Who Shall Separate Us From the Love of Christ? (Romans 8:33–35)

Rom. 8:33. Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen? God is the one who justifies.

All that has been said was sufficient to establish hope with unshakeable firmness; but, as if fearing lest some thoughts creep in to shake it, the Apostle draws from what has been said certain reflections directed at repelling all that might attack and waver hope. And just as before he established hope now by God’s bountiful providence and power, now by the magnitude of the economy of salvation in Christ Jesus, so too the reflections to repel attacks on hope he draws from these same sources.

You, he says, have received great gifts and will receive still greater ones. Do not doubt that this will be so, because God arranges all this. But someone might have been led to think, as happens among men, that when a powerful person gives something to someone and promises something greater, those ill-disposed toward the receiver creep in and, slandering him in every way, bring it about that not only does the giver revoke his promise to give greater things, but also diminishes or completely takes away what he has given. Supposing that someone might entertain such a thought even in the realm of faith, the Apostle refutes its inappropriateness, or by refuting such inappropriateness he wards off even the possibility of such a thought arising. Do not worry, as he says; no one will dare to bring a charge against you (ἐγκαλέσει). You are God’s chosen. If among men it happens that when experts select or determine something, no one then dares speak against it, how much less so against God’s selection? But God has not only chosen you, but also justified you—justified you not merely by declaring you pardoned, but by making you truly righteous: so that even if someone should wish to accuse you, they would have nothing to seize on: you are righteous by the grace of God. This is why there is no reason for you to waver in hope that what you have received will be preserved in you, and what has been promised will not be taken from you on that basis.

Holy Chrysostom says: “And observe how the Apostle shuts the mouths of accusers, pointing to the dignity of the chosen! He did not say: who will accuse the servants of God, but the chosen of God. Election is a sign of virtue (the worthiness of the one elected). If one who trains young horses recognizes them as fit for running, no one dares discredit his choice; rather, anyone who presumed to question it would be laughed at. How much more laughable are those who accuse when God himself chooses souls! ‘God is the one who justifies.’ The Apostle did not say: God forgives sins, but something far more important—God justifies. Does one who condemns such a person deserve any attention? Therefore, one should not fear either trials, because God is for us, who has also proved this by his deeds, nor Jewish empty boasting, because God has chosen and justified us, and what is even more wonderful, he justified us through the death of his Son.”

Ambrosiaster writes: “It is quite clear that God’s foreknowledge and determination concerning us cannot in any way be reversed. For who is there who could disapprove what God approved, when there is no one equal to God? Therefore, there is no one else who could disapprove what God has approved: unless perhaps God himself should condemn us? But how can he condemn what he has justified?”

Rom. 8:34. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, and more than that, was raised to life, and is at the right hand of God interceding for us.

“This is, as it were, an answer to the objection: granted no one from outside can bring an accusation against us, but what of our sins? Will not our sins condemn us? Oecumenius writes: ‘The one who condemns’ raises the thought that the discourse is about sins.” Sins may be understood as past sins, which even after being forgiven can trouble hope by coming to mind, or—rather—future sins, those yet to be committed after receiving justification: for who is without sin? The Apostle answers: whatever sins may lie upon anyone, do not be troubled; only act according to the rule that the economy of our salvation lays down for cleansing from them. Former sins are washed away in baptism; new sins, into which you fall through weakness, will be forgiven in repentance. For an infinite sacrifice has been offered for sins; for them Christ died, and having risen and been taken up to heaven, he sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for those who sin and have recourse to him with tears of repentance. Regard sins as if they did not exist and do not allow them to shake your hope: only do not harden your heart and hasten to the Lord with repentance. This discourse of the Apostle is similar to the words of John the Theologian: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And further: I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin; and if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one” (1 Jn. 1:8–9; 2:1).

“Christ died.” Oecumenius understands that the Apostle is speaking this as a question, as if to say: who condemns? Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, who sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us?—thereby expressing the absolute impossibility of condemnation from the person of Christ the Lord, so that objection against this is not even permissible.

Christ the Lord died for us, rose, ascended to heaven, and sitting at the right hand of the Father, intercedes for us. How does he intercede? By his very presence at the right hand of the Father in human nature, bearing the marks of sufferings and wounds, which without words ever intercede for us. But the Apostle expresses more—for he says: ἐντυγχάνει—he converses intercessorily with God on our behalf. By all this is expressed the excessive love of Christ the Lord for us, desiring with his whole will to save each and every one of us. If such is the Lord’s care for us, how can we not be inspired with hope that we shall be saved and deemed worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven?

