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Commentary on Romans 8 verses 17–25
In these words the apostle describes a fourth illustrious branch of the happiness of believers, namely, a title to the future glory. This is fitly annexed to our sonship; for as the adoption of sons entitles us to that glory, so the disposition of sons fits and prepares us for it. If children, then heirs, Rom 8:17. In earthly inheritances this rule does not hold, only the first-born are heirs; but the church is a church of first-born, for they are all heirs. Heaven is an inheritance that all the saints are heirs to. They do not come to it as purchasers by any merit or procurement of their own; but as heirs, purely by the act of God; for God makes heirs. The saints are heirs though in this world they are heirs under age; see Gal 4:1, Gal 4:2. Their present state is a state of education and preparation for the inheritance. How comfortable should this be to all the children of God, how little soever they have in possession, that, being heirs, they have enough in reversion! But the honour and happiness of an heir lie in the value and worth of that which he is heir to: we read of those that inherit the wind; and therefore we have here an abstract of the premises. 1. Heirs of God. The Lord himself is the portion of the saints' inheritance (Psa 16:5), a goodly heritage, Psa 16:6. The saints are spiritual priests, that have the Lord for their inheritance, Num 18:20. The vision of God and the fruition of God make up the inheritance the saints are heirs to. God himself will be with them, and will be their God, Rev 21:3. 2. Joint-heirs with Christ. Christ, as Mediator, is said to be the heir of all things (Heb 1:2), and true believers, by virtue of their union with him, shall inherit all things, Rev 21:7. Those that now partake of the Spirit of Christ, as his brethren, shall, as his brethren, partake of his glory (Joh 17:24), shall sit down with him upon his throne, Rev 3:21. Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst thus magnify him! Now this future glory is further spoken of as the reward of present sufferings and as the accomplishment of present hopes.
I. As the reward of the saints' present sufferings; and it is a rich reward: If so be that we suffer with him (Rom 8:17), or forasmuch as we suffer with him. The state of the church in this world always is, but was then especially, an afflicted state; to be a Christian was certainly to be a sufferer. Now, to comfort them in reference to those sufferings, he tells them that they suffered with Christ - for his sake, for his honour, and for the testimony of a good conscience, and should be glorified with him. Those that suffered with David in his persecuted state were advanced by him and with him when he came to the crown; see Ti2 2:12. See the gains of suffering for Christ; though we may be losers for him, we shall not, we cannot, be losers by him in the end. This the gospel is filled with the assurances of. Now, that suffering saints may have strong supports and consolations from their hopes of heaven, he holds the balance (Rom 8:18), in a comparison between the two, which is observable. 1. In one scale he puts the sufferings of this present time. The sufferings of the saints are but sufferings of this present time, strike no deeper than the things of time, last no longer than the present time (Co2 4:17), light affliction, and but for a moment. So that on the sufferings he writes tekel, weighed in the balance and found light. 2. In the other scale he puts the glory, and finds that a weight, an exceeding and eternal weight: Glory that shall be revealed. In our present state we come short, not only in the enjoyment, but in the knowledge of that glory (Co1 2:9; Jo1 3:2): it shall be revealed. It surpasses all that we have yet seen and known: present vouchsafements are sweet and precious, very precious, very sweet; but there is something to come, something behind the curtain, that will outshine all. Shall be revealed in us; not only revealed to us, to be seen, but revealed in us, to be enjoyed. The kingdom of God is within you, and will be so to eternity. 3. He concludes the sufferings not worthy to be compared with the glory - ouk axia pros tēn doxan. They cannot merit that glory; and, if suffering for Christ will not merit, much less will doing. They should not at all deter and frighten us from the diligent and earnest pursuit of that glory. The sufferings are small and short, and concern the body only; but the glory is rich and great, and concerns the soul, and is eternal. This he reckons. I reckon - logizomai. It is not a rash and sudden determination, but the product of a very serious and deliberate consideration. he had reasoned the case within himself, weighed the arguments on both sides, and thus at last resolves the point. O how vastly different is the sentence of the word from the sentiment of the world concerning the sufferings of this present time! I reckon, as an arithmetician that is balancing an account. He first sums up what is disbursed for Christ in the sufferings of this present time, and finds they come to very little; he then sums up what is secured to us by Christ in the glory that shall be revealed, and this he finds to be an infinite sum, transcending all conception, the disbursement abundantly made up and the losses infinitely countervailed. And who would be afraid then to suffer for Christ, who as he is before-hand with us in suffering, so he will not be behind-hand with us in recompence? Now Paul was as competent a judge of this point as ever any mere man was. He could reckon not by art only, but by experience; for he knew both. He knew what the sufferings of this present time were; see Co2 11:23-28. He knew what the glory of heaven is; see Co2 12:3, Co2 12:4. And, upon the view of both, he gives this judgment here. There is nothing like a believing view of the glory which shall be revealed to support and bear up the spirit under all the sufferings of this present time. The reproach of Christ appears riches to those who have respect to the recompence of reward, Heb 11:26.
