Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XVI)

Anglican Bishop Handley Moule (1841-1920) had something interesting to say on this subject. When we look in the Bishop’s commentary on Romans we find where he explains that the presence of the Spirit of Christ in our lives is such that when He dwells inside it can rightly be declared as, “Christ in you.” This provides the believer both a word of caution, and reveals the truth of the richest positive blessing a believer can enjoy. The warning issued is for us to remember that there is no separate Gospel called the “Gospel of the Spirit.” Not for a moment should we think that we can go beyond our status in the Lord Jesus Christ to a higher or deeper region ruled by the Holy Spirit. Everything the Holy Spirit does or says is eternally and organically connected with the Son of God. After all, it was Christ who asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be an invisible guide to His followers once He physically disappeared from the scene. So the Holy Spirit did not come to do His own will, but the will of Christ.¹ Besides, how could anyone expect to be baptized in the Spirit for special service if the Spirit was not already in them to make those special gifts work in honor to Christ and to the glory of God?²

Douglas Moo also gives us valuable teaching by pointing out that now Paul turns to directly addressing the readers of his letter. He congratulates them on not being controlled by carnality, but by the Spirit. This is part of, what Moo calls, Paul’s “two-regime theology.” That is, people are either ruled in their lives by their flesh or by the Spirit. Flesh and Spirit represent two main powers that operate in concurrence with the old person in Adam or the new person in Christ.³ It is by God’s grace in Christ that the new person has taken over the realm once dominated by the old person. It takes them from the narrow human outlook on life that leads to sin, to the spiritual vista dominated by God’s Holy Spirit. As far as Moo is concerned, it is clear, then, that when speaking of the flesh and the Spirit, Paul’s language is metaphorical. In other words, using figures of speech. It was his way of illustrating that people are dominated by one of two forces that control their behavior. One involves their sinful tendencies to satisfy the passions of their mind and flesh, and the other their spiritual tendencies to fulfill the yearnings of their soul and spirit. These two natures cannot live in harmony. One must surrender to the other.⁴

The author of the Messianic Bible shares something we all must take into consideration. He says that the “Spirit of Messiah” in the New Testament is equivalent to the “Torah of Messiah” in the Old Testament. The two should not be separated. That’s why, if anybody claims to know and love God, but willfully disregards His Torah, they will face judgment. The Apostle John agrees with Paul by saying: “The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying His commands. Anyone who says, ‘I know Him,’ but isn’t obeying His commands is a liar — the truth is not in them. But if someone keeps doing what He says, then truly love for God has been brought to its goal in them. This is how we are sure that we are united with Him. A person who claims to be continuing in union with Him ought to conduct their life the way He did.”⁵ When John spoke of “His commands” the only thing he could have meant is God’s Torah. As John says, the same Torah that guided Yeshua is the same Torah that guides us⁶.⁷

Verse 10: One day your body will die because of sins’ curse. But if Christ is in you, then your spirit will live on because Christ made you right with God.

Paul points to a dichotomy that was brought on by the original sin of Adam and Eve. When they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, their natural body and instincts took over while their spiritual nature died because of sin. After that, everything was controlled by man’s sinful nature. But when a person is born-again in Christ, their spirit is resurrected while their sinful nature is crucified and no longer holds sway over their heart, soul, and mind. By using the term “dead,” Paul is not referring to physical death, but death in the sense that our sinful nature should be treated as a dead body. So why should anyone consult a dead person? You don’t go to the graveyard and seek answers and help from those buried there. Paul uses the body here like a vacant house with nothing spiritual living inside.

At His last meal with the disciples, Jesus pointed to the matzo bread and said that it represented His body, then to the wine, and said it was a symbol of His blood. So, just at they ingested these items to be on the inside giving nutrition, by accepting Him as the bread from heaven, the wine of the spirit, He would be in them giving them spiritual nutrition to grow and be fruitful.⁸ So just as the bread and wine promoted life in the body, so Christ as the spiritual bread and wine would promote life in the spirit. Based on this truth, Jesus was able to tell His followers about His return: “On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you.”⁹ As a result of this spiritual union, Jesus was able to tell His disciples: “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit.”¹⁰ Then Jesus thanked the Father and promised: “I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”¹¹

This gave Paul a basis for telling the Corinthians: “Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. Don’t you realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Of course, if you fail the test, He is not in you.”¹² Then to the Ephesians, he wrote: “I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love.”¹³ And to the Colossians, he wrote: “God decided to let His people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, His people. He is our hope for glory.”¹⁴

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul points out that there is no need to be anxious and feel deprived because our sinful nature is treated as a dead body. In the end, it will be destroyed to make way for a body to live in a new home Christ has prepared for us on His heavenly Father’s estate.¹⁵ So in effect, by dying to sin and announcing that our sinful nature is deceased, we are freeing ourselves early of the heavy baggage we must carry if the old sinful nature is kept alive. That way, our spiritual nature is then free to move and grow and produce fruit to the glory of God.

Paul explains it this way:  “There is a physical body. There is also a spiritual body. As the Scriptures say, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living person.’¹⁶ But the last Adam is a life-giving spirit. The spiritual man did not come first. It was the physical man that came first; then came the spiritual.”¹⁷ So he encourages the Ephesians: “Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. Your old-self has died, and your new-life is kept with Christ in God. Yes, Christ is now your life, and when He comes again, you will share in His glory.”¹⁸

It is not clear if all of the early church scholars understood Paul’s metaphor of how, like a dead body being raised to life, those who willingly crucify their fleshly nature will be revived and made alive with a vibrant spiritual nature. Some think of the resurrection, while others see it as part of being born-again. For instance, early church scholar Pelagius believes that if you are able to live a Christian life, then the carnal mind should not interfere because it is effectively dead. Your spirit was made alive in order to produce righteousness, for the aim is not just to stop doing carnal things but to do what is spiritual and pleasing to God.¹⁹

Then, early church Bishop of Cyrrhus²⁰ says that he sees Paul making something that may not have been very clear at first glance. That is, he was not attacking the flesh, but sin. After all, the born-again believer is alive in the Spirit but treats sin as a dead thing. So why would any Christian even contemplate sinning? That would be like wanting to kiss a skeleton’s lips or hold the decaying hand of a corpse. The Bishop also believes that when Paul speaks of the spirit, he means the soul since the soul is now spiritually alive. That’s why Paul commands the soul to follow after righteousness, whose fruit is the hope of eternal life.²¹

John Calvin sees a twofold purpose in God’s Spirit abiding in us. He says that God’s children are determined to be spiritual. Not on the basis of having reached full and complete perfection, but only because of the new creation that is now living in them. He also sees Paul anticipating some doubt as to how the Spirit can possess part of us, while another part is still under the power of death. So Paul gives this answer: The power of the quickening Spirit of Christ, which will be effectual in swallowing up our mortality, has taken control. That’s why the Apostle concludes that we wait patiently until all traces of sin are eradicated.²² This would certainly concur with the promise Jesus made to all who believe that they will have an abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world-to-come.

Adam Clarke sees the same thing and assumes that the Apostle Paul is trying to say that although the life of mankind has been forfeited, the sentence: “You were made out of dirt, so you will return to dirt,”²³ must be fulfilled on every human being. Yet, with their souls being made alive by the indwelling Spirit of Christ, it enables them to live a life of righteousness until they are given new body. That’s why they receive full assurance that their bodies, which are now under condemnation, because of sin, won’t matter. Having a spirit that will never die, they will be raised again to a new life of immortal glory.²⁴ How different this is from what the sin has to offer, which is confined to this world with nothing beyond death but being forever separated from God in eternal torment.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XV)

Wesleyan Methodist theologian Adam Clarke spells it out in such a way that we can clearly see that at one time these Roman believers were under the control of their sinful nature and evil tendencies. Their lifestyle was evidence enough to prove that these carnal inclinations were active in them. But now the Spirit of God had moved in and taken over the control center of their conscience and the seat of power in their hearts. When that happened, they were convinced that God’s Spirit had taken up residence in their regenerated soul. It also validated that when God made mankind it was to be in union with Him. So He set up mankind’s heart to be the throne for His Son and mankind’s body to be the temple of His Spirit. But sin snuck in and defiled the temple and sat on the throne of man’s heart where Christ was supposed to rule as King.

