Romans 6 – 8 and Galatians – The case against Christian legalism

 I have presented these posts on Romans 6 - 8 and Galatians because I wanted to look at how the Apostle Paul exhorted Christians to live a godly life day-by-day. It soon became clear that Paul was no advocate of Christian legalism. Although he may have the ultimate aims and purposes of Divine law in mind – righteousness and cleanliness - he does not refer Christians to Covenant law as a means of living a godly life, just the opposite in fact. He argues that the law reveals our self-forfeiture and that the fleshly impulses within the Christian’s physical body take hold of the law and use it’s written codes as a springboard to bring themselves to completion in speech and behaviour. The law is good – it is our flesh that is the problem. Thus there is nothing good in our flesh and he calls our physical body ‘a body of death’ from which Christians will ultimately be released. Legalism leads to ‘deadness’, to criticism and judgement of other Christians, and potentially to a denial of the gospel. It leads to discouragement and a sense of failure.

Paul argues that we cannot deliver ourselves from divine judicial condemnation. Salvation is a free gift of God from start to finish. Whilst we are helpless God brings forth those He has selected by means of the Messiah and the set-apart Breath. As part of this process, the Christian’s ‘old formation’ or ‘old self’ or ‘natural earthy, sensuous self’ is crucified with the Messiah and they become a ‘new formation’ or ‘new self’, which Christians are encouraged to ‘put on’ or clothe themselves with. Possessing the indwelling of the set-apart Breath they are exhorted to walk around within the sphere of Breath. Paul’s emphasis is on Christians using their enlightened and illuminated mind that is enabled to perceive and embrace unseen realities, to reason things through to their proper conclusion. In other words he uses theological teaching. Then he says, exercise enlightened self-control and live life day-by-day in a way that is consistent with God’s calling and their enlightened understanding. The locus or ‘pivot’ of action is away from external written codes and towards the leading of the set-apart Breath. 

Paul is quite consistent when it comes to practical matters of living a godly life day-by-day. So, for example, if we were to look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we would see that it is a letter of two halves. The first half, chapters 1 – 3, is about God’s glorious free gift of deliverance by means of Jesus. The second half is about what this means in practice. If you read chapters 4 - 6 through for yourself you find no appeals to Covenant law. Rather you find appeals to imitate and emulate the love of the Messiah, and to reflect different aspects of the relationship that the Messiah has with those whom God has selected. 

But I don’t want to spend time on these chapters because instead I now want to turn to chapter 1 of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, because once gain Paul looks at Christians who miss the mark because they want to become teachers of law.  

Galatians 6 v 6 – 8 - Sharing teaching

 ‘Now let the one being taught within the word, share the teaching within all goodness, 7 not leading astray. God is absolutely not ridiculed, because whatever a man is sowing, this also he will harvest. 8 Because sowing towards his flesh, from the flesh he will reap decay from within. But sowing towards the Breath, away from the Breath he will reap perpetual life’, (Galatians 6 v 6 – 8).

The Judaizers had come in to the Galatian assemblies with teaching. They were assertively teaching, instructing and exhorting that Christians had to follow Sinai Covenant law as the means of obtaining and maintaining divine judicial approval. So Paul goes ‘back to basics’ and says that Christians who have been taught within the word and who are sharing teaching should do so ‘within all goodness, not leading astray’. Such an individual should share the teaching honestly and faithfully. They should not twist the teaching in order to gain a good reputation, or to gain the advantages of status, material wealth or comfort.

Paul says, ‘Make no mistake. God is not ridiculed’. Why? ‘Because whatever a man is sowing, this also he will harvest’. Those who teach using malicious, deceitful motives are described as ‘sowing towards their flesh’, and the result of this is that  ‘from the flesh he will reap decay from within’. Elsewhere Paul describes the physical body and a ‘body of death’. This is because the impulses and raw passions inherent in our flesh are in opposition to God, and following these impulses – such as twisting the gospel message to obtain a good reputation – leads to withering away, to insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God and ultimately to divine disapproval and judicial condemnation. 

This is contrasted with the teacher who shares the word and the teaching accurately and faithfully. ‘… sowing towards the Breath, away from the Breath he will reap perpetual life’. The opposite of ruin, loss, withering away and death is ‘life’ – abundant life, life with a capital ‘L’, perpetual life. 

Galatians 6 v 1, 2 - Wayward behaviour and restoring fellow Christians

 ‘Brothers, even if a man has been overtaken within some falling away from close beside, you relating to the realm of breath, properly adjust and restore this one within a breath [pneuma] of gentleness, taking heed yourself in case you also are tested. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this manner you will complete the law of the anointed one’, (Galatians 6 v 1, 2).

Paul has been explaining the opposing currents and energies that exist within Christians. There is an impetus arising from their fleshly constitution, and in opposition to this, there is the movement and impetus of the Breath of God dwelling in their deep inner core. It is clear from all that Paul has been saying that Christians are not ‘perfect’. They are not fully complete within cleanliness and godliness. Most of Paul’s letter to the Galatians has been taken up with Christians in danger of falling into wayward behaviour by turning back to observing Covenant law as a means of obtaining and maintaining divine judicial approval. And here, in verse 1, Paul turns to the problem of a Christian being ‘overtaken within some falling away from close beside’. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, Christians are sometimes taken captive, or ‘overtaken’ by impulses arising from within their fleshly constitution. The word ‘overtaken’ suggests that some self-forfeiture springs upon an individual and overpowers them by the suddenness of the assault.

So what happens in such a situation? Paul says that those Christians walking in and relating to the realm of breath are to ‘properly adjust and restore this one within a breath [pneuma] of gentleness’. This would be an act of practical, beneficial love. ‘Properly adjusting’ includes knowledge, understanding and reasoning within what is true to the facts. It is what Paul has been doing throughout the course of this letter to the Galatians – seeking to promote consistent behaviour within correct, enlightened understanding. This ‘adjustment’ is to be done with care and gentleness. Christians are exhorted to assist and carry each other’s burdens with care so as to avoid falling into error themselves. In seeking to support and restore a fellow Christian, they may be tested themselves. 

‘…in this manner you will complete the law of the anointed one’. There is a very biting sarcasm and grave irony in Paul’s use of the word ‘law’ here. The whole of this letter has been directed against the Judaizing teachers who were cramming the written codes of Covenant law down Galatian Christian throats. This letter is addressed to their victims who had fallen into their trap. They have turned things upside down, (Galatians 5 v 12), but Paul turns this back round on them and says, ‘You want law, do you? Well, if you will have it, here it is - the law of the Messiah’. The Messiah’s life is our law, our principle of speech and behaviour. Practical Christianity is founded on emulating the Messiah, and the primary principle of the Messiah is that Christians show practical beneficial love to one another, as he has shown love to them. In this way the Messiah is brought to completion. The dynamic process is to co-work with God to bring forth the Fruit of the Breath. There is no reference to external written codes, but rather, that Christians co-work with God by walking around within the set-apart Breath, within truth, so as to carry across the Fruit of the Breath from within into speech and behaviour, mutually supporting one another. 

Galatians 5 v 19 – 21 - The working energies of the flesh

 ‘And the energies and workings of the flesh are clear. Whatever is selling off sexual purity, uncleanness, brutal rejection of restraint, 20 idol worship and service, drug-related enchantments, hostility, contentions, passionate jealousy, outbursts of hot passion, mercenary self-seeking, division and standing apart, strong personal opinions, 21 jealous grudges, intoxications, revelries and similar to these, which I am forewarning you, just as I warned before, that the doing of such things will not acquire the Kingdom of God’, (Galatians 5 v 19 – 21). 

