Romanos 8
Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin
Romanos 8:10
Wuest: But, assuming that Christ is in you, on the one hand the body is dead on account of sin, but on the other hand the [human] spirit is alive on account of righteousness. ( Young's Literal: and if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness Note how the various Versions give a different rendering of PNEUMA - Spirit or spirit. Again, this makes the point that EVERY translation is in some sense also an INTERPRETATION, which is why I strongly encourage you to go back to the original Greek texts and also to carefully examine the context which aids accurate interpretation. AND (BUT) IF (SINCE) CHRIST IS IN YOU THOUGH THE (physical, mortal) BODY IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN: ei de Christos en humin to men soma nekron dia hamartian: John 6:56; 14:20,23; 15:5; 17:23; 2Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:27 Ro 5:11; 5:12; 2Corinthians 4:11; 5:1, 2, 3, 4; 1Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:27; 2Peter 1:13,14; Revelation 14:13 Related Resources: Torrey's Topic Union with Christ Union with Christ - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology And is probably better rendered "but" (1161) as it indicates a contrast to what Paul has said in the preceding context. Note that Paul now begins to address the readers as "you", indicating that he is speaking to believers. The subject that Paul is dealing with in this verse is how the “dead” body, in which sin dwells, can also be a vessel of the life of God. His answer is in the next verse. It is the Holy Spirit Who gives life to our mortal bodies. If (1487) (ei) defines a condition of the first class or one that is assumed to be true. If can be understood as since or because. If does not express doubt but indicates that He is in the believer. Since Christ is in you means that Christ Himself is in us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the indwelling of Christ Himself. Mysterious? Yes, but it is inspired truth we can believe for our God is faithful, trustworthy! Compare Paul's statement in Ephesians 3 where he prays that the Father "would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love." (Ephesians 3:16-17-note) In Colossians Paul stated the same truth writing that Christ had been made known to the saints "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27-note) In Galatians Paul reiterated this truth declaring "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20-note) (Comment: Yes, it is Christ in Him and at the same time it is the Spirit of Christ Who gives him the power to live supernaturally! Blessed divine mystery! But blessed truth by which we are to live out by faith not sight nor total understanding!) Body (4983) (soma) refers to an organized whole made up of parts and members. Here soma refers to human the body which is the external man, the human frame which contains the seeds of decay and is mortal, doomed to death, in time due to sin. Dead (3498) (nekros from nékus = a corpse = English - necropsy, necrophobia, etc. Verb = nekroo) refers to that which is literally dead even though that end has not yet been realized. Nevertheless the forces of death are working in our bodies and they will all inevitably die, except those whose bodies are are raptured. The reference to the body as dead because of sin is clearly a reference to its ultimate destiny by the infliction of the penalty of sin (cf. Ge 3:19; Ro 5:12-note). Godet writes that "The term dead here signifies: irrevocably smitten with death. The human body bears within itself from its formation the germ of death; it begins to die the instant it begins to live. (Romans Commentary Online) This verse in part addresses Paul's question in Romans 7 "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (see note Romans 7:24) Sin (266) (hamartia) originally conveyed the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow and then came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. In Scripture sin often describes our thoughts, words and deeds that miss the ultimate purpose God has for each individual, these thoughts, words and deeds falling short of God’s perfect standard of holiness. "Sin" in this context does not describe the actions or results (sins we commit) but describes the underlying root cause, the principle or, in medical terms (I'm a physician with sub specialization in infectious disease), the "virus" we have all inherited from Adam that dooms our physical bodies to decay and eventually die. Sin has been defeated by Christ, but sin and death still claim their hold on our mortal bodies. Yet in these bodies we are alive spiritually and can live by the Spirit’s guidance. Matthew Henry has some interesting comments about the body "is a frail, mortal, dying body, and it will be dead shortly; it is a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust. The life purchased and promised does not immortalize the body in its present state. It is dead, that is, it is appointed to die, it is under a sentence of death: as we say one that is condemned is a dead man. In the midst of life we are in death: be our bodies ever so strong, and healthful, and handsome, they are as good as dead (Heb 11:12), and this because of sin. It is sin that kills the body. This effect the first threatening has (Ge 3:19): Dust thou art. Methinks, were there no other argument, love to our bodies should make us hate sin, because it is such an enemy to our bodies. The death even of the bodies of the saints is a remaining token of God’s displeasure against sin. (Henry, M. