Romans 8; Paul argues Spirit instead of Jesus
Key word study
Christ Jesus 4 [I don’t know who besides Paul wrote “Christ Jesus” rather than “Jesus
Christ”, as in John Chapter 1.]
Christ 10 [“Christ”
is a title, not name. It means “anointed” and expresses the Jews’ messiah.]
Jesus 5
[Note: When reading Bible passages, I apply Genesis-1-RHI
perspective (see below). I think Genesis 1:28, in the-metaphysical-Jesus
(JESUS) perspective, suggests that, given each 1) mysterious-God offering
appreciation and 2) JESUS proposing peace, male unites-to female human-being
and their spouse-hood pursues comprehensive-safety& security (SECURITY) to
the living species and to the earth. Every person can& may accept personal
duty to SECURITY. Some persons neglect each appreciation, peace& SECURITY.
I call Genesis-1’s message
“responsible-human-independence” or RHI. A few human beings throughout history
practiced, facilitated, and encouraged RHI. The RHI-individuals from the past
are our friends and the others, not so much.
Contemporary human being (verb) appreciation during each
generation constitutes the-metaphysical-Jesus I advocate. In other words, I
attribute to JESUS the civic-appreciation that human being (verb) applied
“before Abraham was born”. Given the question, “Was Jesus a man?”, my response,
“I don’t know yet value JESUS”, seems sufficient& complete. I accept that I
don’t know.
Rather than continue bemusement, I propose, with
appreciation, to accept the mystery of God, in order to pursue conformity to
the-laws-of-physics (PHYSICS), leaving peace to Jesus’ reported promise. It
seems PHYSICS constrains the consequences of each person’s choices.]
Romans 8: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [singular] free from the law of
sin and death. 3 For what the law was
powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, [human can& may] God
did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he
condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the
righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their
minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The
mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit
is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to
God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. [In other words, if you are not
elect by God, you are doomed to the flesh.] 8 Those
who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the
flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God
lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they
do not belong to Christ. [Paul
sets in competition the Spirit of God versus the Spirit of Christ, leaving
Jesus in neglect.] 10 But if Christ is in
you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the
Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. [Again, Jesus is left out of
this sentence.] 11 And if the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit
who lives in you. [This
sentence expresses bodily resurrection rather than spiritual ascension into
heaven.]
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For
if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of
God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make
you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,
Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with
our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now
if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ? [Jesus neglected again.]
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not
worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For
the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be
revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that
the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and
brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. [This is Paul’s convoluted
notion that God can only hope. On the other hand, we can only hope most people
will accept the duty that is suggested in Genesis 1:28: pursue SECURITY.]
22 We know that the whole creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not
only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the
redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we
were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for
what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet
have, we wait for it patiently. [We do not have SECURITY, because we have not accepted
God’s grace and Jesus’ peace in order to constrain chaos in our personal way of
living, per Genesis 1:28.]
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And
he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. [Is this the Spirit of God or of
Christ? I did not make the distinction: Paul did, above.]
28 And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love him, who have been called [Paul is too weak to be specific about responsibility for
this calling. I would prefer “making a choice” to consider Jesus’ advice.] according
to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to
be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he
predestined, he also called; those he called, he also
justified; those he justified, he also glorified. [Fellow citizens who have no patience with my
opinions can& may be comforted, through Paul’s notion that I am neither
predestined, called, justified, or glorified for the purpose Paul imagines. I
choose to consider and advocate Jesus’ suggestions for civic-integrity.]
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these
things? If God is for
us, who can be against us? [I prefer Dylan-singing to Paul-writing: youtube.com/watch?v=5y2FuDY6Q4M.] 32 He
who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not
also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any
charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who
then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than
that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also
interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness
or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” [God’s chosen claim they are
victims.]
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Paul egregiously overworks love. Human being (verb)
can appreciate
God’s grace, forget the Judeo-Christian squabble over “Christ” and “Lord”, and
discover the-good we can together develop from the-metaphysical-Jesus.]
No comments:
Post a Comment