“What do you seek above this? The Master Christ died for us and, rising, sits with the Father; he has not even ceased in his providence for us, but, pointing to the firstfruits taken from us and showing their purity to the Father, through them he asks salvation for us” (Blessed Theodoret).

“Who will condemn us, when God himself crowns us, when Christ is slain for us, and after being slain still intercedes for us? Having appeared in his own dignity (by resurrection and ascension), he did not cease his providence for us, but intercedes for us and preserves toward us that same love. For him it was not enough to die for us, but what especially proves the greatest love—he not only accomplishes all that depends on him, but beseeches another for this. This alone the Apostle wished to show by the word: ‘he intercedes’; he speaks with kindness and condescension to show love. And if the Spirit intercedes for us ‘with groanings that cannot be uttered,’ if Christ died and intercedes for us, if the Father did not spare his own Son for you, chose you and justified you, what are you afraid of? Why do you tremble, enjoying such love, such care for you?” (Holy Chrysostom).

Our interpreters deemed it necessary to add here an explanation of the sense in which intercession must be understood. He intercedes, they say, as our Redeemer and Saviour according to the economy of salvation in the incarnation, not as God the Son. Therefore, this intercession does not signify any diminishment of the Godhood of God the Son. Blessed Theodoret writes: “The Apostle spoke of him in this way according to his humanity. For as God, he does not ask, but gives. But if heretics should say that the Son does this according to his Godhood, they will not diminish his glory by this either. Let us imagine two equally honored kings with equal power, and some provincial governor or military commander offends both; but one of them, having first received the petition of the offender, asks his coruler in the kingly power for reconciliation with him; does this diminish the honor of the one asking? Not at all. But here we cannot even say this; for what is pleasing to the Son is pleasing to the Father; both have one will. Therefore, in the Apostle, who set out to show an abundance of providence, the word takes on an ornate form of speech.”

Holy Chrysostom says: “First the Apostle said that Christ ‘is at the right hand of God,’ and then added that he ‘intercedes for us’; by which he demonstrated equality in honor, so that intercession must be regarded as the consequence not of lesser dignity, but of love alone. For when he himself is life, the source of all blessings, of equal power with the Father, raises the dead, gives life, and does all else, does he need to intercede to show us help? He who freed the hopeless and condemned from condemnation by his own authority, made them righteous and sons, he who raises them to the highest degree of honor, brings to fulfillment what it was impossible even to hope for; when all this has been accomplished, when our nature has been exalted to the throne of kingship, does he need to intercede for what is easier? Do you see how everything serves as proof that by the word ‘intercedes’ the Apostle sought to express nothing other than the fervor and strength of his love for us? And the Father himself appears as one who beseeches men for reconciliation with him: ‘We therefore, as workers together with him, also plead with you, as though God were pleading through us’ (2 Cor. 5:20). Yet when it is said that God beseeches and that men are ambassadors on behalf of Christ to men, we do not see anything degrading in their honor, but on the contrary, from such expressions we conclude only to the extraordinariness of love. Let us do the same here.”

“Oecumenius adduces explanations of this intercession by Holy Cyril and Photius. Holy Cyril says:”’He intercedes’—is spoken in relation to the humanity of Christ the Lord: for he is the High Priest, as it is said: ‘You are a priest forever’ (Heb. 7:17, 21).“Photius writes:”The Apostle here shows and explains the meaning of that word of the Lord, that word which the Lord raised to the Father in the form of prayer: ‘Father! Sanctify them in your truth, and: I pray that you keep them from the evil one’ (Jn. 17:17, 15), and the like. For the prayer then uttered has such power that it is always operative and always takes the place of spoken intercession.

Blessed Theophylact writes: “Some understood the words ‘he intercedes for us’ thus: since he bore a body and did not lay it aside (as the Manichees prattle), this very thing is intercession and advocacy before the Father: for, gazing upon this, the Father remembers his love for mankind, on account of which his Son bore the body, and in this way is moved to mercy and compassion.”

