Down an Unfamiliar Road

In Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul uses the Greek word chrēstotēs to describe kindness. It has synonyms such as “moral goodness” and “integrity” Greek writers in Paul’s day used this word to denote something that was suitable and proper for the occasion, especially when evaluating someone’s moral excellence. To Greek philosophers, this word described an inner greatness shown by an outer goodness. In other words, it had more to do with character than charity.

The Apostle Paul’s knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, along with his concept of kindness being a cultured and graceful act of the will, allows him to express the dynamics of such transformed love in words that make New Testament readers sit up and take notice. Writing to Roman believers, who tended to be critical of each other, Paul admonishes them by asking “Are you about to throw God’s wonderful kindness, tolerance, and patience back in His face? Don’t you realize God’s kindness will give you the ability to change the way you act?”¹

And when writing to the Corinthians Paul told them how he tried not to be a stumbling-block to those he came to minister to. As a servant of God, Paul wanted to be known for having the spirit of purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.² And in his letter to the Colossians, Paul encourages them as God’s chosen people to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.³ Also, when writing to Titus, Paul spoke of the change that came to him, Titus, and others when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared and He saved them.⁴ And in his letter to the Romans, Paul told them: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness.”⁵

Paul touches on a critical point in explaining the effect of kindness. Even when those to whom we show unsolicited and often unappreciated kindness do not at first seem grateful, Paul believes that given enough time and under the influence of the Holy Spirit it will have a positive effect. One question we might ask is this: if it takes a large amount of continual kindness to turn some people around, what are their chances of changing course if we show no kindness at all?

One of the finest examples in showing kindness is the story of how David treated the crippled grandson of King Saul, one of Jonathan’s sons, whose name was Mephibosheth. When we consider all the torment and trouble that Saul caused David, even trying to kill him on numerous occasions, why would David want to return such ill-will with such good-will? David reveals that it was a promise he made to God. God did not demand it; neither did God send a prophet or angel to convince David to do it; David did it out of his own heart. What an example of the type of kindness the Holy Spirit wants to produce in every believer’s heart as the fruit of transformed love. And since kindness is Love cultured and graceful, we see that an Old Testament believer set a high bar for New Testament believers to try and do the same. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

O LORD, IS IT HAPPENING TO US

Thanks to my older brother, David, and his wife, Eula, I was gifted with a book I didn’t think I’d ever get to read. It is the latest biography of Reformer Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas. Having stood in the very study in Wittenberg, Germany where Luther wrote his 95 Theses and looked at the Castle Church door where they ended up being posted, Luther’s story is very meaningful. Also, just some 26 km away is the sleepy village of Seyda with a church that has Luther’s signature in the visitors’ book. And with my paternal grandfather, uncle, and cousin having been Lutheran ministers, it brings his story close to home.

In this book, I found an incident that really spoke to me graphically because of how it may apply to us today. Luther was, what we would call today, a stickler for detail. When he decided to become an Augustinian monk, he left no vow unsaid, no sin unconfessed, no waking minute of the day left idol in his effort to fill every second with some prayer, reading, or thought about what a terrible sinner he was in the eyes of a pure and mighty Judge in heaven. For instance, Luther was awakened by a bell at 2:00 a.m. And after making the sign of the cross would quickly put on his white robe and hustled out of his cell to the chapel. There he prayed at the high altar and took his place in a choir stall to sing and pray various hymns and psalms for forty-five minutes, at the end of which they prayed the “Save us, O Queen” to Mary. After this, they would sing the “Ave Maria” and repeat the “Our Father” before leaving seven hours later for breakfast. His superior at the monastery decided to give Luther an opportunity to let the fire of his dedication and commitment to holiness find an outlet. There had arisen a debate about whether or not rules for monks in the Augustinian monastery should be more relaxed or should they remain strictly observant.

This debate was to be held in Rome. So Luther’s superior sent him there to defend keeping the strict rules for all Augustinian monks. So off to Rome he and another monk went on foot. It was an 800 mile trip through the Alps in southern Germany and northern Italy. Unfortunately, the trek began in November 1510. Finally, at the end of a snowy and cold December, Luther’s heart began to beat faster as he neared the spot where he would lay eyes on the Eternal City for the first time in his life. The City on Seven Hills. The city where untold thousands of believers were murdered and martyred for their faith in Christ. The city where the bones of Peter and Paul were supposedly buried. Luther threw himself on the cold ground and cried out, “Greetings, O holy Rome, truly holy because of the holy martyrs, dripping with their blood.”

