The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 210

mode in our very h11mBn flesh, when we and the.~ hen<l? we are still ln danger of Bro hBptized into hie deBth, Bnd become 8llccumbmg to it; but that if we do-unless thereupon pBri:Bkere of hie reB11rrection. This the Spirit within ue prove in prar,tice the ideB, ever present to St. Paul's mind, is ex- stro~g81'. ~wer-the condition required for pressed in the next verse, where our own our mdmdual redemption is not fulfilled. o.ppropriation of the condemnation of sin in 01 iv cr,ip1cl lw-ru, in ver. 7, evide:ctly does Obrist is deolBred. not mean those who are lltill in the oody Ver. 4,-ThBt the ordinBnoe (or, rightecm but th_e same essentially aa ol icci-.il: tTdpic~ requirement, rather than rightemJ,sneu, a.a in 611-rn m ver. 5: iv denotes the element in the Authorized Version. The word is 611,,.[. which_ they live (see veree following). The .,µa., not 611c,z1ocr6.,,,,. It ocoure elsewhere in 5~ which connects ver. 8 wifu thz foreo-oin"' the New Teste.ment, Lllke i. 6; eh. i. 32; ii. ha.a its ecba.tk, not ite ad11mati1Je sense': &, 26 ; Heh, ix. 1 ; and in a. like sense often in then, in the Authorized Vernon, thouo-h not the LXX. ; Bleo, though with a difference of strictly equivalent, eeeme sufficiently to ex- meaning, ob. v. 16, 18) of the Law ma.y be press the general idea. fq]filled in us, who walk not after the :flesh, Ver. 9.-But ye are not in the !!eah, but but after the Spirit, Thie, then, is the in the Spirit, if BO be that the Spirit of purpose of Ohriet'e victory over ein-tha.t God dwelleth in you. But (not now, ae in the requirement of the La.w in us too may the Authorized Version) if any man hath be fulfilled; which evidently means more not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. than that hie victory ma.y be iraputed to us, That is-Though I imply the possibility of on the ground of our faith only, while we even the baptized being still in the :flesh, remain as we were. The expression, 611,,.[. so a.a to be unable to please God, this is .,µ,. 1tll.11p.,6ii, and also the condition ap- certainly not your condition: if, indeed (a.e pended a.t the end of the verse, imply that is surely the case), your conversion was a the "Spirit of life" mUBt so dominate over rea.lity, so that you have become really the :flesh in ourselves that the La.w may Christ's; for the Spirit of Christ (which is forfeit its olaims over us. The sinful pro- the Spirit of God) of necessity du,d.ls (30 pensions of the :flesh remain in us still (a.a a.s to be the rul.ing power) in a.11 such a.e the verses that follow distinctly show); but are rea.lly hie (cf. 1 Cor. iii. 16). We observe the Spirit that is in us is strong enough to here how "the Spirit of Christ" is identified overcome them now (of. GBL v. 16-18). with "the Spirit of God," so a.s to imply the It does not follow from this that Bny Ohrie- eesentia.l Deity of Christ, 111:ld e.Iso to lend sup- tia.ne will actually a.void all sin, or that port to the doctrine of the double procession they con be a.ccepted on the ground of their of the Holy Ghost (of. 1 Pet. i. 11). Ob.erve, own performance : to say this woul.d be to too, how penrlstently and continua.lly the contra.diet other Scripture (of. Ja.a. ii. 10; apostle presses hie protest 11.e,a-ainst antinomian 1 John i. 8); and Paul confeeaed himself to abuse of the doctrine of grace, with which be not already perfected (Phil. iii. 12). But he began this section of his Epistle, at eh. vi. perfection, through Obrist who lives in them, 1. He never loses sight of it: it pervades is pnt before us a.a, at any rate, the aim of the whole. H St. Paul, especiaJ.Iy in this the regenerate (of. Matt, v. 48): a.nd by Epistle, is, on the one hand, the great ex- e.otual a.nd progressive holiness they a.re to ponent of the doctrine of justi.fioation by show that their union with Christ is rea.l. faith only, he is, on the other, no less the His Spirit within them mUBt, at any rate, persistent preacher of the necessity of works. give a new direction end tone to their Sanotifioation is oontinua.lly pressed a.a the oha.ra.cters a.nd Ii ves. necessary result, a.s well as evidence, of Vere. 5-8.-For they that are after the justification. He only shuts out human :II.eel!. do mind the things of the :flesh; but works from the offioe of justifying. they that are after the Spirit the things of Vere. 10, 11.-But (or, and) if Christ be the Spirit. J!'or the mind of the :flesh is in you, the body is,dead because of 11:in; bui lleath ; but the mind of the Spirit is life and the Spirit ill life because of righteousness, peace. Beoause the mind of the :flesh is But if the Spirit of him thai raised up lens enmity against God ; for it is not subject to trom the dead dwelleth in you, he uai the Law of God, neither indeed oan be. So raised up Obrist (the previous 'I,itToiir de- then they that are in the :flesh cannot please notes the human person of our Lord; God, Those verses a.re added for explana- Xp,crrb hie office, fitly used here in con, tion o.nd enforcement of the condition de- neotion with the thought of his resurrection m11ndod o.t the end of var. 4 ; pressing the ensuring ours. Some rel\din!:l! ~ive T~ .. foot th11t "the infection of our nature"- before, t1nd 'l,icroiir after, Xp,crr~r) from the " the lust of the flesh, onlled in Greok phro- dead shall quioken also your mortal bodies, nema Barlws" (Art. ix.)-with its nnt1\gon- through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ism to tho Lnw of God, nnd its d,11\<lly Theso versc-s l\l\V<' been vt\riouslv und~r,; teudoucy, romnius ovou iu tho rcgenorattJ, stood. It has beon supposed by S(lme th11t  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROM.ANS. [ce:. vm. 1-89.