II. As the accomplishment of the saints' present hopes and expectations, Rom 8:19, etc. As the saints are suffering for it, so they are waiting for it. Heaven is therefore sure; for God by his Spirit would not raise and encourage those hopes only to defeat and disappoint them. He will establish that word unto his servants on which he has caused them to hope (Psa 119:49), and heaven is therefore sweet; for, if hope deferred makes the heart sick, surely when the desire comes it will be a tree of life, Pro 13:12. Now he observes an expectation of this glory,
1.In the creatures Rom 8:19-22. That must needs be a great, a transcendent glory, which all the creatures are so earnestly expecting and longing for. This observation in these verses has some difficulty in it, which puzzles interpreters a little; and the more because it is a remark not made in any other scripture, with which it might be compared. By the creature here we understand, not as some do the Gentile world, and their expectation of Christ and the gospel, which is an exposition very foreign and forced, but the whole frame of nature, especially that of this lower world - the whole creation, the compages of inanimate and sensible creatures, which, because of their harmony and mutual dependence, and because they all constitute and make up one world, are spoken of in the singular number as the creature. The sense of the apostle in these four verses we may take in the following observations: - (1.) That there is a present vanity to which the creature, by reason of the sin of man, is made subject, Rom 8:20. When man sinned, the ground was cursed for man's sake, and with it all the creatures (especially of this lower world, where our acquaintance lies) became subject to that curse, became mutable and mortal. Under the bondage of corruption, Rom 8:21. There is an impurity, deformity, and infirmity, which the creature has contracted by the fall of man: the creation is sullied and stained, much of the beauty of the world gone. There is an enmity of one creature to another; they are all subject to continual alteration and decay of the individuals, liable to the strokes of God's judgments upon man. When the world was drowned, and almost all the creatures in it, surely then it was subject to vanity indeed. The whole species of creatures is designed for, and is hastening to, a total dissolution by fire. And it is not the least part of their vanity and bondage that they are used, or abused rather, by men as instruments of sin. The creatures are often abused to the dishonour of their Creator, the hurt of his children, or the service of his enemies. When the creatures are made the food and fuel of our lusts, they are subject to vanity, they are captivated by the law of sin. And this not willingly, not of their own choice. All the creatures desire their own perfection and consummation; when they are made instruments of sin it is not willingly. Or, They are thus captivated, not for any sin of their own, which they had committed, but for man's sin: By reason of him who hath subjected the same. Adam did it meritoriously; the creatures being delivered to him, when he by sin delivered himself he delivered them likewise into the bondage of corruption. God did it judicially; he passed a sentence upon the creatures for the sin of man, by which they became subject. And this yoke (poor creatures) they bear in hope that it will not be so always. Ep' elpidi hoti kai, etc. - in hope that the creature itself; so many Greek copies join the words. We have reason to pity the poor creatures that for our sin have become subject to vanity. (2.) That the creatures groan and travail in pain together under this vanity and corruption, Rom 8:22. It is a figurative expression. Sin is a burden to the whole creation; the sin of the Jews, in crucifying Christ, set the earth a quaking under them. The idols were a burden to the weary beast, Isa 46:1. There is a general outcry of the whole creation against the sin of man: the stone crieth out of the wall (Hab 2:11), the land cries, Job 31:38. (3.) That the creature, that is now thus burdened, shall, at the time of the restitution of all things, be delivered from this bondage into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:21) - they shall no more be subject to vanity and corruption, and the other fruits of the curse; but, on the contrary, this lower world shall be renewed: when there will be new heavens there will be a new earth (Pe2 3:13; Rev 21:1); and there shall be a glory conferred upon all the creatures, which shall be (in the proportion of their natures) as suitable and as great an advancement as