Romans 8:31-39
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
31 [a]What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?(A) 32 He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?(B) 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us.(C) 34 Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.(D) 35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 36 As it is written:(E)
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.(F) 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things,[b] nor future things, nor powers,(G) 39 nor height, nor depth,[c] nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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- 8:31–39 The all-conquering power of God’s love has overcome every obstacle to Christians’ salvation and every threat to separate them from God. That power manifested itself fully when God’s own Son was delivered up to death for their salvation. Through him Christians can overcome all their afflictions and trials.
- 8:38 Present things and future things may refer to astrological data. Paul appears to be saying that the gospel liberates believers from dependence on astrologers.
- 8:39 Height, depth may refer to positions in the zodiac, positions of heavenly bodies relative to the horizon. In astrological documents the term for “height” means “exaltation” or the position of greatest influence exerted by a planet. Since hostile spirits were associated with the planets and stars, Paul includes powers (Rom 8:38) in his list of malevolent forces.
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