Luther could hardly wait to walk through the gates of this fabulous city to see the glories of the Caesars displayed in its architecture and monuments. To lay eyes on the magnificent Basilica of St. Peter where his holiness the Pope sat in splendor. He wanted to see a piece of the original burning bush that Moses beheld in the wilderness; one of the thirty pieces of silver that Judas was paid to betray his Lord Jesus, and other various artifacts from the Holy Land. He longed to say Mass at St. John Lateran church because it was stipulated that in doing so he would secure his own mother’s salvation and escape from Purgatory. However, he was not allowed to do so he climbed the famous Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) on his knees, repeating the “Our Father” on each of the 28 steps that were reported to be the stairs our Lord ascended to Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem to stand trial.

But then came the shock of his life. He was astonished by the incompetence and cynicism of many of the priests there. They showed no emotion as they said the Mass as quickly as they could, uttering the words in Latin so unintelligible that no one could understand what they said. Their cavalier attitude toward this holiest of privileges was a horror to behold. It was the perfect picture of a “dead religion” of “dead works” that had lost all meaning. The Mass was to take no less than twelve minutes, but they were through in nine. They even joked about the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. At one meal, Luther heard them laughingly say that at Mass that day they had irreverently said: “Bread thou art and bread thou shalt remain, wine thou art and wine thou shalt remain.” Their jest and disrespect for all that was holy broke his heart. Here was the Holy City that he expected to be a shining light to a dark world, filled with purity and reverence to the Lord God. But it had disintegrated into doing things for God as fast as they could so they could get to the things they wanted to do. No one even understood the doctrine of sanctification and holiness, let alone knew how to practice it. It had become a form of entertainment instead of a sacred moment in the presence of God

What a terrible disaster it would be, if what happened to Luther in Rome, would repeat itself today for those who go to what they have been told is a church that stands for the preaching of God’s Holy Word, the reverence that should proceed any opening worship service in His honor, the power of prayer being displayed with signs and wonders, and the people of God standing and living in holiness to His glory. Oh God may it never happen in those churches that our forefathers struggled with blood, sweat, and tears to build and where souls were transformed by the power of the Spirit. For only those who endure unto the end shall be saved. This was the spark that caused Luther to call for a Reformation. Perhaps it may be time now for God’s children to call for Revival. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XVIII)

Scottish Bible scholar Robert Haldane lays out an explanation of the Trinity’s involvement in the plan of redemption. He says that our Heavenly Father has provided for our salvation, the Son merits praise for securing it, and the Holy Spirit applies it. This has been established by multiple passages in the Holy Scriptures.¹ In our present world, the Father is recognized as the founder of the Church, the Sovereign of the world, the Protector and Enforcer of His laws, and the first Director of the Work of Salvation. The Son now stands as the only Mediator between God and man, and the One who sacrificed everything needed for our redemption as the Lamb of God. The Holy Spirit holds the office of the only source of conviction that draws the sinner to Christ for salvation, the Comforter, the Teacher, and the Sanctifier of the Body of Christ. We should thank no others our salvation or run to someone else in the time of need. It dishonors all that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit did to redeem us from sin. Just think, if God loved us while we were sinners, wouldn’t He love us even more now that we are His?² Who would thank a news reporter for covering their story of being rescued from drowning, but not thank the person who risked their life to save them?

Haldane then goes on to explain that the first effort to save us can be seen in what the Father did in the beginning. Namely, the plan He formed; the election of His people; His giving them to His Son; in the appointment of the one sacrifice, in the transfer of our sins to the Lamb who suffered, and making sure it worked out according to His will. The second step is seen in what the Son qualified for and effected by coming into the world, by His unwavering obedience, His sure death, and sure resurrection. The third appears in what the Holy Spirit did to making everything work as God planned: joining us to the Savior, producing in us belief, faith, and sanctification, spreading in our hearts the persuasion of our peace with God by our justification, motivating us to persist to the end, and ready to raise us up again, as He will do, at the last day.