the glory of the children of God shall be to them. The fire at the last day shall be a refining, not a destroying annihilating fire. What becomes of the souls of brutes, that go downwards, none can tell. But it should seem by the scripture that there will be some kind of restoration of them. And if it be objected, What use will they be of to glorified saints? we may suppose them of as much use as they were to Adam in innocency; and if it be only to illustrate the wisdom, power, and goodness of their Creator, that is enough. Compare with this Psa 96:10-13; Psa 98:7-9. Let the heavens rejoice before the Lord, for he cometh. (4.) That the creature doth therefore earnestly expect and wait for the manifestation of the children of God, Rom 8:19. Observe, At the second coming of Christ there will be a manifestation of the children of God. Now the saints are God's hidden ones, the wheat seems lost in a heap of chaff; but then they shall be manifested. It does not yet appear what we shall be (Jo1 3:2), but then the glory shall be revealed. The children of God shall appear in their own colours. And this redemption of the creature is reserved till then; for, as it was with man and for man that they fell under the curse, so with man and for man they shall be delivered. All the curse and filth that now adhere to the creature shall be done away then when those that have suffered with Christ upon earth shall reign with him upon the earth. This the whole creation looks and longs for; and it may serve as a reason why now a good man should be merciful to his beast.
2.In the saints, who are new creatures, Rom 8:23-25. Observe, (1.) The grounds of this expectation in the saints. It is our having received the first-fruits of the Spirit, which both quickens our desires and encourages our hopes, and both ways raises our expectations. The first-fruits did both sanctify and ensure the lump. Grace is the first-fruits of glory, it is glory begun. We, having received such clusters in this wilderness, cannot but long for the full vintage in the heavenly Canaan. Not only they - not only the creatures which are not capable of such a happiness as the first-fruits of the Spirit, but even we, who have such present rich receivings, cannot but long for something more and greater. In having the first-fruits of the Spirit we have that which is very precious, but we have not all we would have. We groan within ourselves, which denotes the strength and secrecy of these desires; not making a loud noise, as the hypocrites howling upon the bed for corn and wine, but with silent groans, which pierce heaven soonest of all. Or, We groan among ourselves. It is the unanimous vote, the joint desire, of the whole church, all agree in this: Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. The groaning denotes a very earnest and importunate desire, the soul pained with the delay. Present receivings and comforts are consistent with a great many groans; not as the pangs of one dying, but as the throes of a woman in travail - groans that are symptoms of life, not of death. (2.) The object of this expectation. What is it we are thus desiring and waiting for? What would we have? The adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Though the soul be the principal part of the man, yet the Lord has declared himself for the body also, and has provided a great deal of honour and happiness for the body. The resurrection is here called the redemption of the body. It shall then be rescued from the power of death and the grave, and the bondage of corruption; and, though a vile body, yet it shall be refined and beautified, and made like that glorious body of Christ, Phi 3:21; Co1 15:42. This is called the adoption. [1.] It is the adoption manifested before all the world, angels and men. Now are we the sons of God, but it does not yet appear, the honour is now clouded; but then God will publicly own all his children. The deed of adoption, which is now written, signed, and sealed, will then be recognized, proclaimed, and published. As Christ was, so the saints will be, declared to be the sons of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead, Rom 1:4. It will then be put past dispute. [2.] It is the adoption perfected and completed. The children of God have bodies as well as souls; and, till those bodies are brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God, the adoption is not perfect. But then it will be complete, when the Captain of our salvation shall bring the many sons to glory, Heb 2:10. This is that which we expect, in hope of which our flesh rests, Psa 16:9, Psa 16:10. All the days of our appointed time we are waiting, till this change shall come, when he shall call, and we shall answer, and he will have a desire to the work of his hands, Job 14:14, Job 14:15. (3.) The agreeableness of this to our present state, Rom 8:24, Rom 8:25. Our happiness is not in present possession: We are saved by hope. In this, as in other things, God hath made our present state a state of trial and probation - that our reward is out of sight. Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust. It is acknowledged that one of the principal graces of a Christian is hope (Co1 13:13), which necessarily implies a good thing to come, which is the object of that hope. Faith respects the promise, hope the thing promised. Faith is the evidence, hope the expectation, of things not seen. Faith is the mother of hope. We do with patience wait. In hoping for this glory we have need of patience, to bear the sufferings we meet with in the way to it and the delays of it. Our way is rough and long; but he that shall come will come, and will not tarry; and therefore, though he seem to tarry, it becomes us to wait for him.
Even though because of the fact that we believe in Christ our salvation is assured, nevertheless it still remains something to be hoped for; it has not yet been realized.There are different ways of interpreting “the first fruits of the Spirit.” Just as the first fruits of the threshing floor and the wine press are of the same substance as what follows, is it not also true that the Holy Spirit is the first and best of a multitude of other spirits? So to have the first fruits of the Spirit means to have the Holy Spirit, as opposed to a host of other ministering spirits.
The first fruits may also refer to the many gifts of the Spirit. … We apostles, says Paul, have the first fruits of the Spirit, because we were chosen to groan in travail as the Spirit himself does. There is no creature so free of sorrows and sighings that we, who have received the highest and choicest gifts of the Spirit, are not obliged to grieve and sigh over, awaiting the adoption of sons, that is, the perfection of those whom we have been sent to teach and instruct until we see them making enough progress that they deserve to be adopted as sons.
A third possibility is that the first fruits of the Spirit refers to Christ himself, since he is the first born of every creature.
For Christians, this world is like the ocean. For just as the sea is whipped up by adverse winds and produces storms for sailors, so also this world, moved by the scheming of wicked men, disturbs the minds of believers. And the enemy does this in so many different ways that it is hard to know what to avoid first, for sources of tribulation are by no means wanting.
This adoption of sons is the redemption of the whole body, when he who is to be the son of God by adoption shall see face to face that Divine and Eternal Good; for there is the adoption of sons in the Church of God, when the Spirit cries, Abba, Father, as it is written to the Galatians. But this will be perfected when all shall rise again in incorruption power and glory who are counted worthy to see the Face of God, for then the human race will judge itself to be truly redeemed.
"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." That is, having had a taste of the things to come. For even if any should be quite stone hard, he means what has been given already is enough to raise him up, and draw him off from things present, and to wing him after things to come in two ways, both by the greatness of the things that are given, and by the fact that, great and numerous as they are, they are but first-fruits. For if the first-fruits be so great that we are thereby freed even from our sins, and attain to righteousness and sanctification, and that those of that time both drave out devils, and raised the dead by their shadow or garments, consider how great the whole must be.
And if the creation, devoid as it is of mind and reason, and though in ignorance of these things, yet groaneth, much more should we. Next, that he may give the heretics no handle, or seem to be disparaging our present world, we groan, he says, not as finding fault with the present system, but through a desire of those greater things. And this he shows in the words, "Waiting for the adoption." What dost thou say, let me hear? Thou didst insist on it at every turn, and didst cry aloud, that we were already made sons, and now dost thou place this good thing among hopes, writing that we must needs wait for it? Now it is to set this right by the sequel that he says, "to wit, the redemption of our body." That is, the perfect glory.
