| Home | Our Hope | |
| Bible Study |
|
November 5, 2017 |
| Romans 8:28 In Context | ||
There are many verses that Christians commonly quote. We also know that it is dangerous to quote a verse out of its context. How often have we seen "Judge not, lest you be judged" taken out of context and then misused.
Aside from the danger of misusing a verse because it has not been understood in its context, there is the potential for losing the depth of its meaning by removing it from its context.
In a previous lesson we studied John 3:16 in context and found that we were understanding it correctly out of context but that its context added so much more to it.
In a previous lesson we studied Romans 3:23 in context and found that we were understanding it as a proof-text showing that all have sinned when Paul is actually using it as the beginning point to make a different argument.
In this lesson we will look at Romans 8:28 which, according to one site, is the 3rd most read verse. We will look at the immediate context of that verse to find the larger point that the author, Paul in this case, is making.
Romans 8 is a difficult chapter to pull anything out of without losing something, even pulling out the context of a verse. Chapters 7 and 8 are tightly coupled and they are part of the larger messages of Romans as a whole.
Romans 8 is also a very quotable chapter and we'll see other familiar verses.
Leading into these verses Paul has been talking about living a righteous life in the Spirit and the promises that come with that. He has said:
As we begin, Paul is saying that all of God's creation struggles and desires to be freed.
22 For we know that all created things groan and are in labor until today. 23 And not only so, but we also who have in us the first fruits of the Spirit; we groan in ourselves […]
Paul is saying that all of God's creation was affected by sin which produced striving and a longing to be free of it. Then he draws a parallel between that and the people who have the Holy Spirit. For us, he says, we also long to be free.
He refers to having the "first fruits of the spirit in us." This is a reference to the feast day call First Fruits. On that day the farmers would bring a sample of their crops to the temple. The sample was the first fruits of the crop. More than that the first fruits, if they were good, showed that the rest of the crop would be good when harvest time came.
His point about "First Fruits", then, is that we have a sample of the Spirit within us now as a sign that something greater is coming at harvest time, which itself is a reference to the Second Coming. Because we have this, he says, we also groan to be free from the restrictions we have.
[…] and we look for the adoption of sons and the redemption of our bodies, 24 because we live in that hope;
Verse 23 continues on to describe what we groan for. Two things are listed, to be adopted as sons of God and to get back (redeem) our bodies. In the earlier verses in this chapter Paul has already discussed the idea of becoming sons of God and he will mention it again.
When he speaks of redeeming our bodies, he doesn't mean getting back the nasty old bodies from before. He referred to those bodies in Chapter 7 and finished that discussion with the words "Who will deliver me from this body of death."
Instead he is looking forward to the answer to that question, the new spiritual bodies that he speaks of elsewhere. He is referring to the resurrection, when the dead believers come to life again in new bodies. At that same time the living believers also receive new bodies.
Paul also says that these things are the hope that we have and live for. So far he has listed this hope as the returning Messiah, adoption as sons of God, and new bodies.
but hope that is seen is not hope, for if we see hope, why do we look for it? 25 But if we hope for what is not seen, we wait patiently for it.
Verse 24 continues by saying that the hope we have is still a hope for a future event. If we had received what we hoped for it would no longer be a hope. Instead we hold on to that hope, by faith in the promises made to us, and we wait patiently in the assurance that we will see it.
26 In this way also the Spirit helps our weakness. We do not know what we should pray for, whenever it is necessary, but that Spirit prays in our place with groaning which is unspoken. 27 But he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, for he is praying according to the will of God in the place of the Saints.
Paul shifts topic slightly now to discuss another aspect of the Holy Spirit. We desire to pray according to God's will. Obviously we would never want to pray against God's will. In our weakness though, we often do not know God's will and thus do not know what we should pray for. The Spirit helps by praying in our place and, obviously, he prays according to God's will.
This chapter uses the word "groaning" three times. We saw the other two uses earlier and these two verses contain the third use. The first was the groaning of creation suffering the consequences of sin and desiring to be free. The second was our groaning to see our hope fulfilled. Here, the third time, we see the Spirit groaning on our behalf. It seems there should be some significance to this, but if there is any then it isn't known to me.
28 But we know that he helps those who love God in everything for good, […]
The translations of this verse vary widely regarding what God does. This translation says "helps those who love God, for good" which is close to NIV which says "works for the good of those who love him." These depict God as a helper.
Other translations render it like "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God" (NLT) which depicts God as the guarantor that good happens. Still other translations render it like "all things work together for good [for those who love God]" (ESV) which doesn't depict God as doing anything, it's as though good just happens.
The differences result from unclear Greek and variations between the Greek texts. In a direct translation the two variations say either:
To me, the translation I use makes more sense. It has God working with those who love him, which makes more sense than God working with things, and he works with those who love him in everything to produce good. That good is also more general and not only for the good of "those who love God" but for a greater good as defined by God.
The commentary from the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges backs this up, "Chiefly, no doubt, the final Good is meant, the fruition of God in eternal Glory. But all true good by the way is included, as part of the path thither."
[…] those whom he preordained to be called. 29 And those whom he foreknew, he also fashioned in the likeness of the image of his Son, that he would be the Firstborn of many brethren. 30 And those whom he prefashioned, he called, and those whom he called, he made righteous, and those whom he made righteous, he glorified.
Paul refers to "those who love God" as people God preordained to be called. Then he describes God's will in their spiritual existence from beginning to end.
We've discussed this sequential description in previous lessons about Calvinism and Predestination.
| those he preordained to be called |
those he foreknew he fashioned |
in the likeness of the image of his Son, that he would be the Firstborn of many brethren |
| those he prefashioned he called |
||
| those he called he made righteous |
||
| those he made righteous he glorified |
||
Unlike Calvinists we understand this to mean that God preordained (chose in advance) those he would call based on his foreknowledge (advance knowledge) of them. He also fashioned them in a way that they would be like the Son of God and be his brothers. Here we see the adoption as sons of God again reflected.
Having fashioned them in this way, he did call them, made them righteous, and glorified them. Of course this covers all of history. Some have already been called, made righteous, and died, some only called and made righteous, some not yet called and others not yet born.
31 What therefore shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Paul asks how this should be summarized and his answer is asked in three sets of questions. In this verse his point is that God will accomplish his plan for us. Who can successfully rise up against us?
32 And if he did not show pity upon his Son, but he handed him over for the sake of us all, how shall he not give us everything with him?
His point in this verse is that God has sacrificed much for our sake that we might have much. Why would he not give us everything he had planned to give?
33 Who shall accuse the elect of God? God is He who declares righteous. 34 Who is condemning? the Messiah has died and he is risen, and he is at the right hand of God and he prays for us.
His point in this verse is that God has declared us to be righteous. With that as our backing who can accuse us or who can condemn us?
We've seen that Romans 8:28 is part of a long list of the ways the spirit, and God generally, help us. Specifically:
These ways the Spirit helps us are not just immediate and practical but also prophetic. We've also seen that the context contains promises we hope for in patience. Specifically:
It is good for us to review Paul's three conclusions.