Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons


Romans

The future glory. 8:18-25

[Seed logo] Introduction
      In chapter 8 Paul deals with the blessing of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. In the passage before us, the "hope" of a Christian is the dominant idea. This hope is a "glory that will be revealed in us", v18. It involves the revealing of the sons of God, v19, the liberation of creation, v21, our "adoption as sons and the redemption of our bodies", v23. As we exist within the imperfections and limitations of the present moment, the indwelling Spirit is a "firstfruits" of this future "hope", v23.

The passage
      v18. This verse begins a section in chapter 8 that deals with three groans. The first groan, verses 18-21, is the groan of God's creation. The creation groans as it awaits the day when the sons of God begin their rule with Christ. In v18 Paul expands the idea of suffering touched on in v17, by noting that the present sufferings of God's people can in no way compare with the wonders that we are destined to experience in the day of Christ's return.
      v19. Just as believers await the day of liberation, so does the creation. It is hard to imagine that the powers of darkness are on tiptoe waiting for the dawning of the new age, so Paul is probably telling us that the whole of the natural order is leaning toward the day of Christ's reign with the "saints of the Most High."
      v20-21. At present, the totality of God's creation is devastated, it is divided and broken, frustrated and groaning, and this because God created humanity (an integral part of the environment) with freewill, a freewill that led to rebellion. The devastation of the natural order was part of the collateral damage caused by our rebellion. The "one who subjected" the creation is best understood as God, rather than Satan or Adam. "The glorious freedom of the children of God" is the ultimate consequence of this subjection, and somehow it will include the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Their eternal purpose will be fulfilled in that glorious day.
      v22. In the remaining verses of our passage for study, Paul speaks about the groaning of the children of God. The natural order strains toward eternity, but so do believers. In verse 22, Paul restates the idea that the whole creation is in travail awaiting its redemption. Childbirth is an appropriate image of this straining, since the outcome is glorious.
      v23. In similar fashion, believers groan. Believers inwardly struggle toward the realization of sonship, of ultimate unity with God in Christ. We groan, even though "we have received in the Spirit a foretaste of what the new life will be like." The gentle touch of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus is like a down-payment of the glory to come. So, the Spirit "assures" us that we belong to God. Although we are already "sons of God", we look to the public proclaiming of this fact made evident in the resurrection of our bodies from the grave.
      v24. It is resurrection-hope that saves us. We have put our trust in the risen Christ as the one who will raise us to life in the last day, who will gain acceptance for us in the sight of God and so assure our place in the eternal realms. The phrase "in this hope we were saved", is best translated "we are saved by hope". Our salvation is a present fact based on our reliance upon a past event and a future promise. This future promise is the hope we look toward. The second part of the verse is a little confusing, but is made clear by Phillips who writes: "Let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we do not yet possess."
      v25. For the present, we look forward to eternity, and we groan as we await that day. Given that our hope is still future, the only proper response is to wait with perseverance for its realization.

Subjected to frustration
      When we see a tree struggling to survive, leaning toward the sun, gnarled and weathered, it is possible for the eyes of faith to see nature leaning toward its redemption.
      It is true of our present experience, that we can easily be overwhelmed by the frustrations of this imperfect moment. Struggling with indwelling sin and the sense of our separation from Christ, is part of a disciple's lot as we yearn for the dawning of the new age, for peace and joy. It may help us in our frustration, if we realize that the whole of the created order, the whole of the cosmos, is caught up in the devastation wrought by human rebellion and so groans, as we groan, for release, for freedom.
      For the present, we hope for the dawning of eternity and we taste it in the gentle renewal of our beings through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Yet, in this present moment we are bound by the imperfection of this age. Perseverance must be our rule. It is God's will that we be "conformed to the likeness of his Son," and through his indwelling Spirit interacting with the troubles of life, be daily transformed into the image of Christ. We must be patient as we are daily shaped, never losing sight of the glory to come. We must fix our eyes upon it, such that the "now" is transformed by the "not yet."

Discussion
      1. List some of the ways the cosmos is "subjected to frustration."
      2. List some of the "firstfruits of the Spirit."
      3. Detail some of the frustrations (inward groanings) associated with the Christian life.
      4. Detail the Biblical truths from this passage that may encourage perseverance in the face of the frustrations of life.