Our lot indeed is at present uncertainty to our last breath, since many of us that were sons have become dogs and prisoners. But if we decease with a good hope, then is the gift unmovable, and clearer, and greater, having no longer any change to fear from death and sin. Then therefore will the grace be secure, when our body shall be freed from death and its countless ailments. For this is full redemption, not a redemption only, but such, that we shall never again return to our former captivity. For that thou mayest not be perplexed at hearing so much of glory without getting any distinct knowledge of it, he partially exposes to thy view the things to come, setting before thee the change of thy body, and along with it the change of the whole creation.
Not only do the angels, who are kinder than we are, grieve over these unrepentant people, but we who have the Holy Spirit groan for such people.
Paul now speaks about those of us who already believe. For although we serve the law of God with our spirit (i.e., our mind), our flesh still serves the law of sin for as long as we suffer mortal pains and anxieties.… Adoption is already guaranteed for those who believe, but it has been accomplished only spiritually, not physically. The body has not yet received its heavenly transformation, although the spirit, which has turned from its errors to God, has already been changed through the reconciliation of faith. Therefore even believers still await the revelation which will come in the resurrection of the body. This is the fourth state, when everything will be in perfect peace at eternal rest, completely free of malignant corruption or nagging torment.
The corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthly body pulls down a mind full of cares. For as soon as the Spirit comes to dwell in us and turns us to the study of virtue, the love of the flesh jumps up to combat it, and the law in our members, which is prone to silly lusts, begins a bitter struggle. That is why we groan waiting for the liberation of our bodies as a result of the adoption.
After showing the excellence of future glory from the longing of the creature [n. 656], the Apostle now shows the same from the longing of the apostles. For that cannot be a trifle which is desired so anxiously by great men. In regard to this he does two things: 332 first, he states his proposition; secondly, he proves it [v. 24; n. 681]. 676. In regard to the first he does three things [n. 679, 680]. First, he describes the dignity of those longing when he says: And not only the creature awaits the glory of the sons of God, but we ourselves, namely, the apostles, who have the first fruits of the spirit, namely, because the apostles had the Holy Spirit before others and more abundantly than others, just as earthly fruit which ripens earlier is richer and more delicious: "Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest" (Jer 2:3); "You have come to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb 12:23). From this it is clear that the apostles are greater than all other saints no matter what their credentials, whether virginity or learning or martyrdom, because they have the Holy Spirit more fully. 677. But someone might say that some other saints have endured more torture and greater austerities for Christ than the apostles. But it should be recognized that the amount of one’s merit depends principally and in respect to essential reward on charity. For the essential reward consists in the joy one has in God. But it is plain that one who loves God more will enjoy Him more. Hence, the Lord promises that blessed vision to those who love: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (Jn 14:21). But according to the quantity of his works man merits an accidental reward which is joy taken in those works. Therefore, the apostles performed the works they did with greater charity, which made their hearts prepared for much greater ones, if it had been opportune. 333 678. But if it is said: Someone can try so hard that he will have charity equal to that of the apostles the answer is that a man’s charity is not derived from himself but from God’s grace, which is given to each "according to the measure of Christ’s gift" (Eph 4:7). Now he gives to each the grace proportionate to his calling. Thus, the most excellent grace was given to Christ, because he was called to have his human nature taken into the unity of his divine person; after him the greatest fullness of grace was conferred on blessed Mary, who was called to be the mother of Christ. Among the rest, however, the apostles were called to a greater dignity than all others, for they received from Christ himself the things that pertain to salvation and the commission to deliver them to others. Hence, the Church is in a sense founded on them, as it says in Rev (21:14): "The wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." Therefore, God gave them a greater abundance of grace than the rest. 679. Secondly, he mentions the anxiety with which they wait, when he says, we groan inwardly. This groaning indicates the distress caused by the postponement of something desired with great longing, as it says in Pr (13:12); "Hope deferred makes the heart sick"; "I am weary with my moaning" (Ps 6:6). This groaning, however, is more internal than external, because it proceeds from the hidden fee1ings of the heart and because it is concerned with internal goods. Hence he says, we groan inwardly: "My groans are many" (Lam 1:22). 