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible) Those who have Christ in them now have a brand new vitality. Yes, our mortal, physical bodies are dying because sin killed our bodies, but our spirit is alive because Christ lives in us and the righteousness of God has been imputed to us. "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day" (2Cor 4:16), growing stronger because of the life we have in our bodies from the Spirit of God. William Newell notes that in this verse "we have the answer to our Lord's prayer in John 17:21-22: "I pray … that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in us: … that they may be one, even as we are one." We have seen in an earlier chapter how we came to be in Christ: that God, having ended our history before Himself as connected with the first Adam, at the cross, created us in Christ, the Last Adam, the Second Man. Thus was the one part of our Lord's intercession answered. We are in Christ. But the other part of the great mystery is here before us in Romans 8.10: Christ is in us. Although, as we know, He is within us by His Spirit, yet it is Christ Himself who is in us." (Romans 8: Expository Notes Verse by Verse). PERSISTENT POSSESSORS OF A "SEDIMENT" OF SIN! Sin (the principle) still lives in these "dead" and dying bodies.
Romanos 8:11
Wuest: And assuming that the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus out from among the dead is in residence in you, He who raised from among the dead Christ Jesus, will also make alive your mortal bodies through the agency of the Spirit who is resident in you. Young's Literal: and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you. BUT IF (SINCE) THE SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELLS IN YOU: ei de to pneuma tou egeirantos (AAPMSG) ton Iesoun ek nekron oikei (3SPAI) en humin: Ro 8:9; 4:24,25; Acts 2:24,32,33; Ephesians 1:19,20; Hebrews 13:20; 1Peter 1:21 Romans 8 Resources BAD NEWS GOOD NEWS! In Romans 8:10 Paul gave us the "bad news" that our body is dead because of sin but now counters with the good news that our dead body will be resurrected. The same Spirit that raised Jesus' body from the dead will raise ours from the dead (Hallelujah!) and he adds that each will be raised "in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, and He is the first fruits of all who will follow." (1Cor 15:23). In other words the "first fruits" assures the fruits (so to speak) will follow. If introduces a first class conditional statement which is a fact. In other words the "if" does not introduce doubt, but means "if, as is the case" (or "since"). Note that again (like Ro 8:10 above) Paul introduces this clause with "but" indicating contrast with the body of death. Note that the pronoun "Him" in the phrase "the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus" is a reference to the Father not to the Spirit. It was God the Father Who raised Jesus. And yet it was also the Spirit! The same Spirit Who miraculously brought about conception of the life of Jesus the Man in Mary's womb (Mt 1:20) is the same Spirit Who was also involved in giving life to Jesus after He died as a Man! Oh, mystery of mysteries. How great is our salvation! (Heb 2:3) The New Testament affirms the role of the Father in the resurrection in several other passages... "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Acts 2:24) Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. (1Cor 6:14) "knowing that He (God the Father) Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you." (2Cor 4:14) And elsewhere the Scripture affirms that the Spirit was intimately involved in the resurrection of our Lord. And so in Paul's introduction to Romans he writes... who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Ro 1:4NAS) And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. (Ro 1:4NLT) who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ro 1:4NET) That God the Father and God the Spirit are involved in the resurrection of Jesus Christ should not surprise us. The great Puritan writer John Owen explains how grace is in Jesus and yet the effecting Agent of that grace is the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7, Phil 1:19-note, Ro 8:9-note). Owen writes THOUGHT - Everything God does He does as the triune God. Each Person of the Trinity is involved in