So the Son of God had to come, and through His sacrifice and blood He cleansed the temple, sat down on the throne so that mankind could once again become the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit. And once this Almighty Spirit makes the heart His abode, then the soul is delivered from being bound by the chains of sin because of the moral effects of Adam’s fall. All of this was absolutely necessary to bring peace and the blessed assurance that salvation is real to all who believed in what Christ did. For as the Apostle Paul, he was telling the Roman believers, you are no longer doing what your sinful-selves want you to do. You are doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do if you have God’s Spirit living in you. No one belongs to Christ if he does not have Christ’s Spirit in him.¹ For Clarke, this is a message to everyone, and he pleads with them to let their heart hear what Paul is saying here.²

Bible scholar Robert Haldane continues his thoughts on how the flesh and spirit are different when talking about how to know and please God. He points to the preceding verses where the Apostle had given a description of carnal and spiritual-mindedness. Paul was applying it to the congregation in Rome, but it certainly applies to all believers. He told them, you cannot be living in the Spirit if you are still living in the flesh. As the word “flesh” is used here, it means the nature of man corrupted by sin. Therefore, one living in the flesh signifies being in a state of natural corruption. On the other hand, to be living in the spirit signifies that one lives, and moves, and has their being in a state of grace and holiness.³

Haldane continues by pointing out that carnal orientation is a principle that attaches human nature to the things of this world. The spirit of regeneration is as a light, which, coming from heaven, elevates the mind to the things of heaven. That is why the person living in the flesh, or the carnal man, receives nothing of the things of the Spirit of God to give them understanding and wisdom. Such things are foolishness to them. However, the one who lives in the spirit, or spiritually-minded, knows and approves the will of God, because the spirit of wisdom and revelation that comes from the knowledge of God enlightens the eyes of their understanding so they can see spiritual truths.⁴

Sadly, the desires of the carnally-minded person are such that their imagination is constantly fascinated with evil. But when their conscience is purged of such sinful contamination, they are then freed to serve the living God.⁵ To set one’s affections solely on things that are carnal is being hostile to God’s will, and rebellion against His law. But spiritually-minded individuals delight in the law of God and love His commandments.⁶ That’s why the former consider the things of the world as promoting their good fortunes, while the latter seek the things that are above at the right hand of God⁷.⁸

Charles Hodge espouses a similar theme by saying that the Spirit, so to speak, is the element in which you live. This is what the Roman Christians were known for because their faith was being talked about all over the Roman Empire. However, this was not a true measure of what they professed, or what they possessed. The Apostle, therefore, adds that if the Spirit of God dwells in you, this should be what determines your Christian character. This is the only decisive test. No matter what relationship one may claim with Christ, it is of no avail without the indwelling Spirit of God. Hodge told his reader that while they may be members of a church, and fellowship with others who are in fact children of God, that unless they are partakers of that vital union which arises from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they are Christians in name only.⁹

Albert Barnes offers what he calls a true test of piety that is easily applied. It should settle all questions about one’s Christian character. One question asked is this: If a person is not influenced by the meek, pure, and divine Spirit of the Lord Jesus, if they are not conformed to His image if their life does not resemble that of the Savior, can they claim to be part of the Christian faith? The answer to this question is to help them see that no matter what else this person may claim to have if they do not possess the Spirit of Christ, what they do have is of no value to God. They may be loud when they profess their beliefs, good-natured in their temper, bold in their zeal, and active in promoting the interests of the church they attend or denomination to which they belong. But, if they don’t exhibit the gentle disposition of the Savior, and do not openly manifest His Spirit in love, they are as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.¹⁰ Barnes was hoping that all who read his notes would honestly examine themselves so that they could know what was the true source of purest joy – having the Spirit and Mind of the Lord Jesus Christ.¹¹

On the subject of the indwelling Holy Spirit, preacher Octavius Winslow says we must listen to the testimony of the Spirit on this doctrine. In one of his sermons, he pointed out that when looking into the Old Testament, even though the inspired Word of God is seen in a somewhat shadowy form when it comes to any New Testament doctrines, yet we to find a clear hint of the what Paul is saying here: “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My Teachings.”¹² And also: “I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life.”¹³ When looking in the New Testament, these words in Ezekiel help open the door for us to view with increasing clarity and brightness what our Lord Jesus said: “I will ask My Father and He will give you another Helper. He will be with you forever. He is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot receive Him. It does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He lives with you and will be in you.”¹⁴

So when we read what Paul wrote here: “You are not doing what your sinful old selves want you to do. You are doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, if you have God’s Spirit living in you,”¹⁵ our appreciation for the Spirit within will grow when we also read: “The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give you life.”¹⁶ But there is more: “Do you not know that you are a house of God and that the Holy Spirit lives in you?”¹⁷ “Do you not know that your body is a Temple of God where the Holy Spirit lives?”¹⁸ “How can the house of God get along with false gods? We are the house of the living God. God has said, ‘I will live in them.’”¹⁹ “You are also being put together as a part of this building because God lives in you by His Spirit.”²⁰ Winslow then sees no reason for him to go on multiplying quotations. As far as he is concerned, these are enough to prove that the indwelling of the Spirit is a revealed doctrine of Scripture in both Testaments.²¹

Charles Spurgeon once called out to his congregation as “Dear friends.” He asked if they knew that no matter how high a person my climb on the mountain of human morality, or on which pinnacle they may stand, they will still fall short of being in Christ. That’s because the Spirit of God must come down and dwell in us so He can take us high enough to be united with Christ. Christ will not recognize any as His own in whom the Spirit does not dwell. They may wear the Christian name; they may perform some works which look like Christian deeds; but it means nothing when it comes to being part of Christ. They must have the Spirit of God within them, or else they are none of His. Spurgeon said there is nothing worse than being declared, “none of His.”²²

John Stott touches on the gray line between having the Holy Spirit living in believers as new creatures in Christ, and having the infilling of the Holy Spirit in order to have access to His gifts and works. The confusion among some is that when a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they achieve a higher status in the Spirit than those who only have the Spirit of Christ which gave them life after being born-again. As far as Stott is concerned, if Christ’s Spirit is not in us to begin with, then we do not belong to Christ at all. This makes it plain that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an initial and universal blessing, received when we first repent and believe in Jesus. But this does not claim that all the rich experiences of the Spirit we find in Scripture are immediately given. There are anointings of the Spirit for special tasks; gifts of the Spirit to add divine power to our ministry, and others. But the personal indwelling of the Spirit is every believer’s gift from the beginning of their walk with Christ.²³

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XIV)

John Stott is very clear in his analysis, and sums it up by suggesting that there are two categories of people that Paul addresses here: The unregenerate who are “in the flesh,” and the regenerate who are “in the Spirit.” They also have two different perspectives or mindsets that guide them: The “mind of the flesh” for the unregenerate, and “the mind of the Spirit.” for the regenerate. This leads to two patterns of conduct: Those who live according to the “dictates of the flesh,” and those who live according to the “dictates of the Spirit.” This then results in two opposite states or conditions: Those who are “headed for eternal punishment,” and those who are “headed for eternal life.” The first group is those who are “at war with God,” and the second group is those who are “at peace with God.” From Stott’s point of view, the direction that our mind takes, and where it leads us based on what we think is the most important to God will play a key role in both our present demeanor and our final destiny.¹ This leads then into what Paul says in the following verses about those ruled by their sinful nature and those ruled by their spiritual nature.

Jewish scholar David Stern combines Romans 8:5-8 and then points to Romans 6:11 where Paul proposes a revolutionary solution to humanity’s problems: “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua.” By doing so, Paul offers a radical psychology to explain the reason for his revolutionary solution. It is a basic psychological fact of life – deeper than any Freudian concept of id, ego, and superego. It exceeds any genetic, physiological, behavioral, environmental, or educational conditioning. It offers more enlightenment on the source of the problem than birth traumas, complexes, sexual experiences, interpersonal communication, family background or games people play.

It is the revelation that the “sinful nature”’ (called the “flesh,”) is utterly irredeemable by any effort mankind can invent or institute. This is why the Bible offers no self-help programs, psychotherapeutic methods, remedial educational courses, environmental changes, or resolutions that allow an individual to improve so it will enable them to please God by their own doing. That’s because all of these things are based on the reality that having a mind controlled by the sinful old nature is fatal. The only answer is living in the Spirit, which is abundant life and shalom (peace). But not only peace, but tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness, and integrity. In short, it gives everything secular and popular psychology promises but cannot deliver.

Stern believes that this is why Yeshua said, “You must be born-again from above.”² Also, Paul wrote, “If anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new!”³ If there were no such thing as being given a new nature, then Paul’s psychology would paint the most pessimistic picture of the human condition – as he himself admits.⁴ However since there is a new nature, the solution is letting one’s mind be controlled by, and through, the Holy Spirit. This offers any hope mankind will have to escape their ultimate condemnation. The philosophies and psychologies of the world only offer therapeutic solutions which are temporary and designed to fail.⁵ It is God’s Word that reveals a divine solution which helps explain why Jesus went to the cross to make it possible for those who are bound by sin to be set free to live for God and do it His way, not man’s way.⁶

Verse 9: But you are not ruled by your sinful nature. You are ruled by the Spirit if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.