680. Thirdly, he mentions what is awaited, saying: as we wait for adoption as sons, i.e., for the completion of this adoption. For this adoption was begun by the Holy 334 Spirit justifying the soul: "You have received the spirit of adoption as sons" (Rom 8:15). But it will be brought to fulfillment, when the body is glorified: "We rejoice in the hope of sharing the glory of the children of God" (Rom 5:2). And that is why he adds: the redemption of our bodies, so that as our spirit has been redeemed from sin, so our body might be redeemed from corruption and death: "I shall ransom them from death"(Hos 13:14); "He will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body" (Phil 3:21). 681. Then when he says, For in this hope, he proves what he had said with the following reason: Hope is concerned with things not seen in the present but awaited in the future. But we have been saved through hope; therefore, we wait for the completion of salvation as something future. 682. First, therefore, he presents the minor, saying: For we, the apostles and the rest of the believers, were saved in hope, namely, because we hope for our salvation: "We have been born anew to a living hope" (1 Pt 1:3); "Hope in him at all times, O people" (Ps 62:8). 683. Secondly, he presents the major, saying: Now hope, i.e., the thing hoped for, which is seen, as though possessed at present, is not hope, i.e., not something hoped for, but something possessed. For hope is the expectation of something future: "Wait for me, for the day when I arise" (Zeph 3:8). 684. Thirdly, he presents proof of the major, saying: For who hopes for what he sees? As if to say: Hope implies a movement of the soul toward something not possessed. But when something is already possessed, there is no need for one to be moved toward it. 335 And it should be noted that because hope somehow springs from faith, he attributes to hope something that belongs to faith, namely, that it is concerned with something not seen: "Faith is the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). 685. Fourthly, he presents the conclusion, saying: But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it in patience. Hence it should be noted that patience, properly speaking, inclines one to tolerate tribulation with a certain evenness of mind: "Be patient in tribulation" (Rom 12:12). But because the postponement of something good has an aspect of evil, even the continued wait for absent goods with evenness of mind is attributed to patience, although they pertain more to long-suffering; "Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord" (Jas 5:7). But patience is taken in both ways here, because the apostles awaited glory with evenness of mind, along with the delay and tribulation. 686. Then [v. 26; n. 628] he shows how we are helped by the Holy Spirit in the defects of the present life: first, for the fulfillment of desires; secondly, for the direction of external events [v. 28; n. 695]. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he states his proposition; secondly, he clarifies it [v. 26b; n. 688]. 687. First, therefore, he says: It has been stated that our mortal bodies will be vivified by the Holy Spirit, when our weakness shall be removed from us. Likewise in the present life in which we are still subject to weakness the Spirit helps us in our weakness, even though he does not take it away entirely: "The Spirit lifted me up and 336 took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heart of my spirit," as though weakness was not yet entirely removed, "for the hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me" (Ez 3:14); and in this way he helped me: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41). 688. Then (v. 26b) he clarifies what he had said: first, he shows the need for the Spirit’s help, which pertains to a weakness of the present life; secondly, he indicates the way he helps [v. 26c; n. 692]; thirdly, he shows the efficacy of the help [v. 27; n. 694]. 689. First, therefore, he says: I am correct in saying that the Spirit helps our weakness, for in this we suffer a weakness that we do not know how to pray as we ought: "Why does God surround with darkness the man whose way is hid?" (Jb 3:23). 