Notes

Textual notes   Abbreviations,   Bibliography
 
      Paul, having stated his thesis in 1:16-17, that the covenant faithfulness of God is appropriated through faith, proceeds in 1:18-2:11 to establish the universality of sin, reminding self-righteous Jewish believers ("the weak", 15:1) that they too are infected by the stain of sin, 2:1-5, the consequence of which is divine condemnation, 2:6-11. Then, in 2:12-29, Paul examines the place of the law in the righteous judgment of God, making the point that those Jewish believers who have retained their standing under the law, even though circumcised, actually break the law and thus face the curse of the law and the "wrath and fury" of God's condemnation. In 3:1-8 Paul answers two objections to his rather negative view of the standing of Jewish believers under the law, namely, that he devalues the covenant/law and that he promotes libertarianism. Then, in 3:9-20, Paul drives home his conclusion, namely that the human condition of universal sin and its consequence is not avoided by submission to the law, for the law only serves to make sin more sinful. In 3:21-30 Paul draws a conclusion from his argument so far. When it comes to the covenant faithfulness of God, whether in judgment or vindication, there is no "distinction" between a person under the law, or a person outside the law. All have sinned and stand condemned, and all who believe are justified, and this because they rest, not on their own faithfulness, but the faithfulness of Christ - his "sacrifice of atonement." So, for believing Jews, like Paul, there is no ground for "boasting" about their faithfulness under the law, for a person is judged in the right with God ("justified") by faith and not by obedience. From 3:31 to 4:25, Paul explains, with reference to the life of Abraham, how his gospel of right-standing in the sight of God by faith does not "nullify" the law, rather, it "fulfills" the law; faith "fulfills / completes" the justification to which the law of Moses pointed. Then in 5:1-11 Paul draws together the consequence of his argument so far, namely, a believer's "reconciliation with God."
      Having dealt with the business of justification, of right-standing before God, Paul, in 5:12-8:39 examines the business of living right before God, of possessing the fullness of life which belongs to those who are in Christ. In 5:12-21 Paul explains how Christ's saving death has brought eternal life to all humanity by overcoming the curse of Adam's sin and then in 6:1-23 he explains how "newness of life", right-living before God, apart from the law, is expressed in the life of a believer as a natural consequence of their right-standing before God. In 7:1-25, Paul examines the place of the law in the Christian life. First, in v1-6, he explains that a Christian is no longer "under the law", is "discharged from the law", has "died to the law." Then in v7-12 he "deals with a possible misunderstanding by repudiating the suggestion that the law is sin, asserting that, far from being sin, it is that which makes him recognize sin", Cranfield. In v13-25 he goes on to answer the question, "did that which is good (the law) become death to me?" That is, is the law responsible for our death? The answer is, sin is responsible for our death; the law serves only to highlight our sinful state. Paul then illustrates this condition in v14ff.
      In chapter 8 Paul now explains that the justified believer, apart from the law, is being shaped into the perfection of Christ through the indwelling compelling of the Spirit. Paul begins, in v1-4, by restating the truth that in Christ Jesus, through his death on our behalf, we are free from the condemnation of sin and free from the oppression of the law and thus are free to live for God. Therefore, v5-11, the believer is faced with two alternatives in the Christian life, a natural alternative and a spiritual alternative. We may strive to fulfill the law and find ourselves controlled by sin, or we may rest in faith on the renewal of the Spirit and find ourselves beginning to live out the righteousness we posses in Christ. In v12-17 Paul explains what it means to be led by the Spirit in the Christian life. Paul then moves in v18-30 to compare the present with the future glory awaiting believers. There is difficulty in the present, but this cannot be compared with the coming glory, v18. The whole of God's creation groans as it awaits that glorious day when the sons of God begin their rule with Christ, v19-22. Along with creation, believers groan, yearning for that day of glory, v23-25. Even the Spirit groans as he empathizes with us in our struggle, v26-27.

v18
      gar "-" - for. Possibly introducing a theological declaration (TH) and therefore setting up a new paragraph, but possibly forming a logical connection to v17, "for", REB. The "for" is repeated in the following verses to establish logical steps in the argument.
      logizomai "I consider" - I think, calculate, reckon. Underlining "strong assurance and not doubt", TH.
      tou nun kairou "present [sufferings]" - of the present time. "Present age", rather than "present moment", Morris.
      axia adj. "worth" - worthy ...... balance, offset
      proV + acc. "comparing with" - Rare usage, "in comparison with", BDF.
      mellousan (mellw) "will ....." - coming, about to be, destined, inevitable. "For I think that the sufferings of the present time in no way offset (lit. balance) the coming glory destined to be revealed in us."
      eiV hJmaV "to us" - toward us, indicating who will be transformed, but possibly something more, in the sense of transformed both outwardly and inwardly. RV "to us-ward", "for us", REB. close, but not strong enough, while the AV "in us", is too strong.

v19
      apokaradokia (a) "eager expectation" - patient concentrated waiting for a sure event. "In eager longing", "on tiptoe", Phillips.
      krisewV (krisiV) "creation" - human, sub human, nature, inc. heavenly powers, angels... The creation leans toward the culmination of all things, but is it the whole of creation?. Probably just nature.
      twn uiJwn tou qeou "sons of God" - although already God's children, believers have yet to experience what this means. At the moment, it is by faith, not by sight.
      thn apokaluyin (iV ewV) "to be revealed" - the unveiling. Probably the second coming.