Paul clearly shows that he is writing to believers who dealt with the sinful nature factor in their past life. The question becomes whether or not he is encouraging them to continue in their growth or is admonishing them because they have stopped growing in the Spirit? As he proceeds with this topic, it appears that he is both motivating them and challenging them to stay faithful and press on toward the goal set by their calling in Christ. But it is also important to make a distinction between the indwelling of the Spirit of God in the believer as the source of the new life in Christ, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit to give power for service. In this case, it is the former. The infilling with power will come later.

This renewal of dedication for the things of God can be seen in what God said to Ezekiel about bringing His people back to a place of good standing with Him. God said: “I will put a new spirit in them. I will take away that heart of stone, and I will put a real heart in its place.⁷ Paul will address this later on in his call for a renewal of spirit and mind.⁸ But for now, Paul wants the Roman believers to know what he also told the Corinthians: “You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you.”⁹ And as Temples of the Holy Spirit, Paul warns them that there is no room for any of the idols they used to serve while under the control of sin.¹⁰ Not only that, but Paul also taught that the gift of the Spirit was a down payment that guaranteed all future benefits of their new found freedom to serve, worship, and praise God at a level equal to His glory.¹¹

So for Paul, it wasn’t only the practice of good manners and the development of holy virtues that made a person recognizable as belonging to God. These can often be duplicated on the outside. It what’s on the inside that Paul points to as true evidence that God’s Spirit is operating inside, not imposing some form or ritual on the outside. This was important not only for the here and now, but the hereafter. He told the Corinthians: “Everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. Then, when Christ comes again, those who belong to Him will be raised to life.”¹² And to the Galatians Paul wrote: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful self. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.”¹³

There were Jews in the congregation in Rome, and this idea of the Spirit of God living in the hearts of believers, as being the Spirit of the Messiah, is pointed out in their own writings. For instance, in the Arba’ah Turim’s commentary on Genesis 1:2 we read that the Spirit which hovered over a sphere without form and void of life was called: “the spirit of Messiah.”¹⁴ What a beautiful illustration of how the Holy Spirit hovers over the lifeless and barren souls of the unconverted until God speaks the the electrifying words, “Let there be light!” Then, everything comes alive and begins to grow and multiply, producing the fruit of the Spirit.

Early church preacher Chrysostom has an interesting take on this verse. As far as he’s concerned, there are somethings about us that are good, some are bad, and some are indifferent. For him, the soul and the flesh both belong to things indifferent, since each of these may become either good or bad. But the spirit belongs to things which are good and can never become anything else. On the other hand, the sinful mind belongs to things which are always bad.¹⁵ To put this principle in another light, we can say that an automobile, a knife, a gun, and a hammer are indifferent. In other words, they do not predisposed to take any predetermined action. Their use is generated by an activating and manipulating force. That force, in this case, a human being, can use these items for good or for evil purposes. So it is with the human body that is managed and controlled by an indwelling spirit. It is the nature of that spirit that determines a human’s mindset, and whether bodily members will be used for good or bad purposes. If it is unable to use these things for good, then another Spirit must come in and take charge, and that woould need to be the Spirit of God.

Early church scholar Pelagius notes that those over whom the Spirit of God is given charge will be occupied with spiritual things. And to know in whom the Spirit of God dwells is determined by the fruit everyone can see. That’s why Paul told the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, etc.’¹⁶ These fruit are a copy of the Spirit of Christ, who loved His enemies and prayed for them. His Spirit is one of humility, patience and all the virtues¹⁷.¹⁸ Even though Pelagius does not mention it here, there is little doubt he would agree that the works of the flesh pertain to those who are preoccupied with worldly pleasures.¹⁹

Martin Luther saw it this way: If you are going to live according to the new man, and according to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and in friendship and fellowship with God, then the Holy Spirit must be in you. Says Luther, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, then by His indwelling we are made new creatures. As such, those who have the wisdom of the Spirit delight in God’s will and gladly heed it, for they have become like Him.²⁰ So it is not a case of our imitating Christ by the way we live, but it is Christ emanating His life through us.

For John Calvin it is not a matter of whether or not the believer allows the Spirit of God to become the driving force in his or her life to promote all those things that please God. Rather, it is a case of whether or not the Holy Spirit resides in a person’s life that makes them a true believer. There is no doubt that Calvin is pointing at those in the church of the Middle Ages who simply went through the motions of being Christ-like. In fact, for Calvin it seems odd that these same people would turn around and accuse believers like himself of arrogance, when they were the real adversaries of the Gospel. And that’s because born-again believers dared to proclaim that the Spirit of Christ lived in them. The truth is, a believer must either deny Christ, or confess that they have become Christians through His Spirit. For Calvin, it was indeed dreadful to hear that some who called themselves Christians had so departed from the Word of God, that they not only boasted that they were Christians without God’s Spirit, but also ridiculed the faith of those who did.²¹

The Apostle Paul named one of the Fruit of the Spirit the using Greek word pistis that is most often translated into English as “faith,” but must be interpreted in context as the occasion requires. The reason is that this not only refers to one’s belief, or one’s trust in God, or a synonym for Christianity but also as the faithfulness of God or an individual who can be relied on.

Thayer in his Lexicon places pistis in this category of trust and reliability. We see this illustrated when Jesus warned the Pharisee and teachers of the Law about being hypocrites. He told them that while they give all sorts of gifts to the Temple, they kept these essential things from others: “Justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”¹

Of his epistles, the Apostle Paul wrote one to Philemon, telling him that he had heard about his love for all of God’s people, and his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus.² When writing to Bishop Titus, Paul instructed him to teach those among his congregants that employees should not steal from their employers so that they can be fully trusted  with their duties.³ And in his letter to Timothy, he talks about the young widows not staying faithful to their vows. Then in writing to the Romans, Paul compared the unfaithfulness of the Jews in keeping God’s Word with God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. In each of these cases, the Greek words pistis is used.

If we apply this act of faithfulness to the dual definition given in Hebrews 11:1, we can better see how to interpret what kind of faith Jesus was talking about. In Hebrews, the writer says that first of all, faith is the foundation upon which we build our hopes. In other words, we wholeheartedly accept the fact that those things we’ve heard about are not imaginary, that they are for real, whether we can see, touch, taste, feel, hear or smell them. We might call it the power of our spiritual mind.

Like a coin, the second side of faith the writer of Hebrews shows us is that faith gives us the power to accept that the things we are really convinced of are not only real, but they actually exist. In other words, they are a real deal. We might call this the power of our spiritual intellect. Since faithfulness is love that is consistent, we must always be known as a person of their word, someone you can lean on and trust in every situation. So while others may leave you because you’re down and out, a faithful friend will stick to you closer than a brother. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Several years ago I was on an airplane flying to Pakistan to visit the churches there. During the previous week, back in Manila, some events had taken place that made me feel like I was under attack because of some actions I had taken. As I sat on the plane, suddenly I felt the urge to get out my Bible. So I got up and retrieved my Bible from the overhead bin. After I sat down, I pulled down the tray in front of me, opened my Bible, ready to read what was on the pages. My eyes fell immediately on Psalm 24. As I read it, I felt a warm feeling spread over my heart.

Since Psalms was one of the classes I taught at the Seminary in Mania, it struck me how hard it would be for someone for whom English is a second language to understand what David meant about gates and doors being lifted up so a glorious king could come in. And immediately I sensed the urge to paraphrase the words so that they would be not only easier to comprehend but make the message of the Psalm even clearer.

That began a labor of love that lasted almost 16 years before it was published. Some years ago I shared excerpts from my book on Facebook. But now, many years later, I have a lot of new friends and followers on Facebook and on my blog Down and Unfamiliar Road. So I feel led to share them again. I’ve read the Psalms many, many times and never get tired of the wisdom they bring me. I hope you enjoy them too.

A WORD TO THE WISE

After David crowned his son Solomon as king, and before the LORD lowered the curtain on his life, he offered young Solomon a quick course on spiritual virtues and ethics. David knew from experience that bad analysis, biased counseling, and self-serving ideas were all too plentiful from people who wanted be noticed and gain influence. His advice to Solomon is just a relevant now as it was back then.

This, perhaps, inspired Solomon to ask God for more wisdom when he became king. He wanted to learn how to use God’s wisdom in assessing life’s situations. Before a person makes a choice, they must be aware of all the options available to them. God may have given mankind a free-will to decide, but He also gave him clear guidelines to follow.