The energies of the flesh and what the flesh labours to produce in terms of our speech and behaviour is, says Paul, obvious and clear. But if we are in any doubt, he lists what the flesh leads us to construct. Briefly, since they are mostly self-explicit, there is ‘selling off sexual purity’ – by which he means prostitution, adultery, sexual permissiveness, sodomy and lesbianism. ‘Uncleanness’, which covers a wider range of sensual behaviour, as well as impure motivations. The kind of behaviour that leads us to call someone ‘dirty’. ‘Brutal rejection of restraint’. A strong rejection of the idea of thoughtful self-moderation, such that instead, the preference is for following instincts, emotions, ‘gut feelings’, lusts and desires. Acting like wild animals. ‘Idol worship and service’, compliance with idolatrous customs, taking part in idol feasts, or eating food offered to idols. Worshipping and serving other gods, or carved or moulded images. ‘Drug-related enchantments’. Using drugs to create ecstatic or mystical religious experiences. ‘Hostility, contentions, passionate jealousy, outbursts of hot passion’. Quarrelling, being contradictory or displaying angry emotional outbursts. ‘Mercenary self-seeking, division and standing apart, strong personal opinions’. Acting out of personal ambition, working for personal gain, being divisive, schisms, partisanship, cliques, elite groups, having intolerant strong opinions. ‘Jealous grudges, intoxications, revelries and similar to these’. Being governed by envy, ‘marking other people’s cards’, seeking revenge, drunkenness, partying, night time drinking, dancing, singing, sexual permissiveness, wantonness and excessive behaviour. 

Concerning these kinds of behaviours, Paul says, ‘I am forewarning you just as I warned before, that the doing of such things will not acquire the Kingdom of God’. These are the kinds of behaviours that God disapproves of and that oppose God. They are not the behaviours that admit entry into the Kingdom of God or lead to an allotted share in the divine inheritance. Those who happily and unconcernedly regularly engage in these kinds of behaviours will not inherit the Kingdom. For Christians to behave in these kinds of ways without worry or concern is quite inconsistent with their calling by God, and certainly not examples of being led to by the Breath of God. Rather, such behaviours risk ruination, loss and death.

Galatians 5 v 13 – 15 - The boundaries of Christian freedom

 ‘For you were summoned and called on the basis of freedom, brothers, but not the freedom to penetrate into a starting point of the flesh. On the contrary, we are serving one another by means of practical beneficial love. 14 For the whole law is made full and complete within one saying, within this: ‘You will beneficially love those close by in the manner of yourself’. 15 But if you are biting and eating up one another, look, in case you are consumed under one another’, (Galatians 5 v 13 – 15).

Paul says that the Judaizers are undoing the whole object for which Christians were called. Christians are not called to legal bondage, or enslavement to the Sinai Covenant with its written codes of law, but to freedom. ‘We are not like Moses putting a veil over his face, toward the sons of Israel not intently looking towards the completion of that which is being rendered idle. 14 But their minds were hardened. For up until the present day, the same veil remains on the basis of the reading of the old Covenant - unless uncovered, for it is rendered idle within the Messiah. 15 But up until today, when Moses is being read a veil lies over their heart. 16 But whenever, if turning back toward the Lord, the veil is completely removed’, (II Corinthians 3 v 13 – 16). 

Now we come to one of the usual opposing arguments presented by Jewish and Christian legalists. If Christians are freed away from the written codes of law, then this will penetrate into a starting point of the flesh. The desires, impulses, energies and raw passions inherent in our fleshly constitution will be unleashed and unrestrained if the law is removed. If Christians are free, away from the written codes of law, then what is being introduced is lawlessness, permissiveness, a licence to speak and behave in any way that they please. And so legalists argue that Christians need Covenant law so as to avoid falling into wayward behaviour, and they direct Christians back to being governed and ruled by the written codes of Sinai Covenant law. 

‘On the contrary’, says Paul. ‘We are serving one another by means of practical beneficial love’. There is the principle of living a godly life. This is not a rosy, ‘Barbie Doll’ sentimentalised view of love. This principle arises from out of spiritual considerations that Christians are able to comprehend by means of the set-apart Breath. It is beyond the ability of unbelievers. It is the primary fruit of the Breath that indwells the Christian’s heart or deep inner core. It is directed at Christians serving one another.   

In response to legalists, Paul says, ‘For the whole law is made full and complete within one saying, within this: ‘You will beneficially love those close by in the manner of yourself’.

There it is, the primary principle of Christians living a godly life – 

The whole law is made full and complete within this: ‘You will beneficially love those close by in the manner of yourself

This is contrasted with Christians ‘biting and eating up one another’ – criticising and picking fault with one another. The allusion is to beasts of prey falling upon and devouring one another. For wolves or dogs to worry sheep is not a strange event, but for sheep to distress one another is unnatural. Paul does not say, ‘if grievous wolves should enter in among you and not spare the flock’, but warns against Christians themselves acting the part of wolves in relation to one another, devouring one another like wild beasts. Such attacks would consist of abuse, slander, sarcasm, invective or innuendo. The result can only be mutual destruction - the ruin of both parties because in due course there is an utter end to what constitutes the Christian community, the organic life of which is mutually destroyed by its own members.

Galatians 4 v 4 – 8 - Christians – adopted sons and heirs

 ‘But when the completion of the season had come, God sent away His son, having  come into being from out of a woman, having come into being under law, 5 in order that he buy back those under law, in order that we receive placing as a son. 6 And because you are sons, God sends forth the Breath of His Son penetrating into our hearts, our deep inner core, crying aloud and shrieking ‘Abba, Father!’. 7 So therefore, you are no longer existing a slave, but if a son by means of God, also an heir, allotted a share. 8 But indeed, at that time, absolutely not knowing God, you were the enslaved by nature, lest being gods’, (Galatians 4 v 4 - 8). 

Paul has just said that Jews existed like under-age heirs, enslaved under the orderly system of rudimentary elements and first principles of the Sinai Covenant with its written codes of law, until the time appointed by the Father. That season of under-age enslavement of Jews was completed when ‘God sent away His son’. The only-begotten Son pre-existed his ‘coming into being from out of a woman’. Indeed, the Son of God is ‘the image of the invisible God, firstborn of the whole in terms of the individual parts of what is originally formed’, (Colossians 1 v 15). ‘By means of him all came into being, and apart from him, not even one was caused to be that has come into being’, (John 1 v 3). Thus ‘God sent away His son’ from out of the heavenly realm to ‘come into being from out of a woman, having come into being under law’. God’s purpose was ‘that [His son] buy back those under law, in order that we receive placing as a son'. The details of this forms the details of the gospel or ‘good news’ of course. But Paul is not interested here in explaining the gospel in detail. He is interested to present the concept of ‘sonship’, because ‘if children, also heirs, indeed, God’s heirs, and fellow-heirs with the Messiah’, (Romans 8 v 17). 

But there is more, ‘because you are sons, God sends forth the Breath of His Son penetrating into our hearts, our deep inner core’. Over the course of his writings, Paul places two pairs of principles that are in opposition to one another - 

     Covenant Law vs God’s Promise (Galatians)

    Fleshly impulses towards death vs Breath penetrating into Life (Romans 7, 8)

The Breath of the Messiah penetrating within the Christian’s heart, including the heart or deep inner core of Hebrew Christians, is ‘crying aloud and shrieking ‘Abba, Father!’. 

Paul then reaches his conclusion in verses 7 and 8. ‘So therefore, you are no longer existing a slave, but if a son by means of God, also an heir, allotted a share. 8 But indeed, at that time, absolutely not knowing God, you were the enslaved by nature, lest being gods’ 

Paul’s conclusion is that Jews who are entrusting the Messiah are adopted sons and fellow heirs with the Messiah as a result of God fulfilling His promises through giving His only-begotten son and His Breath. Hebrew Christians are no longer enslaved to Covenant law, and no longer ‘the enslaved by nature’, by the impulses of their flesh. Why? Because of the opposing impetus and movement of the Breath of God within them in their deepest inner core. But previously, before entrusting the Messiah, Jews were enslaved, by their own human nature. Paul then adds sarcastically, ‘lest being gods’ – unless you Jews were gods with superhuman ability and strength. 