690. And it should be noted that the Apostle says there are two things we do not know, namely, what we should ask for in prayer and the manner in which we ought to ask [n. 691]. But both seem to be false. For in the first place we know what we should ask for, because the Lord taught us in Mt (6:9): "Hallowed be thy name." The answer is that we can know in a general way what it is suitable to pray for, but we cannot know this in particular. First of all, if we desire to perform a virtuous deed, which is to fulfill God’s will on earth as it is in heaven, it can happen that the virtuous deed does not befit this or that person. For example, the quiet of contemplation is not expedient for a person who can press onward usefully in action, as Gregory says in 337 Morals on Job 5:26: "You shall come to your grave in ripe old age." Hence it says in Pr (14:12): "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Secondly, a person desires a temporal good to sustain life, which is to seek one’s daily bread, but it puts him in danger of death. For many have perished because of riches: "Riches were kept by their owner to his hurt" (Ec 5:13). Thirdly, a person desires to be freed from a bothersome trial which, nevertheless, is for him a guardian of humility. For example, St. Paul sought the removal of a thorn of the flesh, but it had been given him to keep him from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, as it says in 2 Cor (12:7). 691. Likewise, it also seems that we know how to pray as we ought, since it says in Jas (1:6): "Let him ask in faith, with no doubting." Here, too, the answer is that we can know in general, but we cannot discern exactly the special motive; for example, whether we are asking from anger or from a zeal for justice. Hence in Mt (20:20) the petition of the sons of Zebedee was refused because, although they seemed to be asking to share in divine glory, their petition proceeded from vain glory or from elation. 692. Then (v.26c) he tells the way the Holy Spirit helps when he says: but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too keep for words. This statement seems to support the error of Arius and Macedonius, who held that the Holy Spirit is a creature and lower than the Father and Son. For intercession is the role of a lesser person. But if from the fact that he is said to intercede we understand that he is a creature subject to suffering and inferior to the Father, then from the fact that he intercedes with sighs, we should 338 suppose that he is a creature subject to suffering and not yet enjoying beatitude -- which no heretic has ever said. For a sigh proceeds from pain which pertains to wretchedness. Consequently we must explain intercedes [asks], i.e., makes us ask; as in Gen (22:12): "Now I know that you fear God," i.e., I have made you know. 693. For the Holy Spirit makes us ask, inasmuch as he causes right desires in us, because to ask is to make desires known. Now right desires arise from the ardor of love, which he produces in us: "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). But with the Holy Spirit directing and inciting our heart, our desires can not but be profitable to us: "I am the Lord who teaches you to profit" (Is 48:17); therefore, he adds: for us. But when we desire something strongly and pray for it longingly, we suffer its delay with pain and sighing; therefore, he adds: with sighs, which he causes in our heart, inasmuch as he inspires us to desire heavenly things which are postponed for the soul. These are the sighs or moanings of the dove, which the Holy Spirit causes in us: "Moaning like doves" (Nah 2:7). They are indescribable: either because they concern an indescribable thing, namely, heavenly glory: "He heard things that cannot be told" (2 Cor 12:4); or because those movements of the heart cannot be sufficiently described, inasmuch as they proceed from the Holy Spirit: "Who can explain the wisdom of the heavens?" (Jb 38:37). 694. Then (v. 27) he shows the efficacy of the help with which the Holy Spirit aids us, saying: He who searches the hearts, i.e., God, who alone searches the heart: "Thou who tried the minds and hearts" (Ps 7:9). 339 But God is said to search hearts, not as though He investigates the secrets of the heart, but because he knows clearly the hidden things of the heart: "I will search Jerusalem with lamps" (Zeph 1:12). God, I say, searches the hearts and knows, i.e., approves, what is the mind of the Spirit, i.e., what he makes us desire: "All my desires are known to you" (Ps 38:9). But the desires which the Holy Spirit causes in the saints are accepted by God, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints, i.e., makes them ask according to the will of God, i.e., for things pleasing to God: The desire of the righteous ends in all good (Pr 11:23). As an example of this the Lord said to the Father: "Not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Mt 26:39).