“The person who does not allow evil-minded people to influence their thinking; permit corrupt individuals to dictate their lifestyle, or grant conceited groups sway over their attitude, can count their blessings. Instead, they delight in living by the Teachings outlined in the Word of the LORD Eternal and recite those guidelines daily. They are deeply rooted like a tree growing next to a river; always producing good fruit without growing tired and weary, and are successful in all their endeavors. But the God-haters are a different story; they are like the husk on an ear of corn that you throw away. That’s why these evil-minded people and immoral sinners will never pass judgment like those who live right. The LORD Eternal keeps His eye on those who live right, but the evil-minded are destined for complete ruin.” Psalm 1:1-6

Reflection: There was an old fisherman who kept getting disoriented and lost every time he went out to sea. So his concerned friends bought him a compass to use so they wouldn’t have to worry so much. In gratitude, the next time he went out to fish he took the compass along but got lost again. After his friends finally found and rescued him, they asked why he didn’t use the compass. “I tried,” he replied with frustration, “but I couldn’t get the needle to aim in the direction I wanted to go.” The old sailor felt so confident that he knew which direction was right he tried to force his personal will on the compass. When it didn’t respond the way he wanted it to, he threw it away as worthless and lost any benefit its guidance offered.

In the same way, our spiritual choices become crucial because first, we need to know in what direction we are headed and compare it to the way God wants us to go. Remember, any frustration or disappointments we experience in trying to follow God’s guidelines cannot be compared to the grief and sorrow awaiting those who get rid of God’s compass and go their own way. God’s directives were not given to keep us from enjoying things in life, but make sure we enjoy them correctly and thoroughly. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XIII)

Verse 8: Those who are ruled by their sinful-selves can never satisfy God.

One of the last known, yet most important truths is expressed here. No matter what one does in the way of penance, good works, abstinence, church attendance, reciting prayers, etc., as long as they are doing it in order to earn or merit salvation, it will come of short of what God wants. Our flesh is so addicted to following the longings and dictates of the old nature that we are unable under any circumstances to meet God’s requirements for forgiveness. God approves no blessings on credit, no layaway plan, nor can He be appeased by man’s flattery. Until we bid farewell to the old nature and the new man rises to life, it is impossible to meet God’s expectations.

There was no greater endorsement that Jesus of Nazareth needed to cement His place in God’s plan of salvation than what the voice from heaven said after He was baptized by John the Baptizer: “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with Him.”¹ Later on, Jesus would reinforce this stamp of approval by telling His opponents: “The One who sent me is still with me; He did not leave me to myself, because I always do what pleases Him.”² And in one of Paul’s prayers for the believers in Colossæ, he asked God to give them all they needed to live in such a way that it brought honor to the Lord and pleased Him in every way.³ Also, the writer of Hebrews put it this way: “Without faith, no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who sincerely try to find Him.”⁴ He goes on to say: “May that God equip you with every good thing you need to do His will; and may He do in us whatever pleases Him, through Jesus Christ.”⁵ This certainly echoes what the Psalmist said: “The Lord takes pleasure in people who worship Him and trust in His faithful love.”⁶

Both early church scholars Irenaeus⁷ and Tertullian⁸ point out that Paul is not censoring the flesh, but the actions of the flesh. Chrysostom speaks to this misunderstanding by first asking if we should all go ahead and cut our sinful bodies into pieces if we thought it would please God? Or, should we carry out the death sentence on ourselves as a way of showing our moral excellence? Chrysostom’s purpose in asking is to show how wrong we would be if we took what Paul says here literally. It’s obvious that when Paul speaks of being in the flesh, he is not referring to the body alone, but to a sinful life which is self-indulgence and extravagant to the fullest.⁹ Then in another place, Chrysostom wonders if those in Rome who will receive this letter really understand what he is saying? Or would they ask: “What is Paul talking about? Certainly, he knows that he himself lives in a body of flesh.” We need not ask these questions because we know Paul does not mean that those clad in flesh are incapable of pleasing God. If that be so, then believers would have to find a way to exit their bodies in order to please Him? Instead, Paul is pointing out that those who are ruled by the passions of their flesh put no value on virtue. If one’s thinking is totally carnal and they are caught up in the pleasures of the flesh, they pay little attention to their soul. They can’t see it, nor can it talk to them. Rather, it’s their flesh that keeps calling out for satisfaction, and so they feel obligated to answer no matter what it takes.¹⁰

Early church scholar Pelagius takes what Paul says in this verse as proof that he was not trying to find fault with the body itself. Rather, with the works of the body practiced by those who were undoubtedly living a sin-filled life. For once a person gives themselves over to fulfilling the desires of the flesh it is impossible to avoid sin.¹¹ Then Bishop Theodoret says that Paul is not suggesting that we must leave our bodies in order to be set free from the imaginations of the flesh. Instead, he is preparing the readers of this Epistle in Rome for what he is about to say in the following verses concerning how the Spirit of God living in them makes all the difference in how they respond to these sinful tendencies.¹²

John Calvin makes it clear that those who spend all their time following the lust of the flesh are abhorrent to God because they have willingly alienated themselves from Christ and they are void of any spiritual life within.¹³ It would be like saying today, I have a lamp and light bulb, but I don’t need any electricity to make it shine. And Albert Barnes pushes for a better understanding of what Paul is saying here. We should take what Paul implies about mankind’s pursuit of those desires that please their corrupt nature as an obstacle to their ever being able to please God. In Barnes’ mind, it does not prohibit or make impossible their ability to turn from their wicked ways and live out their lives in a more respectable, moral way. Barnes uses the example of a child who is stubborn, proud, and disobedient. As long as the child stays that way, it cannot please its parents. The question of when will this child stop being stubborn and become obedient is something that will require another step in the learning process. All Paul wants to point out here is that those who are unrenewed by the Spirit are totally depraved since being in such a state makes it impossible to please God.¹⁴

To put this another way from my military experience. Whether a soldier is unkempt and unfit, unshaven and not alert, a poor marksman or sharpshooter, if they fail to obey the Sergeant’s orders or the Captain’s commands, they are worthless in battle. Not because of the way they look, but because of the way they act. The same is true with people who, whether they are living immorally to a fault or morally righteous by acts of abstinence. These things are not used to determine if they are qualified to enter the Kingdom of God. They must be redeemed, called, chosen, transformed, and lead by the Spirit in order to make God proud of His choice.

Robert Haldane makes this same point by saying that a person must be born of the Spirit before he can even begin to serve God. He calls any religious system that teaches people to try and please God by deciding to lead a religious life in order to convince God to cooperate with them for their own praise and honor, is unscriptural and a waste of time. Therefore, if the person who is not born-again cannot please God, that means that whatever they do does not earn His favor. Any moral action may be materially good in and of itself, however, unless it is sparked by the right motive – the love of God – and is done for the right reason – His glory – it cannot be acknowledged by God. Before a person’s reverence for God is commendable, they must first be accepted for what they are, not what they do. As the Scriptures say: “The Lord had respect for Abel, and his offering.”¹⁵ But they also say, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”¹⁶ It is only by faith that we are united with Christ, and, thereby, reconciled to God.

So until this union with Christ and reconciliation takes place, real fellowship with God is impossible. Haldane thinks there are certain things that must be considered. First, since no one who is still unconverted can please God even out of ignorance, how much worse is it for someone who professes to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, but still cannot please God? When that happens, how can they then witness to the unconverted about regeneration? Because no matter how honorable the good works of such a person may look in the eyes of this world, if they still cannot please God as believers, then what use of anyone getting saved? They might as well join the sinners in awaiting the condemnation of God on His enemies. And if this is where Paul stopped explaining how a person can overcome such an obstacle, then there would be no reason to go on. Thank God Paul will continue to explain.¹⁷

Charles Hodge agrees with Barnes that those who are caught up in following the desires of their sinful nature cannot please God. He states that such a person is considered to be in an unrenewed state in order to fall into this category.¹⁸ So the question for all Bible scholars is this: Was Paul talking about those being in an unrenewed state as unborn-again sinners, or was he speaking of believers who have allowed their sinful nature to take charge of their hearts, minds, and desires once again? We must look for this answer in further examination of what other scholars have to say.