Haldane concludes by saying that in God’s realm the Son received the authority and was given His mission from the Father to come into the world. That is why He so often referred to His first advent as being sent by the Father to take upon Himself the office of Prophet,³ Priest,⁴ King,⁵ and Head of His Church.⁶ However, we must keep in mind the differences between these offices in such passages as the following: “My Father is greater than I.”⁷ “Then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him.”⁸ Also, “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”⁹ Christ was sent to become the Mediator who was able to bring about the revelation of the Kingdom of God after being crucified. This is illustrated by the Son of God coming into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. As far as Haldane is concerned, in neither of these texts is any personal inequality spoken of comparing the Father to the Son or the Son to the Holy Spirit. However, it is accepted that the offices the Son and the Spirit are subordinate to that of the Father, but agree on everything He says and does.¹⁰

Albert Barnes follows a similar thought pattern when it comes to Paul’s reference to our natural bodies being given new life. To him, it is apparent that this does not refer to the resurrection of the dead because that is not attributed to the Holy Spirit. As we know, Paul said it is by the “same power” that raised Christ.¹¹ Barnes understands it as referring to the body which is subject to carnal desires and tendencies. It is by nature, namely, Adam’s sin, that sin reigns, and death is the result. This puts the body on the road to the grave. So Paul’s point is that under the power of the Gospel, and by the influence of the Holy Spirit, the entire man will be made alive in the service of God. Barnes notes that even though our mortal bodies became corrupt because it was under the dominion of sin for so long, it can still be recovered and revived for the service of God. This happens when the Spirit of God comes to dwell in us. And because that Spirit has made our souls come alive, He stays with us to exert His purifying influence. Then, because the design and purpose of His indwelling is to sanctify the believer inside and out, their body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit becomes holy ground.¹²

However, Charles Hodge sees it somewhat differently. For him, this clause cannot, with any regard to usage or the context, be understood as a moral resurrection of the body and deliverance from sin, as explained by Calvin, Barnes, and many others. He points to Paul’s own words: “We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you.”¹³ Paul is attempting to show that the life which we receive from Christ that wins the victory over sin will ultimately triumph over death. We all know that our present bodies must die, but they will not continue forever under the power of death. The phrase “to quicken” (KJV) is not to awaken, but to make alive, which suggests more than a mere restoration of life. In Hodge’s mind, this concept is used only for believers. It expresses the idea that the new life created within us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, names Christ as the founder and perfecter of our faith. Therefore, this new life which we now live in the old body will assuredly conform to the new body we receive on the day of resurrection.¹⁴

However, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon has a totally different understanding of what Paul is saying here. His interpretation is that the day is coming when our bodies will experience its own adoption. This is called “the redemption of the body.”¹⁵ He does not hear Paul saying that we will be given a new body. As far as Spurgeon was concerned, that is a modern doctrine. He stands by what the Scriptures say about our mortal bodies being revived. So at the resurrection, we will not receive a new body, but a renewed body like the one we had when we died.¹⁶ I was unable to find if Spurgeon considered this view in light of what happened to Elijah in the valley of dry bones.¹⁷

However, Spurgeon gives a further explanation of this belief in one of his sermons. He preached that resurrection of the dead deals not with the soul, but with the body. He said that the doctrine provides that the actual body we live in at this moment is connected with the soul. The soul is the “vital spark of heavenly flame” that will be the fire in heaven, and the body will be the “container in which the incense of our lives will rise unto the Lord,” and it will burn this way forever. He was concerned that so many in his day denied that our actual, physical bodies will rise up from their graves on the great day of resurrection. Since so many believe that they will have a body in heaven, why do they think it will be a spiritual body instead of believing that it will be a body just like they have now – flesh and blood?

But Spurgeon leaves some room to accommodate the other view by saying that it will not be the same kind of flesh we have here on earth. By that, he meant it would not need to be a solid, physical body such as we have here and now. However, a few lines later in his sermon, Spurgeon declares that if we are the Christians we profess to be, we would believe that every mortal man who ever existed will not only live by the permanency of their soul, but their body will live again; to believe that the very flesh in which they now walk the earth is as eternal as the soul, and will exist forever.¹⁸ When we consider that many martyrs were cremated at the stake and their ashes scattered around like dirt and not to be found in one spot, and, those have died in fiery airplane crashes and their ashes were never recovered, will require God to collect all of those in order to regenerate the body as it was before. I’m sure if Spurgeon were alive today he would give us a clear explanation of what he meant to say.

