- Who will bring any charge ? (8:33): It is a question of legal nature. In other words, who will accuse us in God’s court against God’s chosen ones. We know that Satan is the accuser of God’s people (Rev.12:10). His accusations seems to be valid because the believers are not yet sinless as long as they live in this world. But his accusation is not valid because it is God who justifies us. The judge Himself declares the accused person is righteous on the basis of his faith in Jesus Christ (3:24, 8:1). As a result all accusations are dismissed and no accusation will stand.
- Who is he that condemns? (8:34): The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s appointed Judge (Jn.5:22,27). He secures us from all condemnation. He is the one who died and gave Himself as a ransom for all mankind. He rose again sitting at the right hand of God and interceding for us (8:26). As a result, we who believed in Him share in Christ’s resurrection. Certainly a judge will not condemn His own who are in Him by faith. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1).
- Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (8:35): This is an emotional question. It shows the love of Christ for believers. In other words, who or what shall be able to remove our affection from Him? Paul was suggesting 7-things which a believer might experience, which the apostle Paul himself had experienced. It appeared that these experiences seem to be factors for diminishing God’s love for us, but it is not so.
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- Troubles : Tribulations, grievous afflictions or distress of any kind from or to compress, suppress anything by which a man is rendered miserable. “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor.1:8,9).
- Hardships: It signifies narrowness, it is the hardship, pressed from all sides or from all areas of life. “Cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you” (1 Pet.5:7).
- Persecution: To prosecute, pursuing as an enemy uses in order to overtake the object of his malice so that he may destroy him. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.5:10).
- Famine : Lacking all the necessities of life, the bread or in utter poverty. David say: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Ps.37:25a). “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry” (Pro.10:3a).
- Nakedness: Paul has not faced this experience. It is nothing but being absolutely without clothing. This picture we see during the time of Nero’s regime and also just before 2-World war by Hitler persecuting the Jews. It is the physical and mental torment for Christians and Jews happened time to time. When God’s people and saints are made to go naked, it is a sign of curse for the heathen kingdom. “Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years s a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt” (Isa.20:3 ESV).
- Danger: It is an anguish because evil is felt. distressing, fearful incidents happening. “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (2 Cor.1:10).
- Sword: It is the slaughter or destruction of life, especially beheading done by the order of civil magistrate. It is the termination of life or inflicting capital punishment. “Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs, Rescue me from the mouth of the lions..”(Ps.22:20) “for He has done it” (Ps.22:31c).