Charles Spurgeon shares the same view that as long as people are under the dominion of their sinful nature, there is no pleasing God. Those who have never experienced being born-again so that they have been made alive in the Spirit, are still struggling with the uncontrolled desires of the flesh. As long as they stay in that condition they cannot please God. They must be born-again, they must become spiritually alive by the new birth which is conceived by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, no matter how high the mountain of good works may be, it is still impossible for them to please God.¹⁹

Frédéric Godet makes this distinction, that to be in the flesh is a stronger expression than to be after the flesh. Being “after the flesh” makes flesh the standard of moral existence. Being “in the flesh” makes flesh the principle source. So the question is, how could God take pleasure in beings who make the pursuit-of-self the principle of their life? Would not such a selfish principle be the opposite of what God wants? When carnally minded unbelievers plunge themselves into an ever deepening pit of such immorality, all they have to gain is condemnation and eternal punishment. However, when spiritually-minded believers begin to rise as they climb the ladder of life in Christ, they reach ever higher and higher for spiritual excellence, and any trace of condemnation and fear of eternal punishment will disappear.²⁰

Puritan preacher Charles Simeon put his assessment of what Paul is saying here in a very concise and direct way. He observed that for most individuals who cannot see what is in the hearts of others around them, it must seem strange that a lot of people who appear just like them in the way they look, act, and speak should be considered so different when it comes to where they’ll be in eternity. But the truth is that in even the most imperfect of believers there is a principle called God’s love. However, in even the best and most moral of unbelievers there is rooted a sinful tendency that is hostile to God. These facts alone place their inner natures as far apart as heaven and hell.²¹ That message should have shaken every person who heard it to the bone. That is not momentary fantasy, that is eternal reality.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XII)

Charles Hodge takes a similar view as Robert Haldane by agreeing that sinful mentality leads to futile living. By nature, it is opposed to God, our Life of the soul. Since His favor brings life, therefore, opposition to Him results in having no reason to live. As said by others, the carnal mind is hostile to God because it refuses to subjugate itself to the law of God. The sinful mind is afraid because the law of God is a revelation of His divine nature. Therefore, opposing the Law means opposing God. Hodge points out that this opposition by the carnal mind is not casual, occasional, or in search of virtue. It is, what it is. It cannot change itself. If it could, that would lead to life, not a futile existence. But it is useless to think that a corrupt mind and rebellious heart can transform themselves for the better. Not only is this unthinkable, but it also implies hopelessness which brings the word “death” into real focus.¹ It is important to remember that if a person could convert their own mindset from that of being sinful-minded to one of being spiritual-minded, the Holy Spirit’s help would be of little value.

British preacher Octavius Winslow has quite a bit to say about the subject of there being hostility between man and God. As he sees it, the Apostle Paul makes a strong statement by advocating that mankind’s carnal mind is not only alienated from God and averse to Him, it is actually at war with Him. Had Paul merely represented the carnal mind as having a disagreement with God, that would, in itself, have sounded startling. But the Apostle goes further and describes it as “belligerent.” Here we have the most vivid and atrocious idea of man’s sinful nature. An enemy may be reconciled with, but open hostility cannot. The Apostle then states that the cause of this antagonism is “the law of God.” This hatred of the Law refuses to be governed by the law of God. That’s because the carnal heart is against God as the moral Governor of the universe. Let no one doubt that sinful people are controlled by carnal thinking. This is an important fact that cannot be overlooked by those who feel insulted by such an idea, especially those who believe they are morally righteous in their own eyes.

Winslow continues his warning that there is danger in turning a blind eye to the true cause of man’s hostility to God. If a person refuses to submit to God’s sovereign authority, they become sworn enemies of God. Some people claim that they would admire and love God if He were anything other than a Lawgiver. But this makes no sense. If we do not love God and adore and obey Him as a Lawgiver, He cannot, without denying Who He is, and showing contempt for His own Law, accept the supposed love and adoration of those who reject Him as a Lawgiver. God’s divine character and essence require that He must be truly loved as KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. We know that among mortals, the person filling the office and the office itself may be separable. This is often expressed in the military when those who feel unfairly treated by a high ranking officer say: “I respect the uniform, but I don’t respect the person wearing the uniform.” It is the same in politics. A man may be the personal friend of the President or Congressman but an enemy to their government or political party. The same goes for a person who may be loved as an individual but hated as a judge or policeman. But Winslow is adamant that when it comes to God, the moral Governor of the world. His nature and His office, His attributes, and His government, are inseparable. No one can possibly be a friend of God who hates His government and refuses obedience to His law.

Winslow sees this as a serious problem. If sinners, because of their carnal minds, are hostile to God because of His moral government, then who is in charge, God or the sinners? This must be resolved if there is to be peace between mankind and God. It this question is decided in favor of sinners, then for them, the controversy is over. God might as well drop the reins of His government – let Him descend from His throne, lay aside His scepter, give up His law – and the hostility of the carnal mind ceases. No doubt sinners would applaud God for His goodness, admire His wisdom, and adore His decisiveness. But God might as well not exist anymore. Were He to surrender His authority, power, and sovereignty, He would have no influence in the world. The only way God can be taken seriously is when He asserts His claim to the throne of heaven. He is sworn to maintain the dignity of His position as Creator, King, and Lord of all. He must protect the purity and support the honor of His law. It would be better that heaven and earth cease to exist than that one dot over an “i” or cross on a “t” be erased from His Word and cause it to fail. This is what troubles the carnal mind and something it cannot bear to accept. So it is no wonder that it is belligerent to God and His Word.

But Winslow notices more that needs to be addressed. He cries out against hostility against God. He calls it an awful thought. How can anyone be hostile to the best of beings, the dearest of friends! How can they be hostile to Him whose nature and whose Name is Love! – the One who is Holy, yes, holiness itself – Good, yes, goodness itself – True, yes, truth itself! How could anyone be hostile to Him out of whom nothing but good streams? Why be against Him who is the Essence of Truth, the Fountain from which Living Waters flow, the Sun from which all the rays emanate? Why be hostile to Him, who gave His Son to die for sinners! Yes, to die for His enemies. Did not Paul declare that when we were His enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son?²

As Winslow sees it, if this hostility continues, then what does it do to Jesus, the one who died for sinners; who flew on wings of love to the rescue and the redemption of fallen man; who took their place, bore their sins, endured their curse; all this for rebellious mankind? Yes, the One who gave His life, His obedience, everything He could give – Himself; all this for the poor, the vile, the worthless of this world. He came, He suffered, He bled, and He died – was this not enough? Could He have done any more? After our Lord died and rose again, the Law said, “it is enough!” Justice declared, “I am satisfied!” Even Jesus Himself cried out, “it is finished!” Who can possibly estimate the cost? And all of it for worthless sinners, for wretched rebels, for wicked enemies! O Son of God, is it for this they hate You, despise You, reject You? Oh, the hostility of the carnal mind to someone so loving, so good, so kind, so merciful, so gentle, and so caring. When God and Jesus are rejected, who is there then for the Holy Spirit to seek out and save from hell’s fire? No one! They are the only Ones who care.³

Charles Spurgeon joins in by pointing out that the old nature will never obey God’s guidelines for holy living because it cannot do so. So what is then to be done with it? Improve it?. Not possible, says Spurgeon, the best thing to do is let it die then bury it. He points out that in baptism we have a significant symbol of what is to be done with the flesh; you treat it like a dead object, you bury it. Likewise, we should regard the old sinful mindset as having died and no longer active. Otherwise, according to Spurgeon, a person can be converted simply by deciding to repeat a prayer of repentance and say they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior of their own free will without any conviction brought on by the Holy Spirit. But this contradicts what Paul says here that the carnal mindset cannot subject itself to God’s will. There are those who say that people should only repent if they feel like it. While that may be something to consider, if we wait for sinners to come to the place where they convince themselves to repent, it will never happen. That is not part of their sinful tendency. Except for the grace and mercy of God, there would never be repentance and forgiveness on the part of sinners.⁴

Reverend Rowland Hill (1744-1833), a popular English preacher, wrote in one of his works about some villagers sitting around one winter evening with some hot tea and talking about how ordinary people can be made more rational in their thinking. One of the men, named Mr. Considerate, says to Mrs. Toogood: “See, madam, how your cat is licking and cleaning herself all over.” Madam Toogood replied, “Oh, Sir! She is a lovely delicate creature.” Then Mr. Considerate said to another individual sitting nearby named Mr. Wisehead, “Then I suppose the cat has a will to be clean, and she proves the point, she may be clean if she will.” Then Mr. Considerate, says to Miss Polly, “Now, Miss Polly Littleworth, did you ever see any of your father’s hogs sit upright, and wash and clean themselves with their front paws like that cat? And however awkwardly they might do it, yet they certainly may if they will; but alas, they lack the will.”⁵ How appropriate that metaphor is to what Paul is saying here. Our dirty, sinful nature may want to clean itself in order to be accepted by God, but it lacks the will to do so.

