which can be rendered “mind-set”; it denotes the basic
direction of a person’s will….”[30] As
Paul argues in this verse we cannot have our mind set on one thing and do
another. We are unable to have our mind set on fleshly things and seek to do
things of the Spirit. The mind-set of those without Christ has distinct
characteristics: death, hostility toward God, and an inability to subject itself to God. These govern its orientation to
all of life.[31]
Paul is clear in the last three verses of this selection
that there is a huge discrepancy between those who are in the flesh and those
who are in the Spirit. The man who chases after the flesh is chasing after his
own demise. While the man who seeks the path of the Spirit is looking at a life
with peace in it. Morris makes the point that,
“When the things of God dominate one’s outlook, when one is constantly
responsive to the direction of the Spirit, then there is life. This is the
opposite of the death that concentration on the flesh means.”[32]
Verse seven is very curious in the way that it is
written. It says that “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, and
does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot.” It is hostile to God. The word
echthra has, “Six occurrences; AV translates as
“enmity” five times, and “hatred” once. 1 enmity. 2
cause of enmity.”[33]
And this is the only occurrence of it here in Romans. By being an enemy of God
why would one even want to keep God’s laws? We don’t and without the Spirit in
our lives we would never be able to think about keeping God’s law. R.C. Sproul
expresses it like this, “The life of the flesh is lived not in neutrality but
in opposition to God, which is Paul’s point. To be carnally minded is to be at
enmity with God.”[34]
When we delve deeper into why a person cannot submit to God’s law and look
further at the word hostility there is another meaning that comes up and it is
selfish ambition. Selfish ambition will keep a person separate from God and
everything that is pleasing to Him. Moo suggests, “The various sins to which we
are attracted – desire for riches, or station in life, or power, or sexual
pleasure—are but different symptoms of the same sickness this idolatrous bent
toward self-gratification.”[35]
Therefore
those who are in the flesh are never going to be capable of pleasing God
because they are too busy seeking to please themselves.
Conclusion
After
looking closely at this passage of Scripture this author has come to realize
that the only way to come close living a Godly life is by the power of the
Spirit. It is through the work of Christ on the cross that we can inherit his Spirit.
And if I want to be pleasing to God I should rely heavily upon the Spirit and
not upon the flesh, because the flesh leads to death and I want to live a life
full of peace that can only come through the power of God’s Spirit.
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[9] Schreiner, Romans, 399.
