‘For the empty original formation has begun and is continuing to be placed under, absolutely not willingly or voluntarily, but by means of the placing under on the basis of confident expectation 21 that even the original formation itself will be set free away from the enslavement, the decay and ruin, penetrating into the freedom, the honour and glory of the children of God. 22 For we appreciate that the whole of the original formation is jointly groaning and jointly suffering birth pains up to the present time’, (Romans 8 v 20 - 22).
Paul is writing about judicial approval and rightwiseness, not only in terms of Christians standing free from divine condemnation at the Day of Judgement, but also in terms of divine judicial approval and rightwiseness in conducting their lives moment-by-moment at this present time. Paul introduced the theme of opposition between the Christian's physical fleshly constitution with its impulses and energies, and the movement or current of the Breath of God that indwells the Christian’s deep inner core, (verses 1 - 4). He has said that the Christian’s fleshly constitution has not been transformed and that in this sense Christians are existing within a ‘dead body’ that remains intrinsically unresponsive to God, grieving and weighing Christians down. But the Christian’s fleshly constitution is enabled to serve God by means of the movement, influence, current and energy of the Breath of God dwelling deep within them, (verses 4, 5) as the source of Life within the Messiah, (verse 10). The current of Breath of God enlightens the Christian’s mind and influences their own breath and impetus - the current, movement and inclination within them. Christians are not indebted to their flesh, nor obliged to follow its raw passions. Instead, Christians are putting to death the actions of the body down from breath, and as they do so they will live.
In effect Paul is answering his earlier question. ‘What will rescue and deliver me from out of this, the death-body?’ (Romans 7 v 24). Paul’s logical reasoning in answering this question brought him to say ‘if you are putting to death the actions of the body down from breath’ then you are being led by the Breath of God. And, ‘as many as are being led by the Breath of God, these are existing God’s sons’, adopted as children and heirs of God.
But it is plain that the redemption of Christians from out of divine condemnation, self-forfeiture and loss, by means of the Messiah, has not yet reached the end result. But Christians possess ‘confident expectation 21 that even the original formation itself will be set free away from the enslavement, the decay and ruin, penetrating into the freedom, the honour and glory of the children of God’, (verse 20b, 21). Christians expect that the empty, aimless, transient original formation itself will be radically changed such that it will be set free from enslavement to decay and ruin. This radical, fundamental change of the original formation will penetrate into ‘the freedom, the honour and glory of the children of God’.
There is a sense in which Christians have already been brought forth as a new formation, but there is also a sense in which this bringing forth has not yet reached its culmination or end point. Christians possess welcome confident expectation that redemption will indeed reach its end point, such that even their original formation – their physical, flesh and blood constitution – will, in the future, be changed. But at this present time, Christians continue to exist within their unchanged ‘clay vessel’.
In verse 22 Paul says that Christians know and appreciate that ‘the whole of the original formation is jointly groaning and jointly suffering birth pains up to the present time’. In this verse Paul seems to step back and take a broader view by looking at the whole of humanity, and perhaps even the whole original formation, which was originally seen as ‘very good’ but which has now fallen from that state. God’s plan of redemption and restoration is being worked out, but many of these fundamental changes are still to be fully brought forth. Thus the empty, aimless, transient original formation is ‘jointly groaning and jointly suffering birth pains up to the present time’. This ongoing process of change is painful for the original formation, causing it to groan and suffer birth pains. I interpret it in this way because in verse 23, Paul makes a comparison with Christians, as we will see in the next post.
The process that Paul has been talking about involves the original formation being ‘unwillingly and involuntarily placed under’. As we read in verse 20, ‘the empty original formation has begun and is continuing to be placed under, absolutely not willingly or voluntarily’. So finally, we can ask, ‘What is the empty original formation being subordinated to? Unwillingly being placed under what or who? The original formation is being placed under the delegated ruling authority of the Messiah as Paul explains in his first letter to the Corinthians when he looks at the culmination of God’s Kingdom. Initially, Jesus will return and come close having taken up the mantle of King of kings to rule the nations with an iron rod during the Millennium Reign. Paul writes about the culmination of this reign, ‘the end, when he [Jesus] will hand over the kingdom to the God and Father when he will have annulled all dominion, and all authority and power. 25 For it is necessary for him to reign up until he put all the enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished - death. 27 For ‘He puts all things placed under His feet’. But when it may be said that all things have been arranged under, it is evident that the one having placed all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things will have been placed under Him, then also the Son himself will be placed under the One Who has arranged all things under him, so that God may be all in all’, (I Corinthians 15 v 24 – 28).