Galatians 3 v 1 – 4 - The law, flesh and the Breath

 ‘Oh! Thoughtless Galatians. Who has fascinated you not to be persuaded of the truth, that mind’s eyes down, Jesus His Anointed was announced having been impaled on the cross? 2 I am only wishing to learn this away from you – Did you receive the Breath [Pneuma] from out of law-works, or from out of faithful hearing? 3 So are you not thinking and understanding? Having begun in Breath are you being made complete at this present time within flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much without basis, if indeed also without basis?’ (Galatians 3 v 1 – 4).

As I said earlier, Paul does not mince his words. He chastises the Hebrew Christians who were turning back to observing the written codes of Covenant law, and he says that they are not thinking. They seemed to initially embrace the gospel but Paul says that the gospel was announced to them and their ‘mind’s eye’, their perception and thoughtful insight, was ‘down’. ‘Who has distracted you’, says Paul, ‘Who has occupied your mind away from the gospel? I just want to know one thing, did you receive the Breath from out of your efforts and energies that you put into observing the written codes of divine law, or did you receive the Breath from out of hearing the gospel and being persuaded to the point of obedience?’ This is a rhetorical question because in his next statements Paul implies that they did not receive the Breath from out of their efforts to observe the written codes of Covenant law. This effectively constitutes Paul’s first general statement – 

Christians receive the Breath from out of hearing and entrustment

Paul continues his questioning of the Galatians. He says, ‘Given that you did not receive the Breath from out of your efforts to observe the written codes of Covenant law, is it that you are not thinking and understanding? You know that you began within Breath. So are you now being brought to completion within flesh?’ Paul is not merely talking about the Christian’s ultimate standing before God on Judgement Day. He is not merely talking about ‘justification’. He says that they ‘Began within faith’, but now Paul is concerned about how they are being brought to completion. In other words how are these Christians growing and maturing? How are they living their lives day-by day? 

Paul places Breath in contrast to flesh. As he says elsewhere, these oppose one another, their impetus and movement is in opposite directions. There we see his implied second general statement –

The movement of Breath and the energies of flesh oppose one another

The Hebrew Christians in Galatia had obviously experienced many things since they turned towards the Messiah, but Paul expresses his concern that such experiences may have been without purpose, that they are empty and without value because they do not have a proper basis. The proper basis is persuasion and entrustment in the Messiah. Seeking to maintain divine approval by expending energy and labour in observing the written codes of Covenant law is not a proper basis for divine approval or for maintaining cleanliness.

Principles of living a godly life [76] – The divine plan

 ‘And those whom He predetermines, these He also summons, and whom He summons, these He also judicially approves and makes rightwise. Then, whom he judicially approves and makes rightwise, these He also honours and renders praiseworthy. 31 What then will we say to these things? Forasmuch as God is above us, who is down against us? 32 Indeed, He Who is not sparing His own Son, but surrendering him for us all, how will He not also give us all things together with him?’, (Romans 8 v 30 - 32).

As we come to the end of chapter 8, Paul steps back as it were to sum up the process of divine judicial approval and rightwiseness, which has been the main theme of his letter. As in other Scripture writings, the process of deliverance from condemnation is portrayed as being entirely down from God. When individuals are in a hopeless state and unable to deliver themselves, God, knowing some beforehand, predetermines them to be jointly formed to the image of His Son. It is God Who brings them forth – they are born again – and they become a new formation as a result of the atoning sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son, given as a free gift, coupled with the work of the set apart Breath of God and His Messiah. 

The process is this. God knows some beforehand and predetermines these to be conformed to the image of His Son. How does this happen? Those He knows beforehand and predetermines to be conformed to the image of His Son He summons, calls or invites, (by means of the good news of the Messiah and the word of the cross. Those who are summoned are, by means of the Breath, enlightened and such that they are persuaded to the point of entrusting the Messiah), and thus God accounts them judicially approved and rightwise. These He also honours and renders praiseworthy. 

All of this originates from and is brought into effect by God, and this gives Christians assurance and confident expectation. Because divine approval and deliverance from condemnation is not down to their fickle and unreliable energies and labours to be godly. Indeed, they lack ability and strength to deliver themselves because of their fleshly constitution. Nor is divine approval attained or maintained by Christians seeking to work to fully observe the written codes of divine law. Divine law is good and set apart, but it reveals our self-forfeiture and loss, and the impulses of our flesh take hold of this starting point such that our self-forfeiture is seen to increase even more. Christians are not placed under the written codes of law or the Sinai Covenant, but under the free, undeserved gift of God, and the New Covenant of the blood of the Messiah. Deliverance from condemnation, and divine approval, is given to them as a free gift from God. Christians maintain Life – responsiveness to God – by walking around moment-by-moment within their breath [pneuma] which is being moved by the Breath of God [Pneuma] dwelling in their deep inner core and effectively interceding for them. Christians are bond-slaves to their Lord who pays the price necessary to buy them back - the shedding of his own lifeblood as a substitute payment to send away their self-forfeiture.

So what shall we Christians say? Well here is the conclusion – ‘Forasmuch as God is above us, who is down against us? 32 Indeed, He Who is not sparing His own Son, but surrendering him for us all, how will He not also give us all things together with him?’ The deliverance of Christians is secure and certain. Since all this is away from the free gift of God, and since God did not hold back even His only begotten Son, but surrendered him for all of us, then who can be down against us? Who can successfully rob us of our deliverance? More than this, if God has not held back His own Son, then surely He will also give us all things together with him. Christians are adopted sons in God’s household, joint-heirs, joint inheritors with the Messiah. God does not surrender His only begotten Son so as to then hold back from us the benefits that His Son has attained.

Principles of living a godly life [72] - Present hardship – Future honour [4]

 ‘For we appreciate that the whole of the original formation is jointly groaning and jointly suffering birth pains up to the present time. 23 Not alone, but on the contrary, even ourselves, possessing the first-fruit of the Breath [Pneuma], even we ourselves are groaning within ourselves, eagerly awaiting adoption as sons, the full ransom and release of our body’, (Romans 8 v 22, 23). 

The opposite of ‘the whole of the original formation’ (verse 22) is ‘even ourselves, possessing the first-fruit of the Breath’ (verse 23), or Christians. As Benson’s Commentary states, this shows ‘that the apostle is speaking, not of [animals] and inanimate creation but of mankind’. Generally speaking there is a discontentment or sense of lack of fulfilment within humanity. The whole of the empty, aimless, transient original formation that lacks usefulness ‘is jointly groaning and jointly suffering birth pains up to the present time’, (verse 22). Humanity, within its original formation, is united in a condition of sorrow, continued suffering and existential crisis. That fact that Paul is speaking about humanity is confirmed by his emphasis on ‘the attentive thinking and supposition of the original formation’, (verse 19). What is this attentive thinking and supposition? Paul has told us throughout his letter to the Romans. Existing within their original formation, humanity is ‘holding down the truth within injustice and what is not rightwise’, (Romans 1 v 18). They ‘became ineffectual, unproductive and without usefulness within their thinking, and their deep inner core, lacking synthesised understanding began and continued to be darkened. 22 Asserting to be clear and wise, they became dull, sluggish and insipid, 23 and they changed the honour and praiseworthiness of God into a likeness, an image, of mortal man, flying animals, four-footed beasts and crawling things. 24 Therefore God handed them over away from close beside, within focus on passionate desire of their hearts’, (Romans 1 v 21 - 24). Enslaved to their fleshly constitution, ‘the down from the flesh are existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the flesh’, (Romans 8 v 5), constructing and manufacturing that of the flesh, (Romans 1 v 24 – 32; Galatians 5 v 19 – 21).