At this point in Paul’s text, the Jewish writer of the Messianic Bible speaks about his understanding of this verse and notes that from his experience this is probably one of the least preached on verses in the New Testament. His reason is that it contains one of the clearest messages that those who truly follow Yeshua the Messiah must submit themselves to studying and obeying God’s Torah. He states that although we as believers are not subject to the “curse” of the Torah (which is condemnation), as children of God we are encouraged to study and obey our Father’s instructions as found in His Torah. We can find this expressed as a decree for Gentiles in Acts 15. They received several fundamental Torah commands to allow for fellowship with Jews who followed Yeshua. The whole purpose of which was that they would learn more while attending synagogues where Moses’ Torah was preached.⁶

Methodist preacher Joseph Benson does not mince words when it comes to how he sees what Paul is saying here. Paul has made it crystal clear up to this point that those who think they can fool God and others by pretending to be believing Christians are in for a rude awakening. Their lord and master is not Jesus Christ, they are governed by their flesh and sinful tendencies. They have no hunger for God’s word, their animal appetites drive them to seek satisfaction through evil passions. Their minds are not set on things above, their carnal-mindedness is on the things of this world. Do they think they can please God by living that way?

Nothing pious they can do will bring them into a state of acceptance with God. No matter how they try by changing their ways, or adjusting their temperament, or using nice words, or doing charitable works. That will not please Him. And no matter what rites, rituals, or ceremonies they participate in, it will not change His mind. Here’s an important and alarming declaration they need to hear: All you who profess to be Christians and have settled for a form of godliness, attention to outward appearance, seeking grace through sacraments, having no concern about repentance, forgiveness, and the remission of your past sins, nor the renovation of your sinful nature, remaining attached to worldly pleasures and sensual in your desires, wants, and wishes, there is only one thing waiting for you at the end, and that is dying lost and undone, dying in your sins and being eternally lost. Unless you consider repentance, regeneration, being born-again, and clinging to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are forever hopelessly lost.⁷ What chances do you think there are of hearing a message like this preached today?

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XI)

Verse 7: Why is this true? Because anyone whose mental attitude is controlled by their sinful-self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it.

Paul is not finished with his instructions to the Roman believers on how to cope with the competing forces within their hearts and minds. As Jews, they should see a comparison to the warning God gave the children of Israel through Moses: “You are to have no other gods before me. You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God.”¹ In the believer’s case, those things that the flesh used to worship must be torn down and let the Shekinah of God take their place.

Paul wrote the Ephesians there was something the Lord wanted to tell them: “Don’t continue living like those who don’t believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They have no understanding, and they know nothing because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost their feeling of shame and use their lives to do what is morally wrong. More and more they want to do all kinds of evil. But that way of life is nothing like what you learned when you came to know Christ.”²

And Paul put the Colossians on notice that God was not interested in lowering the standards that were set for those who desired to serve Him and fulfill His will and destiny for their lives. At one time, all believers were living their lives without God being the center of everything. So Paul tells them: “Now He has made you His friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while He was in His body. He did it so that he could present you to Himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before Him.”³ There is nothing more insulting to God’s love and grace than when His children step over the bleeding body of His Son in order to follow the evil and immoral tendencies of their sinful nature.

Paul instructed young Timothy that in the last days many who call themselves Christians will love what they want for themselves more than what God wants for them. Money and success will be their top priorities. As a result, they will become proud and boast about their prosperity. They will turn against spiritual authority, desiring to do what pleases them. Paul said: “They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that ‘devotion’ change the way they live. Stay away from these people!”⁴

To illustrate this from everyday life. All magnets have both a north and a south pole which causes them to either repel or attract one another depending on how the two poles are lined up. If the north pole of one magnet meets the south pole of another, the two will be attracted, but if either both north poles or south poles meet, the magnets will repel one another. The same goes for the sinful nature and spiritual nature of mankind. That is why if the sinful pole is positive and the spiritual pole turns negative they will attract each other, and the stronger one will dominate the weaker. The Holy Spirit is the only source that provides the positive force for the spiritual pole in the believer’s life to keep it the strongest.

Early church scholar Gregory states that as long as our sinful nature is alive and well, it is not possible to find the pleasing and perfect will of God working efficiently in our lives as believers.⁵ And early church writer Pelagius says that the flesh is not intrinsically hostile to God, as the Manichaeans say,⁶ its the carnal mind. For everything which is not cooperative, is hostile. That’s why some of those who want to clear themselves of guilt may sometimes try to go beyond the limit of the old law on their own. In other words, they try to out holy the holy Law. But Paul says this type of carnal thinking can never bring itself to be subordinate to God’s will in order to return from following the desires of the flesh and start pursuing the yearnings of their spiritual nature.⁷

Augustine points out that Paul explains why he uses the term “hostile” so that no one might think that some human force exists that operates as an opposing principle which God did not create and which fights against Him. An enemy of God is simply someone who refuses to submit to His law and who does so because they adhere to the mind of the flesh. This means that they only seek what the world can give them because they don’t want to go against the world order. For Augustine, the normal definition of wisdom means to strive for what is good and avoid what is bad. That’s why the Apostle Paul rightly describes the imagination of the flesh as longing for what this world offers.

But a person cannot hold on to such worldly possessions forever, sooner or later they will lose them, and when they leave this world, everything they have will be left behind. That’s because their sinful imagination cannot bring itself to submit to God’s will. The only way that can happen is if it is transformed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s wisdom does not place its hope in worldly things, nor is it intimidated by worldly ways.

Then Augustine shares an interesting perspective by stating that man’s soul is neutral, it is neither on the side of good or bad. The soul’s destiny is determined by the agent in control. If the imagination of the flesh is in charge, then the lower sinful tendencies will run loose without discipline. But if the wisdom of the Spirit is in control, then the yearnings for higher spiritual things will be sought after. Augustine likens the soul to water. When it gets cold the water freezes, but when it’s hot, the ice will melt.⁸ Could it be that this is why on the Day of Pentecost when the Apostles and believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, there were flames seen hovering each of them to set their souls on fire?

John Calvin believes that the will of God is guided by the rule of righteousness. It follows then that whatever is unfair and wrong is contrary to God’s will. Furthermore, such an unjust and unfair attitude eventually leads to destruction and futility. Even though God is not offended, they seek in vain any path to heaven and eternal life. That’s because His punishment for such thinking has already been made known. It says that the soul that sins will die.⁹ Calvin wants us to observe this truth: The will of man is in all things opposed to the will of God. This is as true as the fact that what is crooked differs from what is straight, in the same way, man’s ways are different from God’s ways.¹⁰ For a believer, when Calvin speaks of the will of man, he is speaking of that part of a believer’s mentality that is influenced by his sinful nature. The part that is ruled by the Holy Spirit will fight such tendencies because they put man’s ego first and what God desires second.

Adam Clarke follows a similar thought pattern when he states that when the mind is carnal, it relishes what is sinful and worldly. Thus, it operates in opposition to the pure and holy law of God. Therefore, it is hostile to God, making it irreconcilable and filled with unforgiving hatred.¹¹ Clarke points out that the carnal mind is disobedient and adheres to the principle of rebellion. Therefore, it will not become subject to God’s will because it is essential for man’s sinful nature to show itself as strong by being rebellious. So, when it ceases to rebel, it ceases to sin. However, Clarke believes that such cessation of rebellion is not enough to please God.

What they don’t know is that God’s design, as outlined in the Gospels, is not to weaken, incapacitate, or tie up sinful tendencies so as to restrict their actions to certain arbitrary perimeters. Rather, it is intended to destroy them and make them lifeless. Since those evil inclinations abuse the Law so that sinning occurs, they must be destroyed, or else they will continue to rebel against God. The Gospel does not recommend that we take our sinful tendencies to therapy so they will be less offensive in nature, nor seek remedies that will help them mend. Jesus did not die on the cross to domesticate our evil inclinations or shed His blood as a way of reducing the pain they cause. Sin is sin and always will be sin. Hostility against God is hostility and will continue to be as long as it has the power to do so. And such hostility will encourage rebellion against all that is righteous and holy. It would be like taking a lion directly out of the jungle for a pet and not expect it to do anything but lay down and purr.¹²

Robert Haldane offers a rather lengthy commentary on this verse that is not possible to include here, but his emphasis is on how our sinful nature cannot be converted to a saintly nature without a miracle. Based on this, Haldane reasons that according to what the Scriptures say, natural man is incapable of always choosing what is good, even though he should. That’s because only God knows what is good and reveals it to us in His Word. As such, mankind is rightly called “ungodly,” a “sinner,” an “enemy of God,” and “without spiritual strength.”¹³ Such people are seen as walking in harmony with the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;”¹⁴ as being under “the power of Satan,”¹⁵ and “taken captive by him at his will.”¹⁶ They are the devil’s lawful captives because they sold their souls to him voluntarily. As such, they cannot be freed but by means of the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, which the Lord employs when granting to those whom He favors the blessing of regeneration. Thereby, God “distributes His gifts, and divides them among His children as He pleases.”¹⁷ It is God “who has delivered us,” says the Apostle, “from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”¹⁸ “Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”¹⁹ “So if the Son sets you free, you will truly be free.²⁰”²¹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson X)