Frédéric Godet weighs in on this debate by saying that once again we see how carefully Paul selects every term that he uses. We see this clearly in the use of the two expressions, “to awaken” (applied to Jesus), and, “to quicken” (applied to believers). Jesus’ death is often referred to as His falling to sleep since there was no decay or disintegration of the body in those three days. Therefore, it is proper to say that He was awakened. In our case, the body is destined for complete destruction. As such, it must be entirely reconstituted. This is well expressed by the word quicken.¹⁹ Although Godet is clearly speaking of the future resurrection of the body, it does not make void the other views expressed on how the natural body can be quickened morally to become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit in this world.²⁰

When it comes to the quickening of those asleep in the Lord, John Stott makes the point that this does not mean that our dead bodies will be reanimated or resuscitated so that it returns to its present material existence, only to die again. We should not see resurrection as a transformation of something old into something new. The raising and issuing of a new body such as the one the women saw on the day of Christ’s resurrection and the disciples observed on the day of ascension. It will be a new and glorious entity for our eternal personality, and its liberation from all frailty, disease, pain, decay and death and fit to survive outside this world. Stott warns that it is “not that the spirit is to be freed from the body” – as many, under the influence of the Greek way of thinking, have held. Rather, that “the Spirit will give life to this new glorious body.”²¹ As we see from the Gospels, Jesus’ resurrected body was able to walk through closed doors and defy gravity to float uninhibited into the sky where it can exist and function in the heavenly stratosphere where the human body would experience instant death.

In my view, we can say that all these great minds were looking at the same event from a different angle. When we are born again and baptized, it is like the old body being buried and coming back to life with a new person inside. This then is repeated in the resurrection. Only this time, the new person gets a new body.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER EIGHT (Lesson XVII)

Reformed theologian Robert Haldane writes that in this verse he sees a triple opposition. First, body to the soul; second, death to life; and third, sin to righteousness. Paul wanted to do away with any objection to what he was saying, especially since he declared that those who are in Christ Jesus are under no condemnation. So this raises a question: Are we, who are in Christ, still subject to sin and death like sinners? Paul gives a quick answer: If the Spirit of Christ has made you alive, even though your body is subject to die because of sin,¹ yet your spirit will live on because Christ lives on. So in case some believer is afraid of all that might be done to bring them to an early death, Paul declares that the temporary sufferings that may come upon all of us, among which is the death of the body through persecution, disease, or old age, they are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.² Furthermore, everything that may happen to them will be working for their good.³ Haldane also says that the term “body” in this verse is to be taken in its literal sense. And by Paul’s use of the term “spirit,” he is no doubt referring to the soul.⁴ That is where our spirit is distinguished from the Holy Spirit.”⁵

Preacher Charles Spurgeon adds that we must understand that when Paul uses the term “regeneration,” as applied to the body, it is a reference to the resurrection. Even though we are regenerated in spirit, our bodies are still under the old law of death. That’s why we have pain and weaknesses, and eventually, we will die. But the spirit will triumph and never die. That’s because there is a living power within us which will win out over this dying, decaying body. So we rejoice notwithstanding all our afflictions, trials, and depressions because we already know what is going to happen at the end.⁶

Verse 11: God raised Jesus from death. And if God’s Spirit lives in you, He will also give life to your natural bodies. Yes, God, the one who raised Christ from death will make you alive by having His Spirit live in you.

The Unitarian Universalists⁷ and Jesus Only⁸ people may find this verse troubling. Paul’s text and grammar definitely implies the existence of three distinct personalities of divine origin and essence. His reference to the Power which resurrected Jesus as “Him,” unmistakably points to our Father in heaven. His use of “Spirit” of course, is none other than the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter had no misgivings about the involvement of the Trinity in securing our redemption and salvation. He told the crowd on the Day of Pentecost: “Jesus is the one God raised from death. We are all witnesses of this. We saw Him. Jesus was lifted up to heaven. Now He is with God, at God’s right side. The Father has given the Holy Spirit to Him, as He promised. So Jesus has now poured out that Spirit.”⁹

The Apostle Paul also preached the same. He told the Ephesians: “You will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power He used to raise Christ from death and put him at His right side in the heavenly places.”¹⁰ Paul goes on to say that being at the Father’s right hand gave Christ all power and authority over everything in this world and the world-to-come. And since Christ is head over the church, and the church is filled with His presence and power, it has become the full expression of the One who gave His life to become both the Lamb of God, the LORD of Lords, and the KING of Kings.¹¹

At this point Paul draws a correlation between the power that raised Christ from death and the power that will also raise believers from death because they are in Christ. By illustration, we could point out that when a woman is pregnant, wherever she goes her baby goes. Therefore, being in Christ we will one day be with Him in our heavenly Father’s presence for eternity. As we see in Isaiah, the Jews put their hope in a resurrection.¹² And Jesus echoed this same hope in His message to the Jewish people.¹³