v20
      mataiothti "frustration" - vanity, aimlessness, futility, the absurdity of things..... Ref. Ecc. Possibly also "ineffective". Nature was rendered ineffective because sinful humanity used its God-given freedom irrationally. The natural order now does not function as designed.
      uJpatagh (uJpatassw) aor. pas. "was subjected" - Aorist possibly indicating a single act, eg. the fall.
      dia + acc. "by" - because of. Here used "to denote the efficient cause" BAGD.
      ton uJpataxanta (uJpatassw) aor. part. "the one who subjected it" - Possibly Satan, or Adam is intended, but it is more likely God, "God made it this way", CEV.
      elpida (iV idoV) "hope" - Possibly "hope" goes with v21, so NIV, but also possibly "the one who subjected it (creation) in hope." It is an interesting notion that creation has a future hope, ie. shares in eternity with us, finds its ultimate purpose in eternity.

v21
      dioti "that" - wherefore. Variant reading
      oJti "that" - Of course, this conjunction may only serve to introduce an explanation of the "hope", thus, a noun clause, rather than serve to introduce a causal clause, "because".
      eleuqerwqhsetai (eleuqerow) fut. pas. "will be liberated" - will be freed, set free, liberated, released. The future tense indicates that the "glorious freedom" is future, probably the day of glory. Again indicating that nature will be transformed in that day, rather than destroyed.
      thV fqoraV (a) "[bondage] to decay" - [slavery] of corruption, decay. A genitive of quality = death, "servitude to death's decay", Barclay; "shackles of mortality", NEB.
      eiV "brought into" - into, to, for. The preposition is rendered as a verb in the NIV. Note also, "enjoy", JB; "will obtain", NRSV
      thV doxhV (a) "the glorious [freedom]" - [the freedom] of the glory. The NIV takes the attributive (descriptive) use of the genitive, but possibly "freedom and glory", JB; "liberty and splendor", NEB.

v22
      pasa "whole [creation]" - all. "We know", ie. all observant humans can acknowledge that "the totality of" creation is out of whack.
      sustenazei (sustenazw) "has been groaning" - groans together. The creation has been groaning and travailing together in one accord - all in the mess together, "the entire creation sighs and throbs in pain", Moffatt.
      sunwdinei (sunwdinw) "in the pains of childbirth" - travail in pain together. The root verb is "suffer birth-pangs", the prefix "with" may be rendered "in all its part [groans as if in the pangs of childbirth]", NEB. The "groaning" is given a positive spin (the ultimate end is positive) with the use of this verb

v23
      ou monon de alla "not only so" - and not only but. The modifiers must be supplied, "not only creation, but also believers." "And not only the creation", NRSV.
      aparchn "firstfruits" - The first picking of the harvest which serves to guarantee the quality and quantity of the harvest.
      tou pneumatoV (a atoV) "of the Spirit" - The genitive may be partitive (wholeative) where "firstfruits" means that we possess part of the gift of the Spirit in the present, or epexegetic, serving to explain that the Spirit is a foretaste, a down payment of what is to come, "the Spirit is given as firstfruits", REB. "We have received in the Spirit a foretaste of what the new life will be like", Barclay
      stenazomen (stenazw) "groan" - travail, sigh.
      en eJautoiV "inwardly" - in ourselves [we travail]. "Within" [inwardly] is better than "among" the Christian fellowship.
      uiJoqesian (a) "adoption as sons" - adoption. "To be declared God's sons", NEB.
      apolutrwsin (iV) "redemption" - deliverance, release. Probably in the sense of the resurrection of the body.

v24
      th/ elpidi (iV idoV) "in [this] hope" - Most regard the dative as locative, "in", but an instrumental sense, "by", seems more acceptable, given that the word "hope" is close to "faith". Our hope (faith) in the promise of eternity in the future through the saving work of Christ in the past, saves us now. "by hope", or a softer, "with this hope ahead", Moffatt.
      eswqhmen (swzw) aor. pas. "we were saved" - The aorist underlines a single act of saving, but not necessarily past tense, so possibly a dramatic aorist, "we are saved", JB note.
      This verse is somewhat confused by the compacting of "hope". Phillips unpacks it well, partly by turning the rhetorical question into a positive statement. "Let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we do not yet possess."

v25
      uJpomonhV (h hV) "patiently" - with patience, patient endurance. The word takes the sense of: a capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances*. "Perseverance", NASB. We wait expectantly for our hope to be realized. "When we hope for something we cannot see, then we must persevere with our hope."


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