Romans 8:26-27

Review:

This chapter has been about the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives

a) 8:1-9 the Holy Spirit empowers the human to overcome the sin nature

b) 8:10-11 the Holy Spirit will resurrect your mortal body

c) 8:15-17 the Holy Spirit testifies to us that we are Sons of God, adopted by God

d) 8:26 the Holy Spirit today intercedes for us

Romans 8:26

wsautwV IN LIKE MANNER de AND kai ALSO to THE pneuma SPIRIT sunantilambanetai taiV JOINTLY HELPS asqeneiaiV WEAKNESS hmwn OUR to THAT gar FOR ti WHICH proseuxwmeqa WE SHOULD PRAY FOR kaqo ACCORDING AS dei IT BEHOOVES ouk WE oidamen KNOW NOT all BUT auto ITSELF to THE pneuma SPIRIT

uperentugcanei MAKES INTERCESSION uper FOR hmwn US stenagmoiV WITH GROANINGS alalhtoiV INEXPRESSIBLE

wsautwV IN LIKE MANNER

a) Just like the Spirit testifies to us that we are sons of God

b) And this knowledge gives us hope for the future deliverance

c) Now in the same way the Spirit is praying our desires into God’s will.

asqeneiaiV WEAKNESS

a) Could refer to the weakness of the believer who is still living in a body or to the believers limits in prayer

b) The word means “want of strength, or weakness”

c) The weakness refers not to physical weakness but our inability to operate effectively in the spiritual realm which includes prayer.

d) 2 Cor. 12:9, 10 – power made perfect in weakness

e) Part of our weakness is that not knowing the details of God’s will and God’s plan (Job)

proseuxwmeqa WE SHOULD PRAY FOR

a) the word “for” is not in the Greek meaning and should simply say “we should pray”

b) This means that we may know what to pray for (topics) but we do not know what we should pray concerning the topics (content)

to THAT

a) This is the definite article is before the phrase:

“gar FOR ti WHICH proseuxwmeqa WE SHOULD PRAY FOR”

b) This is like saying “We do not know the ‘What’ we should pray for.”

c) We know to pray for “God’s will” and to pray for “maturity” but we do not know God’s plan or how he at this moment is going to work it.

sunantilambanetai taiV JOINTLY HELPS

a) This word only occurs in Luke 10:40 were Martha required help from Mary in preparing the meal. “Bid her therefore that she help me” or “Bid her to lend me a hand.”

b) The image from Martha’s use of the word is someone else coming alongside her to help carry part of the responsibility.

c) So, though this verse is about the Spirit praying this image of Mary coming to help Martha did not mean that Martha would have stopped.

d) We pray and the Spirit also prays. This is part of the meaning of Ephesians 6:18 where Paul tells them to pray in the Spirit

e) This word is made from:

a. sun “together with”

b. anti “over against”

c. lambano “to take”

d. So the meaning of the word is a picture of a person coming to the aid of another and taking a hold of the problem or weight along with that person.

f) The Spirit will come to our aid and assist us in our problems but He does not take over our responsibilities nor give us automatic deliverance without any effort

uperentugcanei MAKES INTERCESSION

a) The word is made of:

a. entugcanei which means “happens on” as in someone may happen to come upon an accident or someone in need.

stenagmoiV WITH GROANINGS alalhtoiV INEXPRESSIBLE

a) Also translated as:

a. “unuttered groanings”

b. “sighs that baffle words”

b) alalhtoiV INEXPRESSIBLE is only used here in the NT.

a. The etymology of the word is “unspoken, wordless”

c) Are these groans of ours or groans of the Spirit?

Romans 8:27

o BUT de HE WHO ereunwn SEARCHES taV THE kardiaV HEARTS

oiden KNOWS ti WHAT IS to THE fronhma MIND tou OF THE pneumatoV SPIRIT oti BECAUSE kata ACCORDING TO qeon GOD

entugcanei HE INTERCEDES uper FOR agiwn SAINTS

This verse gives more detail concerning how the “stenagmoiV WITH GROANINGS alalhtoiV INEXPRESSIBLE” can be understandable to God.

a) God can understand the “inexpressible groanings” because the Spirit is in us and the Spirit then expresses them to God for his understanding.

“he who searches the hearts” is God or in Revelation 2:23 it is Jesus.

ereunwn SEARCHES is present active participle and means “to search, to examine”

a) the present tense means this is an ongoing activity.

kata ACCORDING TO qeon GOD means the Spirit knows both God’s plans and our desires and they are brought together by the Holy Spirit.

entugcanei HE INTERCEDES means to intercede or to plead for.