Paul wrote this to the Corinthians: “God will raise our bodies from death with the same power He used to raise the Lord Jesus. Surely you know that you are part of Christ Himself.”¹⁴ The key to what Paul is teaching about the resurrection of believers is that it is done by God through Christ, with Christ being the first-fruit of such a resurrection.¹⁵ That’s why he goes on to tell the Corinthians: “God raised the Lord Jesus from death, and we know that He will also raise us to join Jesus in His presence.”¹⁶ Yet, Paul makes sure that everyone is aware that it is all because Christ, who was raised first, is living in us so we can be raised to eternal life as He was.¹⁷

Then Paul revealed his understanding of the resurrection to the Corinthians: “For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever.”¹⁸ This was also prefigured by Christ’s resurrection, because when He left the tomb in His risen body, even Mary did not recognize Him at first. But it was in that body that He walked through doors and overcame the power of gravity. Paul calls it a “heavenly body.” He tells the Corinthians: “We look forward eagerly to the day when we will have heavenly bodies that we will put on like new clothes.”¹⁹

We find that the Jews in their writings often distinguished between “the quickening of the dead” for the wicked and “the resurrection of the dead” for the righteous. Rabbi Pinhas ben Yair explained that “Determination leads to clean living, clean living leads to a clear conscience, a clear conscience leads to self-control [even from those things that are permissible], self-control leads to holiness, holiness leads to humility, humility leads to dread of sin, the dread of sin leads to doing what’s right, doing what’s right leads to all being well with the soul, and all being well with the soul leads to the qualification for resurrection of the dead.”²⁰ This sounds a lot like what Paul said to the Romans about such maturation,²¹ and similar to what the Apostle James told the scattered Jewish believers.²²

Polycarp, one of the earliest church scholars, sees this as a spiritual resurrection, not a physical one. He says that the same One who raised Christ up from the dead will raise us up also, as long as we continue doing His will. To do His will we must conduct our lives using the light of His commandments. We must also love the things that He loved. Furthermore, we must guard ourselves against practicing all those things that are wrong, such as: being envious, being greedy, always gossiping, lying under oath, hurting others after being hurt by them, or criticizing when criticized,²³ retaliating after being betrayed, and wishing the worst on others after having the worst wished on us. These must be compensated for by keeping our minds on what the Lord said and did in teaching us how to live.²⁴

Origen sees the term, “If the Spirit of Christ dwells in you,” as absolutely essential in order for any believer to grow and mature. After our bodies become His dwelling place, what He created in the beginning is given back to Him so that He can restore it as His temple. This is a sure way to know if the Spirit of Christ dwells inside or not. Furthermore, Christ is wisdom,²⁵ so if Christ is operating in you, you will have the wisdom to know what is His and how He wants you to utilize it. This is the best evidence that you possess the Spirit of Christ inside. Likewise, Christ is righteousness [doing what’s right];²⁶ therefore, if you have Christ guiding you, everyone will know by your righteous living that the Spirit of Christ is directing your life. Christ also brings peace.²⁷ Therefore, if you have Christ in control of your destiny then you can trace that peace to the Spirit of Christ in you. So it goes with love, with sanctification, and with all that belongs to Christ.²⁸ The one who has these things may be confident of having the Spirit of Christ in them and can hope that their mortal body will be restored to life on account of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them.²⁹

Reformer Martin Luther agrees with Augustine in that because in the coming day of glorification the body you receive will never die. Augustine did not say that God will quicken our dead mortal bodies, because our new bodies will not only be beyond death, but incapable of death.³⁰ This certainly points to the belief that believers have two bodies, the earthly one that their souls occupy now, and the eternal one their souls will dwell in upon resurrection. Therefore, don’t let this earthly body be the cause for the soul to give up on the hope of the heavenly body being prepared when the day of glorification comes.

John Calvin sees this verse as a confirmation of the previous one in that since by the power of God’s Spirit Christ was raised, and since the Spirit possesses eternal power, He will also exert the same power with regard to us. Calvin also addressed the term “mortal bodies.” He understands Paul meaning that all those things which still remain in us and are subject to death. It was also Paul’s usual practice to give this same term to that which we saw as the vulgar side of us. As Calvin understands it, Paul is not referring to the last resurrection, which will be in a moment and the twinkling of an eye,³¹ but of the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in us by which He assists us in gradually mortifying the relics of the flesh and maintains in us our celestial life.³² In other words, for Paul our birth-bodies house the sinful nature that must be put to death so that the spiritual nature can come to life. As we grow in the Spirit and the Word of God, that old body is transformed into a temple of the Holy Spirit.

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.