https://youtu.be/QjJTmjVvirY
In our verse-by-verse study of Romans last time we stopped in Rom 8:38;
The verse starts with the phrase "so I am convinced." The intensive perfect tense emphasizes the reality of existing results. When special attention is directed to the results of the verb emphasis on the existing reality is intensified.
In the Greek, this is the emphatic way to express a fact that will always exist. It is a strong way of saying that a thing is, and it always will be. The passive voice: the mature believer receives the action of the verb through maximum doctrinal truth resident in the thinking of the soul and the human spirit.
The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of doctrinal reality: confidence belongs to every mature believer because of doctrine resident in their soul. For believers who are persistently positive, confidence from metabolized doctrine is being built up through out their life.
God permits testing from adversity, uncertainty of circumstances, and the daily presentation of Bible doctrine to develop that confidence. All of these things combine to give a great sense of security and confidence in God in life.
This confidence recognizes that there is no circumstance in life and no situation, that is too difficult for God's plan. Nor is there any circumstance where God's provision will be insufficient. Mature believers understand that God's plan for this life is greater than any problem in life.
Nothing is as great as God, and God's plan is greater than anything in life. So in the next two verses we have ten challenges presented as couplets in six categories.
There are four couplets, and at the end there are two singles. All are separated by the use of negative adverb, "oute" that is translated as "neither, not, or nor."
The conjunction "hoti" (that) indicates that this is the conclusion of chapter eight. The six categories are listed in these two verses as follows:
The first category deals with human events in history, and use the words "thanatos (death)" and "zoe" (life).
There is no way a mature believer can die, and there is no situation related to death, that will shake the mature believer's poise or in any way destroy their confidence or complete sense of security.
The mature believer goes through whatever process of dying physically that God has for them with complete and total security and confidence in God and His Word of Truth.
The nominative singular subject "zoe" (life), that has to do with everything in life. Neither the events of life nor the cause of dying is a cause of fear or concern for the mature believer.
Therefore the mature believer has the greatest possible confidence in the midst of whatever historical events occur as they relate to their person, property, life or biological death.
The second category is "angeloi" (angels) nor "archai" (ancient rulers from before time existed) referring to angelic intrusion in the life from the devil and his demons who rule the devil's world.
This refers to the fallen angels also known as demons. The nominative plural subject "arche" translated (principalities) in the NASB refers to demon generals wherever it is found in scripture.
It refers to the highest authorities and ranks of angels. This would include satan and the entire structure of angelic governmental hierarchy as described in Eph 6:12.
The third category is time: "enistemi" (present reality) nor" mellonta"(future reality)."The nominative plural neuter perfect active participle of "enisthmi" means to stand in, to be present, or to be imminent.
So here it means "present things" so we have "neither present things." Present things in history cannot in any way destroy the mature believer's confidence in their relationship with God and His plan.
Plus the present active participle of the adjective "mello" that is used as a noun in this verse that means future things, situations, or events.
This phrase summarizes current adverse situation and any potential future adverse situation.
The believer's vivid imagination regarding the potential of future adversity is overcome by the reality of God's Word of truth that is resident in their soul that results in the mature believer having complete and total confidence in God regardless of what might happen in the future.
The fourth category is organized angelic or human evil that is motivated by the lies and deceit of the fallen angels described as "dunami" (mighty strength). It is from the nominative plural of "dunamis" (power).
It stands by itself because inevitably all bureaucratic rule is evil because it demands compliance to its evil power that is wielded by the arrogant who are blinded by their unrealistic hopes for success from the production of human good.
Because they get caught up in human good they inevitably become deluded, depraved and crazy. But they still wield great power. So it is used here for the evil power of organizations of individuals with authority over life and death.
God's plan and God's provision are greater than all the hostile power of depraved fallen angels and their influence over depraved crazy people.
Expanded Translation Rom 8:38; "So I stand convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers of angels, neither present things nor future things, nor powers."
Rom 8:39; Category five is space. "Nor height nor depth" starts with the nominative singular of "hupsome" height (). It is used in an astronomical sense so here it is used to refer to anything residing in the sky, stellar space or heaven.
Then the nominative singular of the word "bathos" (depth) that is used here to describe extreme depth under the surface of the earth.
Nothing from above or below can remove us from God's plan. God's plan and the provision are greater than anything that comes from anywhere unexpectedly. Even God Himself cannot remove us from His own plan.
Category six is any other kind of created thing. "nor any other creature" the nominative singular from the pronoun "tis" (any) is, used here to represent a category by itself. It is an indefinite pronoun that is translated "any." The nominative singular of "heteros" (other) refers to creatures that are different or unknown.
Plus the nominative singular noun "ktisis" (created thing). It is a reference to any created thing that we have never seen before that has the power of life and death over others.
"will be able to separate us" the future passive indicative of "dunama" (power). In this verse it is not translated "power" it is translated as "able". "Shall be able" is a part of it, but it is a little stronger than that so we ill translate it "will have power over."
It has the connotation of facing something that is more powerful than you so it is able to do evil things that affect you. The future tense is a statement of fact or doctrinal reality that can be expected to occur under conditions of being a believer with the imputation of God's righteousness and eternal life living in the devil's world in a fragile biological body.
This is a deponent verb in the passive voice so it is active in meaning. No other category of known or unknown creature or any of the nine systems of power can produce the action of "having power over you."
The indicative mood is declarative so this is a dogmatic statement of fact that is the basis of the confidence and assurance, that the mature believer has from God's Word of truth.
Next is the aorist active infinitive from "chorizo" (to separate). This is in the aorist tense that describes a doctrine so fixed in its certainty and axiomatic that it is assumed to be true so it is translated into the English in the present tense. The ten categories of influence described in the passage cannot produce the action of separating the believer.
Then we have an infinitive of actual result. The accusative plural direct object from the personal pronoun "ego" (us) that refers specifically to mature believers as a single category of believers because they understand the principle.
So this passage is only describing mature believers because they are the only believers that have the doctrine to understand the principle even though the principle actually has the broader scope of applying to all believers because God is always faithful to all believers regardless of their doctrinal reality from God's Word of Truth.
Next is the prepositional phrase, "apo" (from) plus the ablative of "agape" (love) with the article "ho" (the) so we have "from the love."
With the possessive genitive from "Theos" (God) with the article "ho" (the) referring specifically to God the Father who is the author of the God's plan. So we have "from the love of the God."
"which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" this "love of the God" (God the Father) is described as being in Christ Jesus. The verb "to be" that is in the English translation. The original Greek has the prepositional phrase, "in Christ Jesus our Lord." with no verb.
But we will include the verb that the English translators have inserted because it is the basis for understanding the reality of our positional truth in Jesus Christ because all believers are in union with Jesus Christ from being baptized by God the Holy Spirit.
Expanded Translation Rom 8:39; "nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of the God (God the Father), which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Since God the Father loves His uniquely born Son Jesus Christ with an immutable everlasting love, He also loves those who are in union with His uniquely born Son with that same immutable everlasting love.