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SUMMARY
Romans 8:23 reveals that believers, despite possessing the Holy Spirit as the "firstfruits" of their salvation, still experience an inward groaning. This deep yearning is not one of despair but of eager anticipation for the full realization of their adoption as God's children, culminating in the complete redemption and glorification of their physical bodies, freeing them from the effects of sin and decay.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul masterfully employs several literary devices in this verse. Personification is subtly carried over from the preceding verses where creation groans, implying a shared experience of longing. The Metaphor of "firstfruits" is central, vividly portraying the Holy Spirit as an initial installment and a guarantee of the full harvest of salvation, including bodily redemption. There is a clear Antithesis between the present reality of groaning and the future hope of full adoption and bodily redemption, highlighting the "already but not yet" tension of Christian eschatology. Furthermore, the Parallelism between creation's groaning and believers' groaning emphasizes the universal scope of God's redemptive plan, linking the destiny of humanity with that of the entire cosmos.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Romans 8:23 deeply enriches our understanding of salvation's comprehensive scope, revealing it as a holistic work that encompasses not only the spirit but also the physical body. It underscores the profound tension between the "already" of our spiritual new birth and the "not yet" of our ultimate glorification. The Holy Spirit's presence within us is portrayed as God's divine pledge, a living guarantee that the future redemption of our bodies is certain. This groaning is not a sign of spiritual immaturity but a Spirit-inspired longing for the full manifestation of our sonship, reminding us that our ultimate hope extends beyond this present, fallen world to a future of complete renewal and freedom from decay.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Romans 8:23 offers profound comfort and enduring hope for believers navigating the realities of a fallen world and the limitations of their physical bodies. It validates our inner longings and frustrations with sickness, aging, and decay, assuring us that these experiences are not deviations from God's plan but part of a divinely orchestrated process of anticipation. Our "groaning" is a sacred sigh, a Spirit-empowered yearning for the day when our bodies will be fully redeemed and glorified, mirroring Christ's resurrection body. This verse encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, embracing present suffering as a temporary condition that fuels our hope in the coming glory. It reminds us that our salvation is holistic, encompassing every part of our being, and that God's work in us is not yet complete. Therefore, we are called to persevere in faith, knowing that the Spirit within us is the down payment of an unimaginably glorious future, motivating us to live faithfully and purposefully as we await the full manifestation of our adoption.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does Paul mean by "the firstfruits of the Spirit"?
Answer: The phrase "the firstfruits of the Spirit" (Greek: aparchē tou pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence in believers as an initial installment or a down payment of God's full salvation. Just as the first part of a harvest was offered to God as a pledge and guarantee of the entire harvest to come, the Holy Spirit is given to believers now as a foretaste and assurance of the complete redemption and glorification that awaits them, including the transformation of their physical bodies. It signifies that while believers have already received a significant portion of God's blessing, the fullness of their inheritance is yet to come. This concept is also seen in Ephesians 1:13-14, where the Spirit is described as the "earnest" (guarantee) of our inheritance.
Why do believers, who have the Spirit, still "groan"?
Answer: Believers groan because, despite having the Spirit, they still live in physical bodies that are subject to the effects of sin, decay, and mortality in a fallen world. This groaning is not a sign of spiritual weakness or lack of faith, but rather a deep, Spirit-inspired longing for the complete liberation from these present limitations. It's a holy dissatisfaction with the "already but not yet" tension of salvation. Just as creation groans for its liberation (Romans 8:22), believers, too, yearn for the full manifestation of their adoption and the redemption of their bodies, when they will be fully conformed to the image of Christ, free from all corruption and suffering.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Romans 8:23 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly in His resurrection and promised return. The "redemption of our body" is directly patterned after Christ's own glorious resurrection body, which was raised incorruptible and powerful, triumphing over death and decay (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). Christ's resurrection is the "firstfruits" of the resurrection of all who are in Him, guaranteeing our future bodily transformation. The Holy Spirit, whom believers receive as the "firstfruits," is the Spirit of Christ Himself, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). This Spirit now indwells believers, serving as God's divine pledge and the active agent ensuring that our mortal bodies will also be quickened and glorified. Our "adoption" as sons is secured by Christ's redemptive work on the cross, making us co-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), and its full manifestation, including bodily redemption, will occur at His glorious return when He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). Thus, our groaning is a Christ-centered longing, anchored in the certainty of His victory over death and His promise to make all things new.