Early church writer Ambrosiaster has more thoughts on what he understands Paul saying here in verse 6. He reckons that mankind’s intellectual propositions and logical proposals intended to explain where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going are hostile to God’s wisdom. In fact, because of such thinking, many believe that the magical creature called, Lord of the Elements (namely, Mother Nature),¹ and the Creator of the Universe are equal forces. This asserts that we should accept nothing that happens in this world as genuine unless we can find a rational and scientific explanation for it. It is this kind of thinking that causes them to deny that God chose a virgin to give birth, or that He raises the dead back to life. In their minds, it is absurd to think that God can do anything beyond what man can understand or even duplicate. That’s why they don’t believe in the divine creation of the universe and the origin of life. As Ambrosiaster sees it, such people are suffering from what I call, mental-dystrophy. They can’t comprehend that their way of explaining life and the universe is not an insult to God, but to faith. God was pleased with His very creative handiwork, and it should be appreciated and praised everywhere as the work of a Genius. But they condemn and claim it is not believable and absurd.² But when asked to prove that God did not create the universe, they are silent.³

John Calvin gives us a little grammar and vocabulary lesson here about translating something from one language to another. You may not style yourself as a linguist, but it never hurts to learn something beyond what we already know. First, Paul uses the Greek word phronēma which is translated into English as “mind.” Calvin starts by pointing out that when he read Erasmus’ Latin translation of Paul’s Greek manuscript of Romans, the word “affectum,” meaning “affection,” was used for “mind.” So you can imagine that early church scholars who used Erasmus’ Latin Bible thought Paul was speaking here of affections or even emotions. But is that what Paul really meant?

In light of this, Calvin believes that Erasmus should have chosen the Latin term, cogitatio, which means: thinking, meditation, reflection, thought, intention, plan, opinion, and reasoning.⁴ It’s important that we understand what Paul said, because if a believer’s life is controlled by their sinful way of thinking, then their spiritual nature has little control over what they do. But Calvin wasn’t satisfied, so he looked at an earlier Latin translation than the one of Erasmus, written by Jerome. Jerome chose the Latin word “predentia,”⁵ meaning “prudence” – discretion. In other words, was Paul talking about being discrete in our choices so as to always make sure we pick the right ones? Would it even be possible for a sinfully-minded individual to choose good over evil?

Calvin still wasn’t satisfied, he wanted to know what would be the best way to explain what Paul meant here in this verse about control of the mind. So he noticed that in the Old Testament, Moses talked about this same thing in Genesis 8:21. The Hebrew word Moses used there was yetser, translated in the KJV as “imagination” of the heart. It refers to the framing of thought, one’s creative thinking. This would involve all the faculties of the soul – reason, understanding, and affections. But when the Jews translated Moses’ Hebrew words into Greek, they chose the word hē dianoia, meaning “intellect.”⁶ This raises another question, can the difference between good and evil be determined by one’s intellect? If so, then we would need no outside assistance; no power higher than our own to help us decide.

So this now gives us the options of affection, thinking, meditation, reflection, thought, intention, plan, opinion, reasoning, prudence, intellect, and imagination. But since Paul was not writing in Hebrew or Latin, we must stick with the word he chose to use. Phronēma literally means, “to see,” which refers to what a person has in mind, their thoughts and intentions based on what they perceive to be the case. So it is obvious, that when a person’s mind is controlled by their sinful tendencies, sinning is their preference, it is all they see in their future. And remember, the wages of sin is death. Also, in verse 7 Paul says that this constitutes hostility to God’s way of thinking. But Paul will also tell us that our heavenly Father knows everything that’s in our hearts because He understands the phronēma (what’s on the mind) of the Holy Spirit who takes our prayers (what’s on our minds) to God’s heart, with the attention and involvement of our Mediator Christ Jesus. Now you know how important it is to be open and honest when you pray.⁷

Calvin finishes by saying that this passage by Paul deserves special attention. From it we can learn that by making nature the only creative force there is, we rush headlong toward delusion. After all, mankind comes up with nothing that lasts forever, it all ends in ruin. Paul teaches us that anything that comes alive in us is what the Spirit produces. There is no spark of life in what mankind thinks or does. Yes, we can make things, but we cannot make them come alive. However, by allowing the Spirit to be in control of our minds, Paul calls it life-giving because it leads to a joyful existence. Paul certainly understood that Jews were accustomed to thinking that every kind of happiness leads to peace. But he wanted the believers in Rome to know that when a believer looks for peace, they know it only comes from God and what we allow the Holy Spirit to accomplish in our lives to God’s glory.⁸

Adam Clarke reflects the same thought by saying that to live under the influence of the carnal mind is to live in the state of condemnation, which can only lead to eternal punishment. On the other hand, the person who is spiritually-minded has the life and peace of God in their soul. This is a foretaste of life eternal.⁹ Albert Barnes concurs. He says that to follow the inclinations of the flesh or the corrupt tendencies of our sinful nature will only lead us to condemnation and futility. Not only does this result in killing our reason for living, but does so with a great amount of heartbreak and misery. People should know that there are pain and unhappiness combined with sinful acts when they are supremely devoted to fulfilling their corrupt passions. The ultimate payoff is nothing but condemnation and despair. But when a believer wants to be spiritually-minded, it means seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance and approval which becomes the main object of their mind. The end aim of such actions is to cultivate the graces of the Spirit and to submit to His influence.¹⁰

Robert Haldane takes the view that Paul is not talking here about a believer who is still waging war against his sinful nature. Rather, it compares the difference between those who are still unconverted and those who are born-again. When Paul uses the term “carnal mind – or, said another way, “minding of the flesh” – it combines both the intellect and the will. Some render it “insight,” or “wisdom,” of the flesh – or wise thoughts. But the carnal mind, even with its most informed thoughts, has ingrained enmity against God. This is one reason why the carnal mind must be put to death. For the carnal mind possessed by mankind in their unconverted state, walks solely according to the flesh, both in its best as well as in its worst character. This is true whether it seeks acceptance by God through its own efforts or in following the course of this world in its sinful practices. As such, is not just an enemy of God, but enmity itself against God in its understanding, will, and affections.

Haldane then concludes, that people whose hearts are totally set on this world, hate God.¹¹ Such people despise the holiness of God, His justice, His sovereignty, and even the way in which He exercises His mercy. People of such character often have no clue that they hate God. Not at all. Many of them even profess to love Him. But, unless God says they are His friends they are His enemies. His Word is to be trusted over their word. This is not to eliminate the fact that there are some people in this world who believe they really love God. But the god they love is not the God of the Bible, it is the god of their imagination. The god they love is the one of all mercy and grace; always careful not to offend his creation; a god who would never think of punishing a person for doing wrong because that would go against his unconditional love. But this is not the God of the OT and NT; the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, James, and John. Even though this God is just and forgiving; a Savior and Redeemer, yet they don’t like it because He holds sinner’s accountable and demands that they confess and repent when they do wrong.¹² The only way that you can believe in this God is to believe that He is, who He is, what He is, and what He has done that will eternally affect your life and future.¹³

Charles Hodge gives us some thoughts on being spiritual-minded, which reveals itself in the desires and pursuits of the things of the Spirit. He writes that a person with such a state of mind is at peace with God. That is what true living and blessedness of the soul are all about. With that being the case, there is no such thing as someone being saved in sin, they are saved from sin. It also eliminates the possibility of their being justified and sanctified. As partakers of the benefits of Christ’s death, we are also partakers of His lifestyle. Only if we crucify our sinful tendencies on the cross with Him can we live now and forever for Him and with Him. This is an important factor and part of the Apostle Paul’s main object in this chapter. He wants to show that believers can never again be numbered among the condemned. Not only are they delivered from the Law’s power, and justified by the sacrifice and blood of Jesus, but to get to them, you must go through Christ since He is the reason they live.¹⁴