But humanity existing within its original formation is not groaning in pain alone. On the contrary, ‘even ourselves possessing the firstfruit of the Breath [Pneuma], even we ourselves are groaning within ourselves’, (verse 23). Christians are also groaning within themselves in constriction. Why are Christians groaning within themselves? Because Christians are eagerly expecting ‘adoption as sons, the full ransom and release of our body’. We have seen that Christians are existing within their ‘clay vessel’, the original formation that is a ‘body of death’. They are ‘groaning and weighed down on the basis that they do not wish to be stripped out of clothing, but to be clothed over, so that ‘the subject to death’ be swallowed down by Life’, (II Corinthians 5 v 4). Christians are ‘eagerly awaiting adoption as sons’. The Christian has received the Breath of God and His Messiah and is already an adopted child of God, (verses15, 16.) But this adoption still has to be brought to completion, which will not be until the coming of the Messiah as King of kings. At that time they will receive ‘the full ransom and release of their body’. The original formation of flesh and blood, of a mortal body, cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Christians are groaning within, eagerly awaiting the release of their existing vessel of clay, eagerly expecting it to be changed.

Principles of living a godly life [71] - Present hardship – Future honour [3]

 ‘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).

Principles of living a godly life [70] - Present hardship – Future honour [2]

 Paul says that ‘…away and separate from the attentive thinking and supposition of the original formation, the unveiling of the sons of God is welcomed away from, and out of, eager waiting in full expectation. 20 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’, (Romans 8 v 18 - 21).

In verse 20 Paul gives the reason why ‘the unveiling of the sons of God is welcomed away from, and out of, eager waiting in full expectation’. He once again uses the Greek word ‘ktisis’, which in the previous post I said means ‘original formation’. In terms of human beings, the word refers to their original arrangement or formation that they inherit - the sensuous, earthy, fleshly human constitution with its impulses and passions that as a result of Adam’s disobedience are opposed to God because of the fall into disobedience. This original formation is now described as ‘empty’ – as transient, aimless and lacking usefulness. 

But that is by no means the end of the narrative. The context of this passage is that Paul is talking about Christians being judicially approved and made rightwise. With regard to Christians he tells us that ‘the empty original formation has begun and is continuing to be placed under’. He states this in the aorist tense – in other words this ‘placing under’ is something that has started in the past and is continuing at this present time and will continue into the future. The ‘original arrangement and formation’ – the natural human constitution of flesh and blood - is in a process of being ‘placed under’ at this present time. The Greek word is ‘hupotassó’, meaning ‘to appoint or arrange under’. I will explain ‘under what’ in the next post. 

However, the Christian’s ‘empty original formation’ that lacks usefulness – their physical body of flesh and blood - is not willingly or voluntarily ‘being arranged under’ or ‘arranging itself under’. The Christian’s physical constitution per se, their ‘original formation’, is unresponsive to God and in fact, the energies and impulses inherent within the fabric of flesh are opposed to God. So the transient, aimless original formation has begun and is continuing ‘to be unwillingly arranged under’ ‘on the basis of confident expectation’ of something. This welcoming confident expectation is ‘away and separate from the attentive thinking and supposition of the original formation’ (verse 19). It is not arising from the empty original formation itself. It is not a welcome confident expectation that is ‘naturally emerging’ from the Christian’s flesh and blood. Rather, it arises separate and away from the attentive thinking and suppositions that arise from the empty original formation of our earthy constitution. It is something distinct and separate.

So the next question is, ‘Confident expectation of what?’ Paul tells us immediately in verse 21 – ‘confident expectation 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’. The Christian’s welcome confident expectation is that ‘the original formation itself will be set free away from the enslavement, the decay and ruin’. Their confident expectation is with regard to a radical and fundamental change to the original formation itself, a change that will penetrate into ‘the freedom away from the enslavement, the decay and ruin, the honour and glory of the children of God’.

As Paul says elsewhere, the original formation of flesh and blood cannot inherit or even see the Kingdom of God. Christians are already existing as a new formation having been born again, but the process is not yet complete. But Christians possess confident expectation that their original formation, their inherited, fallen, fleshly constitution, will in the future, when redemption is made complete, be set free from its enslavement to self-forfeiture, decay and ruin. The Christian’s eager, confident expectation is that their physical body will be changed.  ‘…we will all be changed within an indivisible moment in time, within the jerk of an eye, at the final trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be aroused without decay, not perishable, and we will be made different’, (I Corinthians 15 v 52). 

It is on the basis of this eager, welcome confident expectation that at this present time the empty original formation is being ‘placed under’, (verse 20b). ‘Because we are existing within the tent, we are groaning and weighed down on the basis that we do not wish to be stripped out of clothing, but to be clothed over so that ‘the subject to death’ be swallowed down by Life’, (II Corinthians 5 v 4). There is part of the incentive or motivation for Christians ‘putting to death the actions of the body’, (verse 13). This is quite a different process from the legalist’s proposal that Christians turn to the written codes of Covenant law and try to use them as a spur towards holiness.

Principles of living a godly life [69] - Present hardship – Future honour [1]

 ‘For I consider that the suffering of this present time is not comparable to the honour and praiseworthiness about to be revealed towards us, 19 for away from the thinking of the original formation, the unveiling of the sons of God is welcomed away from eager expectation’, (Romans 8 v 18, 19). 

Paul has introduced the idea of the Christian’s liberation and standing within divine approval (verses 15 – 17a), but he says that Christians ‘are sharing suffering together [with the Messiah] in order that also they share praise and honour together’, (verse 17 b). But he goes on to say that this present suffering bears no comparison to the honour and praiseworthiness that is about to be revealed towards ‘us’, by which Paul seems to mean ‘Christians’. That would seem to be another of his general statements. He then goes on to explain this in more detail, in what actually in some ways prove to be a difficult few verses. So take a deep breath.

What is Paul saying? He is saying that ‘the suffering that we [Christians] are experiencing at this present time bear no comparison to the honour and praise about to be revealed towards us [Christians], for…’. The word ‘for’ is a conjunction, a ‘joining word’ used to express cause, explanation, inference or continuation. So we can perhaps use the word ‘because’. This then gives us ‘the suffering that we [Christians] are experiencing at this present time bear no comparison to the honour and praise about to be revealed towards us [Christians] because…’. We then come to the Greek word ‘apokaradokia’, a word made up of ‘apo’, meaning ‘away from’, which usually denotes separation or departure, and ‘dokeo’ meaning ‘attentive thought’ or ‘supposition’. This now gives us ‘the suffering that we [Christians] are experiencing at this present time bear no comparison to the honour and praise about to be revealed towards us [Christians], because away from the attentive thought and supposition of…’. The next question is, ‘Attentive thought and supposition of who?’ 

The Greek word is ‘ktisis’, usually translated as ‘creation’, such that in many translations we tend to find something like this – ‘For the earnest expectation of the creation awaits the revelation of the sons of God’. The word ‘ktisis’ means ‘original formation’, ‘what is formed’, ‘what is founded or planted’. So the issue is this – is Paul referring to the whole of ‘creation’, as in humans, animals, plants, mountains and so on, or does he mean something more restricted? The word occurs just 19 times in the New Testament in the form of a noun, 15 times in the form of a verb, and 4 times in reference to what is formed. In almost every case it is translated into English as ‘creation’, or ‘to create’ or ‘that which was created’. I translate it as ‘original formation’.  

Meyer’s New Testament Commentary points out that Christians are different from the ‘ktisis’, and even opposed to it. Since Paul is talking about the attentive thoughts and suppositions of the ‘original formation’ I suggest that he is referring to human beings as they are in their natural, earthy, sensuous human constitution within flesh and blood, their ‘death-body’. What he calls the ‘old self’ or ‘old humanity’ elsewhere.   As Meyer says, Christians are different, something that Paul has also been saying. There is a polarising difference between Christians who are brought forth as a ‘new formation’ in comparison to their old, inherited, natural original formation or ‘old self’. Paul has been saying that the old formation, as a result of Adam’s disobedience, is enslaved to and pays attention to flesh and its impulses and energies. But the new formation pays attention to the Breath. 

Paul is saying that separate and away from the thinking and suppositions of human beings existing within their original formation, ‘the unveiling of the sons of God is welcomed away from eager expectation’. The ‘unveiling of the sons of God’ would seem to refer to Christians effectively being brought forth as a free gift of God at this present time, and more especially to the completion and end result of their redemption in the future at the return of the Messiah. Separate and away from the thinking and suppositions of human beings within their original formation, this unveiling is being eagerly awaited. The Greek word is ‘apekdechomai’, meaning ‘eager waiting in full expectation’. The consistent theme across all the passages where this Greek word is used is the Christian’s hopeful and patient waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled in the future. 

