8:9
This verse begins with the first class condition of “if”
Names for the Holy Spirit so far:
1) Spirit of Life – He regenerates us and renews us with life
2) Spirit of God - He carries out God’s purposes
3) Spirit of Christ – He applies the results of Christ’s redemptive work to us
Every Believer has the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13
Fullness of Christ is in the believer by the presence of the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 3:16, 17
Filling with the
Spirit
Difference is “in” and “upon”
Acts 19:1-7
Ephesians 5:18, 19
a) “fill” is plhrousqe in the present passive and means “to fill”
b) in passive it means to be filled
c) The point is to be controlled.
d) The present calls for a habitual and continuing action.
e) Passive could be permissive passive which would be “allow yourselves to be filled”
8:10 – The Spirit in
us in Time
“spirit” is another reference to the Holy Spirit not the human spirit because:
1) Pneuma has been the Holy Spirit through out this chapter
2) Paul’s use of body is not usually in reference to the separate part of man called the “body” but to man in his natural self. So, the natural man in himself is dead.
3) The pneuma (spirit) is “alive” because of righteousness in the NIV. In the Greek it is not the word “alive” but the word “life”.
4) In this chapter (8:2) the Holy Spirit is said to be the Spirit of Life
So this should read (possibly) “But if Christ is in you, your body (natural self) is dead because of sin (Rm. 7) yet the Spirit is your life because you have been made righteousness.”
8:11 – The Spirit in
us in Eternity
This is the hope of the eternal resurrection because of that same Spirit
1 Corinthians 15:44 calls this the spiritual body
8:12- Paul turns from
instruction to exhortation
This verse states our obligation in the negative.
We have an obligation, but our obligation is not to the sin nature.
Literally it says: “So then, brothers, debtors we are, not to the flesh, according to flesh to live”
“debtors” is ofeilethV and means one who owes a moral debt, or a debtor
8:13
“put to death” is qanatoute is the present active and means “to put to death”
8:14
Spirit testifies with us and to us that we are sons of God
Gal. 3:24 the Law leads us to Christ
Steps
1) Putting off the flesh
2) Testified to by the Spirit of who we are
3) Glorification
8:15
“sonship” is uioqesia and means “adoption” This word shows two things:
a) a new family relationship has been formed
b) all the rights, privileges and responsibilities are included in this adoption
“abba” is Aramaic for father
8:16
“testifies” is “summartuei” in present active. It means to bear witness with someone in order to confirm and testify in support of that person. We find this used in the papyri writings when someone would sign the document as a witness. The words “I bear witness with and I seal with.”
8:17
“heirs” is klhronomoV.
“co-heirs” is sugklhronomoV .