Rom. 8:35. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written:

The discourse takes a new turn. How should it be understood in relation to what precedes? It seems thus: the Apostle has depicted the firm foundations of our hope, which all proceed from the excessive love of God for us. But since all the strength of these foundations is firm in relation to each person not unconditionally, but under the condition of his faithfulness to God, the holy Paul now directs attention to this. He speaks, as it were, thus: God encompasses us with such love; therefore do not doubt that you will not lose what you have received and will not be deprived of what has been promised. Our hope might have been shaken if we were unfaithful, ungrateful, and not loving God. But this should not happen. For: “Who will separate us from the love of God?” Whoever has felt in his heart the love of God for himself cannot but be inflamed with love for God. And then let the whole world rise up against him for this love—he will never depart from God’s love. And if he does not depart from this love, neither can he weaken or waver in his hope. Holy Chrysostom says: “The Apostle, having shown how much God cares for us, continues his discourse with complete freedom and says that you also ought to love God equally; but as if ravished by this unspeakable providence, he exclaims: ‘Who will separate us from the love of God?’” In answer to this he says: tribulations and distresses might seem to separate us from God’s love. But would they be able to separate us? They should not have such effect on us (verses 35–37). And then he adds: and I am confident that they will not even be able to have such destructive effect on us (verses 38–39). Nothing could be more inspiring for enduring sorrows and distresses “for the sake of God’s love”! As happens in our ordinary life, when someone says to another: I am confident that you will not do this or that—then by this friendly or authoritative word he imposes upon him an unbreakable obligation to actually not do it: so the holy Paul has acted here.

Thus, in the first place, the Apostle indicates what might separate us from “God’s love,” but cannot. And he mentions only tribulations and distresses. But are they alone able to do this? Are not the allurements of the world powerful to do the same? Indeed, do they not turn people away from God and faithfulness to him even more? And if not more, then they can always be set alongside tribulations and distresses as things that draw away from God’s love. Why then did the Apostle pass over them in silence? Because whoever stands firm against the onslaught of tribulations and distresses will find that the allurements of the world have no power over him.

Holy Chrysostom says: “Marvel at the wisdom of blessed Paul! He did not mention what daily takes us captive—love of money, passion for glory, the torment of anger; but he lists what is far more tormenting than this, does violence to nature itself, and often shakes the firmness of mind against our will—he speaks of tribulations and distresses.” And perhaps the Apostle did not mention the allurements because at that time if anyone was turned away from “God’s love,” it was by tribulations, not by allurements at all. There were so many tribulations and they were so widespread that allurements never even came to mind.

“Tribulation, or distress”. As it were, a summary of all that is hostile to lovers of God in Christ Jesus: “tribulation”—more from the inner side, as hostility is reflected in the heart; and “distress”—more from the outer side, with respect to body and external condition. “Persecution”—both in family and in society they rise up and refuse to tolerate such a person living among them; and either directly drive him out, or through harassments and hostilities force him himself to flee. And he flees—often with nothing and having nothing; the inevitable consequence is “famine and nakedness”—there is nothing to eat with, nothing to clothe oneself in. But this is not yet all: persecutors are not satisfied with expulsion and deprivation of everything—they seek to beat and kill; from this, danger hangs constantly over one’s head—any moment they may seize, torture, and kill him. So it happened almost everywhere in private life. But sometimes governmental persecutors joined the private persecutors—and took the “sword” in hand, as if to strike down enemies, to behead the lovers of God. Holy Chrysostom says: “Each word contains countless multitudes of trials. When the Apostle speaks (for example) of tribulation, he means prisons, chains, accusations, exiles, and all other miseries; in one word he sweeps over a boundless sea of calamities, and in short, in a single expression he opens before us all human misfortunes. And yet he ventures into all these miseries. The Apostle uses a questioning form of speech, as if not doubting at all that he who is so beloved and stands under such providence cannot be separated from love (to the Benefactor).”

“As it is written.” The Apostle cites a place from the Psalm (Ps. 43:23) to confirm, as it were, only the calamitousness of lovers of God; but if one takes those words in the context of the content of the Psalm, they also confirm the unwavering love of those who love God. The Psalm depicts the extreme calamity that befell God’s people, most likely captivity and exile, with all the sorrows that accompanied it. But it notes that, despite all this having befallen us, “we have not forgotten you, and we have not violated your covenant, and our heart has not turned backward” (Ps. 43:18–19). Thus, it is evident that if we “are put to death all day long,” it is for no other reason than “for your sake” (Ps. 43:23). Seeing in this a prefiguration of the condition of the first Christians and their leaders, the Apostle cited this place, giving us to understand: if those remained so faithful to God despite distresses, will not we? And we are “more than conquerors” (verse 37). Our faithfulness to God’s love is already prefigured. We are only fulfilling what was foreordained. Or: how can we depart from what was foreordained—that which has been prefigured for us over so many centuries?