I am suggesting that verses 18b and 19 are best fully translated and amplified something like this. ‘…the suffering of this present time is not comparable to the honour and praiseworthiness about to be revealed towards us, 19 because away and separate from the attentive thinking and supposition of the original formation, the unveiling of the sons of God is welcomed away from and out of eager waiting in full expectation’. [And breathe out].

Principles of living a godly life [68] – The Christian’s daily life and standing

 ‘…if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live, 14 because as many as are being led by the Breath [Pneuma] of God, these are existing God’s sons. 15 Because you are not receiving a breath of slavery once more, penetrating towards fear and alarm. On the contrary, you are receiving breath [pneuma] of placement as a son, within which we are crying aloud, ‘Abba!’, ‘Father!’ 16 The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God - 17 and if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, in order that also we share in praise and honour together’, (Romans 8 v 13 - 17).

Once again we see Paul using as well as distinguishing between the words ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’. His teaching is that only those brought forth by God within the Messiah by means of the Breath of God are made alive and responsive to God and His Messiah. They and they alone possess the Breath of God in their deep inner core. If a Christian is living their life moment-by-moment down from breath, that is, down from the current, energy and movement of their illuminated and enlightened heart and mind, then the practical result is that they are co-working with God and ‘are putting to death the actions of the body’. But Christians are engaged in a battle, in warfare. They have been ‘roused up’ in the ‘inner man’ concerning ‘spiritual’ realities and their minds and hearts are being enlightened and illuminated by the Breath to perceive and be persuaded of unseen realities. But at the same time they are weighed down and grieved by their fleshly constitution because of its inherent energies that are opposed to God. So they [ego] are seeking to put the actions, the outworking, of their fleshly impulses to death since these impulses and energies are working in opposition to God. This warfare is wearisome and grieving because Christians are in a state of adversity within themselves.

The illustrations that Paul presents elsewhere with regard to this situation are those of an athlete training and disciplining their body in order to win the race, or that of a boxer punching away these contrary actions. The Christian’s enlightened ‘I’, [ego], is exhorted to exercise enlightened self-control and illuminated self-discipline with regard to regulating their wayward fleshly behaviours, to ‘possess their vessel’, to ‘rein these fleshly impulses in’, to govern their body by enlightened self-control. But they do not always succeed. And if Christians are persistently and excessively wayward, bringing the gospel and the Messiah into disrepute, they are in danger of losing a portion of their inheritance. They are also in danger of being cut off from the fellowship – excommunicated – both in order to deliver their breath, as well as to maintain the cleanliness of the fellowship.

But as many as are being led by the Breath of God – the source of their enlightenment – they are existing as God’s sons. Because Christians are not receiving a current or movement of fear, terror and alarm within their heart and mind with regard to the settled anger and judicial condemnation of God. Even if they were born Jews or were Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes under Sinai Covenant law, then ‘the Messiah buys us up completely from out of the curse of the Law’, (Galatians 3 v 1). Instead, Christians are receiving breath of placement as sons, such that they are crying out ‘Abba! Father’ – the expression of reconciliation.

‘The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God’, (verse 16). Paul once again combines the use of ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’ in this single verse. The movement and current of the Breath of God and His Messiah is also carrying evidential witness together with the Christian’s breath – together with the current and movement of the Christian’s enlightened heart, mind and ego. What is the Breath of God bearing evidential witness and testimony to? The Breath of God is carrying evidential testimony that they exist as children of God, brought forth or ‘born again’ of God. There is an agreement of movement between the Breath of God and the Christian’s breath, presenting evidential testimony that they exist as children of God. This is beyond the ability of unbelievers, and it reflects the polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers.  

And ‘if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together’, (verse 17). The battle that Christians are engaged in as they pursue godliness means that they are ‘sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, [with the Messiah and the Breath of God], in order that they also share in praise and honour together [with the Messiah]’ – an expression of their union within the Messiah. This grief and weighing down bears no comparison to the praise and honour that Christians will participate in as they are brought to completion.

Having mentioned grief and suffering, Paul then goes on in Romans chapter 8 to look forward to the Christian’s reward and their security within the love of God in what are a very familiar and comforting set of verses for many Christians. 

Principles of living a godly life [67] – The Christian dynamic applied [1]

 ‘Therefore then brothers we are absolutely not existing as indebtors to the flesh, to be living down from the flesh. 13 Because if you are living down from the flesh you are at the point of dying and withering away, but if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live’, (Romans 8 v 12, 13). 

This verse confirms that Paul is writing to Christians about how they are conducting their lives moment-by-moment at this present time. He has said that Christians exist at this present time within a dichotomy. On the one hand, the ‘inside of the cup’ – their inner self, their ‘I’ [ego], heart and mind, is now roused up from out of deadness by the Breath, and enlightened towards sensitivity and responsiveness to God. 

But on the other hand, the Christian’s fleshly constitution has not been transformed. Their physical, fleshly body still retains its inherent impulses that lead towards speech and behaviour that God disapproves of. In this sense it is a ‘dead body’, grieving and weighing them down. So how is the Christian’s fleshly constitution enabled to serve God? It is enabled by the movement, influence, current and energy of the Breath of God dwelling within Christians, (verse 11) as the source of Life within the Messiah, (verse 10). 

That is the theology or teaching. Paul almost always states and then reasons through theological teaching before turning to its practical application. That is nearly always how the Apostle works. He presents enlightened knowledge of unseen realities and then reasons this knowledge through to its logical conclusion as a basis for the Christian’s practical intentions, speech and behaviour. 

He begins to apply the theology he has been explaining here, in verse 12 – ‘Therefore then brothers’. What is his general conclusion with regard to the present situation that Christians find themselves in? It is twofold. First – ‘We are absolutely not existing as indebtors to the flesh, to be living down from the flesh. Because if you are living down from the flesh you are at the point of dying and withering away’. Christians don’t owe their fleshly constitution anything, they are not indebted to their flesh. Not only is their fleshly constitution unable to deliver them from divine condemnation, but its inherent impulses and raw passions are continuing to oppose God. It is no use turning to divine law to oppose these passions because these impulses use the injunctions of divine law as a starting point to make self-forfeiture more extensive and more abundantly known. Paul does not say ‘putting to death the actions of the body’ by turning to divine law because divine law brings down knowledge of self-forfeiture and settled anger. Christians are under no obligation to follow their fleshly impulses or to allow their fleshly passions to lead or govern their speech and behaviour. If they do then they are at the very point of dying and withering away. They are at the point of ‘hardening their heart’, of ‘grieving the Breath’, of wandering astray into error and insensitivity, even of losing a portion of their allotted divine inheritance – not their deliverance - but a portion of their reward. 

Second, ‘but if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live’. There it is again – the Breath as the source of Life within the Messiah. However, sometimes the Apostle writes the word ‘pneuma’ with a capital ‘P’, and sometimes not. This is something that I am only just becoming aware of and something that the translators don’t always follow, so this nuance is not always presented correctly in English translations. Because I have only recently become aware of Paul’s grammatical style in the Greek text with reference to Breath/breath, I have not commented on it before. 

Assuming that the copyists have rendered the Greek text accurately, as Paul wrote it, then we see that in Romans, Paul uses lower case - ‘breath’ - in Romans 1 v 9; 2 v 29; 7 v 6; 8 v 1, 4, 5, 6, 10. But he uses an initial capital letter – ‘Breath’ – in Romans 5 v 5; 8 v 2, 9, 11. I propose that when he uses the Greek word ‘Pneuma’ - with a capital ‘P’ - the reference is definitely to ‘the set-apart Breath of God and His Messiah’. Whereas if he uses a small ‘p’ – ‘pneuma’ - then he seems more likely to be referring to the impetus or current of the Christian’s enlightened or illuminated heart and mind.  

