No Condemnation In This Courtroom!

Over 50 years ago, Tom Westwood wrote a commentary entitled Romans, A Courtroom Drama (now out of print). In it, God is the righteous Judge, mankind is on trial, Paul is the attorney, and the Lord Jesus is the one who pays the penalty to save the guilty from condemnation. The charges are presented, evidence examined, and arguments heard before the bar.

The trial reaches its climax in Romans 8, when defense attorney Paul makes this conclusive statement: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” He then wraps up his defense with a series of rhetorical questions (8:31-35) that seal the victory for the accused. While most translations list only seven questions in these five verses, one writer suggests that the original Greek would have had 13 – verse 35 containing eight instead of just two. In fact, that's how listeners “hear” this verse when it is read aloud: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or persecution? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or peril? Or sword?”

And why are all these questions called “rhetorical”? Because they are asked for dramatic effect, their negative answers already being known by all who have followed the proceedings of this trial. Paul’s case is so airtight, being directed by the Holy Spirit (9:1), that as attorney for the defense he can wrap up his case with this sweeping, victorious statement: “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:39). Because of what Christ did, we can no longer be condemned, nor separated from Him.

We hope our features will help you enjoy living between the opening and closing arguments of Romans 8 – no condemnation and no separation!

By Larry Ondrejack