every action of God. Yet at the same time each Person has a special role to fulfill in that work....There is no good that we receive from God but it is brought to us and wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. Nor is there in us any good towards God, any faith, love, obedience to His will, but what we are enabled (Ed: Note not "helped" which implies we have some ability and just need a little "push"!) to do so by the Holy Spirit. (Pneumatologia, Or, A Discourse Concerning the Holy Spirit) As an aside remember that the Bible says every Christian has the Holy Spirit. The question is does the Holy Spirit have you? Is the Holy Spirit at home in your heart and life? Raised (1453) (egeiro) means to waken, rouse from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease and here means to wake up from death, of which sleep is the emblem. Here Paul says the Spirit raised Jesus. In Ro 4:24, Acts 2:24, Eph 1:19-20, Heb 13:20, 1Pe 1:21 we see that it is God the Father Who raised Jesus from the dead. There is no conflict, for the Trinity functions in perfect synchrony and unity, even if we cannot fully comprehend how that occurs. Dwells (3611) (oikeo from oikos = home) means to live, inhabit or dwell in a certain place as one's home. To inhabit a house. Oikeo is speaks of dwelling often with a figurative sense - sin (Ro 7:17), Spirit (1Cor 3:16), marriage partners (1Cor 7:12). In this passage oikeo is in the present tense = "is dwelling" or continually dwells. This fact is important for it emphasizes that the Spirit is not an occasional visitor (as He was in the OT) but that He takes up residence in God’s children. In fact the present tense even underscores that the Spirit continually indwells us not only in this life, but in the one to come! (cp John 14:16) And of course now we never have to pray the prayer of David in Ps 51:11b "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me!" Praise God! Of course we can still blunt His effect and power by sin, so we need to keep short accounts! Charles Stanley - The significance of the term oikeo is that it speaks of permanency. The idea is that the Holy Spirit takes up residency in believers—forever. He doesn’t just pass through. He makes us His home. He comes to stay. (The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life) What an awesome truth that the Spirit of the Living God would make His home in ever redeemed sinner. He lives in the believer, not simply paying a fleeting visit but making His "home" in us, even as in 1Cor 7:12-13 a husband and a wife dwell together (interesting as this brings to mind the picture of union and oneness which is true as a result of our entry into the New Covenant)! BDAG summarized - (1) To dwell in a place - live, dwell (Ge 24:3, 27:44), in marriage (1Cor 7:12-13) Of the Spirit of God Who dwells in believers (Ro 8:9, 11, 1Cor 3:16). Of "good" not dwelling (Ro 7:18). Of the principle of Sin (the "virus" inherited from Adam) dwelling in every human body, even believers (Ro 7:17). (2) To inhabit a place (Ge 24:13). In a transcendent sense (1Ti 6:16). Friberg - (1) intransitively dwell, live; (a) literally, of marriage live with, live together as husband and wife (1Co 7.12, 13); (b) figuratively, of spiritual indwelling reside in (1Cor 3.16); (2) transitively inhabit, dwell in something (1Ti 6.16) (Analytical Lexicon) Liddell-Scott - A. transitive - to inhabit, occupy, Il., Hdt., Att.:-Pass. to be inhabited, Il., Hdt., etc.; 2. Pass. to be settled, of those to whom new abodes are assigned, Il. those who have been settled, i.e. those who dwell on the mainland, Hdt.; of cities, to be situated, to lie II. to manage, direct, govern, like dioikeo, Soph., etc. B. intransitive - to dwell, live, be settled, Homer, etc.; "sweet is it to live free from cares," Soph. II. of cities, in a pass. sense, to be settled, be situated, Hdt., Xen. 2. to conduct oneself or be conducted so and so "to a state with habits of self-control would be well governed," Plat. Oikeo in the Septuagint - Gen 4:16.20; 16:3; 19:30; 20:1. To inhabit [ti] Gen 24:13; to live, to dwell Gen 4:16; to be situated; the (inhabited) world 2Sa 22:16; Is 21:12 live, dwell, return The derivative verb enoikeo is used by Paul in commanding Timothy to "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in (enoikeo - present tense) us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. Oikeo - 9x in 9v - Romans 7:17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Comment - Paul is saying "I would never—in any way, shape, or form—choose to do this, but it is the ‘Sin’ living in my ‘house,’ oikeo, causing me to do it." Romans 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Zodhiates - This indwelling of the Spirit of God in the individual believer—in you and me—is not a transient visit but a permanent presence. The Greek verb is oikeí, from oikéō, which refers to dwelling in a house permanently. In fact, the word for "house," even in Modern Greek, is oikía. Wayne