Here in verse 13, Paul uses the lower case word. If a Christian is living their life moment-by-moment down from breath, down from their enlightened heart and mind, then the practical result is that they are putting to death the actions of the body. The actions of the body are the ‘works of the flesh’ as described in Romans 1 v 18 – 32 and Galatians 5 v 19 – 21. These are the fleshly behaviours that Christians are putting to death down from breath. Down from their enlightened and illuminated heart and mind they are resisting and opposing their fleshly actions. They may not always succeed in overcoming these fleshly behaviours, as fleshly impulses sometimes take them captive, but their enlightened heart and mind is nevertheless leading and inclining Christians to oppose and avoid these fleshly behaviours. And as Christians do this ‘they will live’ – they will be responsive and sensitive to God – alive to God. 

Paul states the same conclusion in his letter to the Galatians. ‘So I say, walk around within Breath [Pneuma] and absolutely do not bring to completion eager fleshly desire. 17 Because the flesh is focused on passionate desires against the Breath, [Pneuma] and the Breath [Pneuma] against the flesh. Because these resist and oppose one another in order that if you desire, you do not construct it, 18 and if you are led by the Breath [Pneuma], you are not under law’, (Galatians 5 v 16 – 18). In these verses Paul uses an initial capital letter – ‘Breath’. The source of the Christian’s enlightened heart and mind is of course the ‘Breath’ of God. Paul portrays Christians as walking around moment-by-moment by both ‘Breath’ (Galatians 5 v 16), and ‘breath’ (Romans 7 v 6; 8 v 1, 4, 9, 10). Indeed, Paul uses both grammatical styles in Romans 8 v 10 - Christians are existing ‘within breath, [pneuma], since indeed, Breath [Pneuma] of God is dwelling within you’. Their heart and mind is enlightened since the Breath of God is dwelling within them. Therefore they are exhorted to walk around day-by-day within breath – within and down from the impetus and current of their enlightened mind and heart, illuminated by the Breath of God and His Messiah.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [66] – The Christian dynamic [2]

 ‘And if the Breath, [Pneuma] having roused up Jesus from out of the dead, is dwelling within you, [then] having been roused up from out of the dead, Jesus the Messiah will also give Life to your bodies that are dead by means of his Breath [Pneuma] dwelling within you’, (Romans 8 v 11). 

There we are. Paul is stating what I concluded in the previous post. But a number of commentators and scholars fall into an error here. They propose that Paul is now talking about the Christian’s future state - their ultimate approval at the great Assizes. But that is not what Paul is talking about. Barnes, for one, has it right when he says, ‘That this does not refer to the resurrection of the dead [and the Final Judgement] seems to be apparent….I understand it as referring to the body, subject to carnal desires and propensities, by nature under the reign of death’, (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible My parenthesis). 

It is important to recognise that for Christians, the rousing up from out of the dead has already begun. Let’s look at the context. Paul has been presenting the polarisation between the Christian’s fleshly constitution that in itself is dead - unresponsive to God, and Breath leading to Life by means of judicial approval. Christians have been brought forth by God and placed within the Messiah, in union with the Messiah, by means of the Breath that now dwells within their deep inner core. The Christian’s fleshly body has not been transformed, nor transcended. This means that the Christian’s fleshly constitution, the ‘tent’ or ‘clay vessel’ in which they exist - is a burden. It weighs Christians down because although their mind and ‘ego’, their ‘I’ as governor/regulator ‘inside the cup’, is enlightened by the Breath to perceive and entrust the Messiah, and desire godliness, their physical flesh per se remains dead, insensitive and unresponsive to God. In fact more than this, impulses and energies within their fleshly constitution are working to come to completion in opposition to God. But the Breath is the Life-principle within the Messiah. Christians, and only Christians, possess the free gift of the Messiah and the Breath. God gives these gifts to those He has selected when they have no natural power or ability to save themselves or to please God. God’s free gift penetrates into them ‘becoming another, ‘the having been aroused from out of the dead’, in order that they begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’, (Romans 7 v 4).

It is the Breath of God, moving on the basis of the principle of Life within the Messiah, that is given to dwell in the Christian’s deep inner core. It is the Breath that enables the Christian’s unresponsive, dead, fleshly constitution to begin and continue to bear the fruit of God. The Breath is the fundamental principle of Life within the Messiah. It is the Breath that is rousing up and giving Life to the Christian’s unresponsive, fleshly body that in itself is dead. ‘…having been roused up from out of the dead, Jesus the Messiah will also give life to your bodies that are dead by means of his Breath [Pneuma] dwelling within you’. 

Paul is not talking about the future. He is not talking about the Final Judgement. He is talking about Christians living a godly life within divine approval moment-by-moment here and now. If Paul was talking about the resurrection then we would expect him to talk about the return of the Lord Jesus and Christians being caught up to be with the Lord to receive their divinely allotted inheritance. But he does not do that because that is not what he is talking about. He is talking about the Christian’s fleshly body being roused up from out of insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God at this present time. This is confirmed by what he goes on to say next. 

Principles of living a godly life [65] – The Christian dynamic [1]

 ‘But if you [are] within Messiah, the body indeed lacks life by means of self-forfeiture and loss, but the Breath, [Pneuma], Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness’, (Romans 8 v 10).

Paul now continues with his theme of flesh and Breath. His focus is now on Christians and he says ‘But if [in contrast to those not possessing the Breath] you [are] within Messiah…’. What makes Christians different? OK. [Warning: Time to take a deep breath]. Unbelievers are existing down from the impulses and energies within their flesh that are seeking to work themselves across from within and into self-forfeiting speech and behaviour. 

But if you are within the Messiah then –

The body indeed lacks life by means of self-forfeiture and loss

But

The Breath, Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness

  

Paul maintains the dichotomy between flesh and Breath, and the corresponding results of death and life, even when looking at Christians. Verse 10 is virtually a restatement of Romans 7 v 25 – ‘So then, indeed I am willingly serving God’s law with the mind, but flesh, fundamental principles of self-forfeiture and loss’. On being brought forth by God, Christians have not lost nor transcended their fleshly constitution. They have not suddenly become incorporeal beings who have forsaken their physical body. Christians continue to exist within their physical, fleshly body, which is metaphorically compared in Scripture to a tent – ‘I exist within this, the tent’, (II Peter 1 v 13), and ‘existing within the tent we are groaning, being weighed down’, (II Corinthians 5 v 4). 

Why are Christians being ‘weighed down’? Because ‘the body indeed lacks Life by means of self-forfeiture and loss’. The Christian’s fleshly constitution, their physical body per se remains a hopeless case. On being brought forth by God the Christian’s earthy, fleshly body is not reconstituted nor is it transcended. The Christian’s fleshly constitution does not change. The Christian’s earthy fleshly constitution is indeed death by means of its fleshly impulses and passions working out to completion within self-forfeiting behaviour in opposition to God. Its passions and energies are still actively working in opposition to God, contrary to the Christians enlightened mind. Of itself the Christian’s flesh remains unresponsive, opposed to God, and it is also subject to physical death – it is mortal. Thus Christians are groaning and weighed down. 

Why does God allow this to be the case? Paul tells us elsewhere that Christians ‘have this storehouse within earthen vessels in order that the power above and beyond exists from out of God’, (II Corinthians 4 v 7). The godly service that Christians construct is not originating and emerging down from their physical body or its inherent strength and ability. This means that there is no room for Christians to boast. Christians have their storehouse of divine gifts within their weak ‘earthen vessels’ so that what they construct is down from the power that exists from out of God by means of the Breath.  

Now ‘this is the desire and purpose of God - you set apart, pure and clean….every one of you knowing and perceiving, acquiring possession and mastery of his [or her] vessel within purity and honour’, (I Thessalonians 4 v 3a, 4). The Christian’s divine summons – their calling from God - is towards enlightened self-mastery over the impulses and energies inherent within their fleshly constitution that are working in opposition to God. But how can Christians move towards this goal if their fleshly constitution is dead and unresponsive to God? They cannot attain this mastery by means of turning to the written codes of divine law because the law is made weak and powerless by the impulses and passions of their flesh. The law makes knowledge of self-forfeiture more evident, (Romans 7 v 8 – 10; 8 v 3, 4).