English Methodist preacher Joseph Benson shares his thinking about what Paul said here in 1776 when the United States became a nation. For him, some people think Paul is simply talking about choices of lifestyle. But in reality, the Apostle was speaking of life and death decisions. Furthermore, it is a motive for holy living. So what are our choices? Hostility against God, or peace with God? Not just against God, but against His holiness, His justice, His truth, His power, His providence, His omniscience, His omnipresence, His attributes, and even against His existence. In other words, they want to live in a godless world. And just think of what kind of world would that be.¹⁵ Meanwhile, in the United States around this same time, Puritan preacher Charles Simeon preached that worldly people know nothing about true happiness. They think it means self-love, having all the things a person can get in hopes of finding real satisfaction. They shun religious faith thinking it will make them unhappy and unfulfilled. The Bible says that good thinking leads to grace, but the path sinners take is a rocky road.¹⁶ Contrary to the way sinners regard God’s guidance, the Bible says: “The person who finds wisdom is a happy person…wisdom’s ways are pleasing, all her roads lead to peace.”¹⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson IX)

A fellow reformer of Martin Luther’s, John Calvin, more or less echoes what Luther says. For Calvin, it is only by the grace of God that those who have been regenerated by the Spirit strive after purity and holiness. At the same time, they seek consolation from God whenever they do err or fall short, so they do not become obsessed with their many shortcomings and lose heart. The fact is, God has only exempted those who live spiritual lives from the curse of eternal torment. Had He not done so, then how could anyone have hoped to be saved based on their efforts alone, and to remain pure so as to be wholly freed from any sinful tendencies? Paul’s attempt here is to give the faithful greater hope that, although they are still hounded by their evil inclinations, they must not surrender the reins of their lives to corrupt attitudes. Instead. Put those reins in the hands of the Holy Spirit and let Him be their guide.¹

British scholar Adam Clarke starts by stating that only they who have been regenerated and born of the Spirit have been redeemed from being controlled by the influence and pressure of the carnal mind. They now relish the things of the Spirit – they are spiritually minded, and as they pass through this temporal world, they safeguard those things which are of the spiritual world. Clarke says that just as in Apostolic times anyone could see the difference between a legalistic Jew and the spiritual believer in Christ, even though they both claimed to serve the same God. Clark believes that this same quality marks the distinction between the nominal Christians and real spiritually active Christians today. For one thing, nominal Christians are worldly-minded, and program their lives to enjoy the here and now. But the spiritually-active Christian follows the advice of their Savior. They don’t stash away treasure for a rainy day down here. It can easily be eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse – stolen by burglars! Rather, they stockpile treasure in heaven, there it is safe from waste, decay, and thieves. Treasures in heaven are not something you take with you or send on in advance of your arrival. Such treasures are deposited by God on your behalf in light of your service, obedience, and faithfulness. It’s obvious then, wherever your treasure is, that’s where you’ll want to end up as well².³

Scottish theologian Robert Haldane points out how the Apostle Paul distinguishes between walking after the flesh, and minding the things of the flesh, and between walking after the Spirit, and minding the things of the Spirit. Earlier Paul proved that union with Christ is necessary to be justified, now here he shows that the certain consequence is sanctification. Meanwhile, those who do not enjoy this oneness with Christ are still under the dominion of sin.⁴ In other words, after one is joined with Christ through the new birth, they live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But in some cases, there are those who do not obey the advice of the Spirit.⁵ In Haldane’s mind, they may still be a child of God, but they are a disobedient and stubborn child of God. Being blessed with new life and help in living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit is the hallmark of the new birth. But listening and obeying what the Spirit says is the trademark of sanctification. So while we are introduced into a spiritual life by way of birth, we are ushered into a sanctified life by means of growth and maturation.

Albert Barnes follows this same line of thinking by saying that Paul uses the contents of verse 5, as an illustration, to show that the purpose of faith in Christ is to produce a person who is just as devout to the service of God as they once were to the pursuit of sinful pleasures. In other words, that they become fully engaged in that which they have devoted themselves to. From Barnes’ point of view, when Christians devote themselves to being anointed for service by the Holy Spirit, and they allow themselves to operate under His influence, this will become their main goal in life. As a result, they will cultivate and care for the fruit the Holy Spirit produced in them.⁶

Charles Spurgeon preached about “Spiritual joys, spiritual hopes, and spiritual pursuits.” These graces and virtues can only belong to those who are spiritually-minded, spiritually-motivated, and spiritually-moved. This occurs when the Holy Spirit reigns supreme; where spiritual living becomes predominant over heart, mind, and soul. This causes people to direct their lives for something nobler than anything the world has to offer. They are not focused solely on worrying about life, what to eat or drink, about their comfort, what they will wear. Life is more than being fed, and the body more than being kept content.⁷ That’s what animals and birds care about and search for. The body is a mortal entity, but the soul and spirit are immortal. Things here on earth can only take a person so far, but divine things are also designed for the life-to-come. As Spurgeon sees it, the more we are brought under the influence and anointing of the Holy Spirit the more our soul will ascend to reach its source of strength, and along with the spirit will raise one’s thoughts higher, desires higher, and goals higher. This will certainly be what Isaiah promised to those who wait upon the LORD. They will receive fresh strength; they will spread their spiritual wings and soar like eagles; they will run and not get tired and they will walk and not be left behind⁸.⁹

One Jewish writer has some interesting things for us to consider about our being caught up in the things of the flesh. He wonders how we should know what are the things concerning the body, and what are the things concerning the Spirit? He notes that at the time in history when Paul wrote this letter, there was only one source to go to in finding and discovering the will of God for believer’s lives, and that was the Jewish – Tanakh (made up of Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings). As he sees it, this still remains true today. We all accept that the writings of the “New Testament,” were “divinely inspired.” And remarkable enough, they do not contradict what God established with His Torah¹⁰.¹¹ As a matter of fact, every place in the New Testament where it refers to “Scripture,” or “the Psalms,” or “the Prophets,” it is quoting from the Old Testament.

Verse 6: If your imagination is controlled by your sinful nature, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.

For Paul, it was paramount that the Roman believer’s understood that God had given them power through the Holy Spirit to hold their sinful nature in check. This was important because sinful desires will lead to spiritual death. Paul graphically described that immoral quagmire to the Galatians, followed by the effects of being guided and motivated by the Spirit.¹² So Paul concludes by saying: “If you live to satisfy your sinful self, the harvest you will get from that will be eternal death. But if you live to please the Spirit, your harvest from the Spirit will be eternal life.”¹³

The Apostle James made a similar point: “Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ Evil cannot tempt God, and God Himself does not tempt anyone. You are tempted by the sinful things you want. Your own desire leads you away and traps you. Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.”¹⁴ This clearly puts to rest the erroneous perception that believers have no control over their habits and tendencies, that merely telling the Holy Spirit to make them better is all they need to do.

Early church African scholar Marius is straightforward when he notes that if people don’t think things through, they will make unforced errors and live in self-imposed ignorance. As a result, they rebel against everything they know to be true and contradict themselves even when they know they are wrong but don’t have the courage to admit it. There are people whose minds are so set on pleasing the flesh no matter what, that they throw caution to the wind and end up losing everything. This should cause all of us to set our minds set on the Spirit and things above¹⁵.¹⁶ Another early church writer, Pelagius, notes that Paul says elsewhere that it is human conceit that repays evil for evil.¹⁷ Even the Apostle Peter finds such action wrong.¹⁸ With faulty human logic like this, they have nothing to expect but punishment because it transgresses the Law.¹⁹ But the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit brings peace of mind because it repays evil with good. We only see this in individuals who know for sure that they have eternal life.²⁰

Ambrosiaster makes the point that taking advice from our sinful nature is not advisable because sinning is a serious thing. Sinning has only one end, and it will never change. It is eternal separation from God and the loss of any hope for salvation. Believe it or not, some think that finding a way to commit sin without getting caught is real smart, even though it is pure foolishness and idiocy. The fact that people spend so much time and go to such extremes trying to follow such stupidity is a wise thing. This only reveals that they don’t yet understand that there is nothing more absurd than sinning against God. Not only that, but there is another type of paralyzed intellect that gets applause from worldly people, and that is the denial of divine miracles. As such, they make fun of the virgin birth and laugh at the prospects of the resurrection. Ambrosiaster goes on to proclaim that the wisdom of the Spirit is true wisdom, it leads to life and peace. He notes that Paul did not say that our sinful nature is hostile to divine wisdom, only that it prefers carnal wisdom. This so-called worldly wisdom, used by our sinful nature, denies any and all arguments about the unknown, preferring to believe only what can be seen and touched.

It is clear from what Paul enumerates and what these early church scholars understand from this verse, is that only faith can get a person beyond the limits of human thinking and the world’s version of wisdom. That means, there is little room in the mankind’s philosophy to go higher into the realm of the Spirit and think godly. No one can get there on their own, it takes the rush of the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit to get us higher and higher in our understanding of who God is and what He has planned through Jesus Christ for us now and in the future.