Paul gives us the answer – ‘but the Breath [Pneuma] Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness’. The Breath is the source of Life – of sensitivity and responsiveness to God – given to Christians as a result of the free gift of judicial approval secured by God’s anointed deliverer, the Messiah, and the source of the Christian’s union with the Messiah. The Christian’s tied enslavement to their flesh is cut, such that within Christians there is a contrary movement and current, and an enlightened mind, that opposes the flesh. [And relax]. 

Principles of living a godly life [64] – The polarisation separating Christians and ‘outsiders’ [4]

 ‘But you are not within flesh, but on the contrary, within breath, [pneuma], since indeed, Breath [Pneuma] of God is dwelling within you. But if anyone is not possessing the Breath [Pneuma] of the Messiah he is absolutely not existing of him’, (Romans 8 v 9).

‘But you…’, by which Paul means ‘You Christians…’. Paul says that Christians ‘are not within flesh’. It is obvious that Christians still retain their fleshly body – the ‘death-body’ that constitutes the ‘tent’ or ‘clay vessel’ that they ‘inhabit’ and that is intrinsically unresponsive to God. So what does Paul mean by the phrase ‘you are not within flesh’? He means that ‘contrary’ to those existing within flesh, walking around down from and within enslavement to flesh, those who are brought forth by God are no longer in their previous enslaved state – something radical has happened to them. They are no longer within their unpardoned, enslaved state of self-forfeiture. They are not existing down from flesh, (Romans 8 v 5). ‘Knowing this, that our old human appearance is crucified together with [Him], in order that the body of self-forfeiture and loss is rendered down to being idle and inactive. We are no longer devotedly enslaved to the self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 6 v 6).  

So what is the fundamental principle and source of this polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers? It is this - 

The Breath related to God and the heavenly realm that is indwelling them and is moving on the basis of Life within the Messiah

Christians possess a movement or current within them of opposition to the impulses inherent in their flesh. They possess sensitivity and responsiveness to God, an impulse towards loyal service, and enlightened knowledge and perception with regard to God and the Messiah. It is by means of this Breath that they are placed in union with their Messiah. The Apostle says that the differentiating and empowering source towards maintaining divine approval day-by-day is not divine law, for the reasons that Paul has been explaining since chapter 7 v 1. The differentiating and empowering source towards godliness and Life within the Messiah is the Breath of God. The contrast that Paul consistently makes is between flesh and the Breath of God. 

The next phrase is usually translated - ‘if indeed the Breath of God is dwelling within you’. The conjunction – ‘if’ - is causal, not conditional. Hence I translate it like this – ‘Since the Breath has presence and activity within you’, in your heart or deep inner core, (I Corinthians 2 v 16; 6 v 19; Ephesians 2 v 22; Galatians 4 v 6). Seeing that the Breath is at the very foundation of your emerging thoughts, intentions, desires and feelings, ‘you [Christians] are not within flesh’. You are no longer enslaved to flesh.

If we are in any doubt with regard to this polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers, Paul stresses it once more. ‘But if anyone is not possessing the Breath [Pneuma] of the Messiah, he is absolutely not existing of him’. The Breath that Paul is talking about he sometimes calls the Breath of God and at other times the Breath of the Messiah. (Usually translated as the ‘Spirit of God’ or the ‘Holy Spirit’]. Here Paul says ‘Breath of the Messiah’, because this movement and current proceeds from the Messiah, is procured by the Messiah, and leads the individual Christian to reflecting the image of the Messiah, (John 14 v 26; 16 v 7; Galatians 4 v 6). The Breath of the Messiah could only be given following the successful obedience of Jesus to the point of death and God’s subsequent approval by rousing him from out of the dead. 

Whatever an individual may say, if they do not possess the Breath of the Messiah then they are none of his - not a member of the body of the Messiah, not a Christian, not existing in a state of deliverance, but still enslaved to flesh. Therefore this whole discourse about divine judicial approval day-by-day has no reference to such an individual because they do not possess the Breath. This is a plain, clear differentiation between Christians and unbelievers that admits no exception. 

So the main point that Paul is making is that Christians are no longer existing down from being enslaved to their flesh, with its impulses and drives. They are existing down from the Breath of God and His Messiah, which they hold and possess in their deep inner core and that provides a current of opposition to their fleshly impulses. They are encouraged to work alongside this Breath, using their enlightened minds. So Paul does not turn to Covenant law, but to the Breath. 

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [63] – The polarisation separating Christians and ‘outsiders’ [3]

 ‘On this account the flesh-mind [is] an enemy toward God for not arranging under the Law of God, for not having power [to do so], and those existing within flesh are absolutely not able to be pleasing God’, (Romans 8 v 7, 8).

On the basis of the fundamental polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers, which Paul has outlined in verses 4 – 6, the ‘flesh-mind’, the thoughts, purposes, aspirations and inclinations enslaved to and focussed on fleshly impulses and energies, is an enemy toward God. The Greek word is ‘echthra’, a noun meaning ‘a state of enmity or hostility’. Why? Because the mind that is enslaved to, focussed on and serving fleshly impulses, passions and inclinations, is absolutely not arranging itself under the authority of the Law of God. The ‘flesh-mind’ is not merely dismissive of divine law but hostile towards it, it hates divine law and is actively opposed to it. The ‘flesh-mind’ does not even have the ability, power or strength to arrange itself under divine law. On this account, those existing down from the flesh – unbelievers or ‘outsiders’ – are absolutely not able to please God. They are incurring self-forfeiture and loss leading to death, and divine law is working down settled anger and their condemnation.   

You see? Paul is still talking about divine approval and divine law. Now of course, legalists tend to agree that unbelievers are living down from the flesh, and are not able to save themselves from divine condemnation because they do not have the ability to arrange themselves under divine law. Point unbelievers to divine law and the law points out the extent of their self-forfeiture. If they then try to observe divine law, they discover their inability and helpless condition and begin to see their need of a deliverer. 

But when Paul was heralding the good news of Jesus to unbelieving non-Jews - to Gentile unbelievers, he did not refer them to Sinai Covenant law, because Gentiles were not placed under the Sinai Covenant. Covenant law would have seemed irrelevant to Gentiles. Instead he referred to the Gentiles’ current beliefs and practices, finding points of similarity or difference so as to use them as a starting point. He referred to history and God’s providence, leading up to a call to turn to God because God has appointed a day of Judgement by a man that He has appointed. The proof of this is that this man was roused up from out the dead. You can see his approach in Acts 17 v 22 – 33. It is worth careful examination. No mention of Covenant law in this message. (See also Acts 14 v 15 – 18).

But what do legalists say about Christians and walking around moment by moment within divine approval? Well, legalists do direct Christians to divine law, proposing that divine law can be used as a ‘spur’ to push Christians on to greater purity and godliness. 

Legalists divide Covenant law into two aspects - Ceremonial and Moral law. They propose that Jesus has fulfilled the Ceremonial aspects of divine law, which is, they say, an outline shadow pointing to the reality of the Messiah and his sacrifice. So they propose that now that the Messiah has come, the Ceremonial law is made complete. Sacrifices, ceremonies and rituals are no longer required because they have reached their end point in the Messiah. But then they propose that when it comes to the Moral aspects of law, like the Ten Commandments, well that is different. Clearly Jesus has not removed or abolished morality – he has not introduced permissive lawlessness. Jesus himself says that he has not come to abolish the law. So they propose that the Moral law still stands, and so they direct Christians to the Moral aspects of divine law in order to promote godliness – such as not stealing, keeping the Sabbath, avoiding adultery, tithing one’s earnings and so on. 

But this division of Covenant law into Ceremonial and Moral aspects is not what Jews themselves advocated. It may be useful for certain discussions, but it is not the perspective that Paul has in mind here. For Jews, Covenant law is indeed divided into two different aspects – 

Speech and behaviour in relation to God, and

Speech and behaviour in relation to fellow human beings – primarily to fellow Jews, and then to ‘strangers’ or ‘foreigners’

When Jesus was asked which is the greatest or largest commandment in the law, he replied, ‘You will esteem the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your breath and with all of your mind, understanding and intention’. 38 This is the foremost and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love those close by you as yourself’. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’,’, (Matthew 22 v 37 – 40). These two commandments also constitute the basic principles when it comes to serving the Lord moment-by-moment.

So then, here in Romans does Paul, like legalists, recommend and exhort Christians towards observing the written injunctions of Covenant law in order to maintain a godly life moment-by-moment? Not at all, for reasons he has been explaining and continues to explain in the next few verses. 

Principles of living godly life [62] – The polarising dichotomy separating Christians and ‘outsiders’ [2]

‘For the flesh-mind, death, but the breath-mind, [pneuma], life and peace’, (Romans 8 v 6).

Paul has pointed out two polarised groups within humanity and he is explaining how their speech and behaviour works out day-by-day. We have -

The ‘down from the flesh’ – those without persuasion with regard to spiritual realities, who exist thinking, judging and caring for that of the flesh

And

The ‘down from the Breath’ – those brought forth within the Messiah by God, by means of the Breath that indwells them. They exist thinking, judging and caring for that of the Breath, such that the fundamental principle of judicial approval and the rightwise-ness of the Law is beginning and continuing to be made full and complete within them

The mind-set, thoughts, purposes, aspirations and inclinations of those enslaved to their flesh is death - insensitivity, unresponsiveness, opposition and ignorance with regard to God. By contrast, the mind-set, thoughts, purposes, aspirations and inclinations of those possessing the Breath related to God, His Messiah and the heavenly realm is Life. The movement or current of the Breath dwelling in their deep inner core is vitality, animation, sensitivity, responsiveness, enlightened illumination and perception with regard to God, joining and tying together into wholeness, health, welfare and safety. ‘Being declared judicially approved and rightwise from out of entrustment and persuasion, they are possessing peace towards God by means of the Messiah’, (Romans 5 v 1). 

There is the fundamental, polarising difference. ‘Outsiders’ are enslaved to constructing the ‘workings of the flesh’, (Galatians 5 v 19 - 21). But those brought forth by God within the Messiah are working out or carrying across from within the practical end result of the movement of the Breath within them – the ‘Fruit of the Breath’, (Galatians 5 v 22 - 23). In both cases the ‘mind’ is presented as an intermediary regulator. In the case of unbelievers, their mind is an intermediary regulator between the raw passions of their flesh, and their speech and behaviour. But their mind is enslaved to their fleshly desires and impulses, thinking, judging and caring for that which is of the flesh. Using their mind they plan and determine how to satisfy the impulses of their flesh. 

For Christians, if they are walking within the sphere and influence of the Breath, then the Breath is enlightening their mind and the current of the Breath is in opposition to the impulses of their flesh. Using their mind, they think, judge and care for that which is of the Breath and carry this across from within into their speech and behaviour. In this way the judicial approval and rightwise acts of the Law are being made full and complete within them, (verse 4). 

But sometimes the mind of the Christian is captured by the energies that are inherent and still active within their flesh, (Romans 7 v 23). The practical godly speech and behaviour of Christians does not just happen. Christians don’t merely ‘let go and let God do the work’. Rather, they are exhorted to use their enlightened mind as a regulator of their speech and behaviour. They are exhorted to ‘work to bring about your deliverance to its end point, 13 for God is working within you, namely to intend and to be active upon what is good or beneficial’, (Philippians 2 v 12, 13).   

 

Principles of living a godly life [61] – The polarising dichotomy separating Christians and ‘outsiders’ [1]

‘…God, having sent His Son within resemblance of self-forfeiting flesh, and concerning no share and self-forfeiture, has condemned loss and self-forfeiture within the flesh, 4 in order that the judicial approval and rightwise acts of the Law are being made full and complete within us – the not walking around down from flesh but down from breath. 5 Because the down from the flesh are existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the flesh, but the down from the Breath [pneuma], that of the Breath [pneuma],’, (Romans 8 v 3b - 5). 

Paul is comparing how Christians and unbelievers ‘walk around’, comparing how these two groups are living their lives day-by-day, how they are conducting themselves in the situations and circumstances that they face moment-by-moment. He is not only talking about ‘justification’ or ‘standing judicially approved’ in front of God in terms of whether they are ultimately forgiven, acquitted and going to heaven or not. He is also talking about how people are behaving at this present time in their daily lives. 

There is a polarising dichotomy between Christians and unbelievers. We see it throughout Paul’s writings, as well as in the letters of John, and the gospels. In verse 4 and the following verses, this polarisation comes to the fore. When it comes to successfully living a godly life moment-by-moment, how are those within the Messiah described? Are they described as those walking around making the effort to observe the external written codes of Covenant law? No. They are described as – 

The not walking around down from flesh, but down from breath

The polarising difference is that unbelievers or ‘outsiders’ are walking around down from the flesh, down from the energies, desires and passions within the fabric of their fleshly constitution. Indeed, they are enslaved to these energies within their fleshly constitution, which move on the basis of the fundamental principle of self-forfeiture, loss and death. But Christians on the other hand are indwelt by the Breath of God moving on the basis of Life within the Messiah. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah as the spotless Lamb of God, at this present time Christians are liberated away from enslavement to the principle of self-forfeiture, loss and death. They are not under the authority of external written codes of divine law but bond-slaves of the Messiah, exhorted to be walking around down from Breath, [pneuma], that is related to God and the heavenly realm. In this way ‘the judicial approval of the Law and rightwise acts of the Law are being made full and complete within them’, (verse 4), whereas  ‘outsiders’ or ‘unbelievers’, by walking around within the flesh, turn things ‘upside down’. ‘Oh that those turning you upside down will also cut themselves off’, (Galatians 5 v 12).  

Why is this the case? Why are unbelievers turning things upside down? Paul tells us in the next verse. ‘Because the down from the flesh are existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the flesh, but the down from the Breath [pneuma], that of the Breath [pneuma], (Romans 8 v 5). There we see the polarisation working itself out in the different fundamental principles of behaviour of these two groups – 

The down from the flesh

Are existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the flesh

But

The down from the Breath

Are existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the Breath

Unbelievers are not persuaded concerning the Messiah. The gospel is foolishness as far as they are concerned, so they reject the good news of the Messiah and separate themselves away from it. This leads them to a process of becoming more and more ignorant of spiritual realities, even though they turn things upside down and think of themselves as wise. They increasingly lack perception concerning God. If they are religious-minded, they often exchange the Creator in favour of worshipping created things. If they are not religious-minded then they follow humanly constructed philosophies, (Romans 1 v 18 – 25). They focus their minds on the flesh – on their physical health and comfort, on sensual pleasurable experiences, on status, wealth and so on. One way or another they follow the impulses, passions, desires and instincts inherent in their fleshly constitution and that work themselves out into their speech and behaviour, (Romans 1 v 26 – 32). Even with those who possess the Sinai Covenant and divine Law, and who are diligently making the effort to work to observe the external written codes of the law to obtain or maintain divine approval, are walking down from the flesh, (Romans 2 v 17 – 27).

But thanks to the free gift of God, Christians are illuminated and persuaded concerning unseen heavenly realities and the Messiah, to the point of seeking to serve their Lord. They possess the Breath in their deep inner core as a free gift, the movement of the Breath working in opposition to the impulses of their flesh. Their enlightened minds focus on that of the Breath – on deliverance from condemnation, the allotted divine inheritance, behaving and speaking in a way that is pleasing to their Lord, and so on. They are placed in union with the Messiah by means of the Breath, and the Messiah, as their high priest, fills the law to completion on their behalf. 

Walking down from the Breath and existing thinking, judging and caring for that of the Breath such that divine law is made complete within Christians constitutes another of Paul’s general statements, and in the next few verses he goes on to explain what he means in more detail.