Examining the Evidence: Romans 8:28-39

SEMANTICS

Important Words
A few words warrant significant attention. The first is a noun; all the others are verbs: "all things" (pas); and "called" (kaleo), "predestined" (proorizo), "justified" (dikaioo), "glorified" (doxazo), "accuse" (egkaleo), "condemn" (katakrino), and "separate" (chorizo). It is clear that Paul is preoccupied with the over-arching, active nature of God.

Paul's use of the word pas occurs in three discreet places in this passage: first in v. 28 to refer to the "infirmities," or weaknesses, mentioned in v. 26; second in v. 32 to refer to those things God "sees to be needful and necessary for us, all good things, and more we should not desire⁷;" and third in v. 37, in conjunction with the word tautaus ("these") to refer to the calamities mentioned in vv. 35 and 36. These are, in fact, the key words to the entire passage: they leave no room for any thought other than that God's sovereign plan is working through every event, good and (especially) bad, that happen in our lives.

The verb kaleo is translated "to call," but specifically "to call forth." The word is derived from keleuo, which means "to incite by word, to give a command" (v. 28). The clear implication is that those who love God are those who, according to His sovereign design, He has elected to call (since he does not explicitly say "those who He called").⁸ The word "purpose" (prothesis) is not qualified or described in any way; apparently, Paul left the expression to stand on its own merit, emphasizing the sovereignty of God.

The verb proorizo means "to limit in advance;" here, Paul is using the figurative sense of "to predetermine" (v.29). Translated here as "predestined," Paul has chosen this particular word to emphasize the knowledge­indeed, the foreknowledge (proginosko, "to know beforehand") of God.⁹

The word for "justify," the verb dikaioo, literally means "to render [i.e. show or regard as] just or innocent" (v. 30). In his pleading the case for God's decision, Paul argues that while God may extend his call to all humanity (Mt. 20:16, 22:14), only those who will have responded to "the internal and effectual call" can be justified that is, removing the stigma of "criminals" and treating them as friends.¹⁰

The verb doxazo means "to render (or esteem) glorious; to glorify, make glorious" (v. 30). It is worth noting here that all the verbs used heretofore are expressed in the past tense: Paul is talking about something that has already been done.^{11, 12}

The verb egkaleo, "to call in, as a debt or demand" (v.33), connotes the concept of bringing to account, as in to charge or accuse. Clearly, Satan tries to do this, pointing out "the discrepancy between the profession of believers and their 'walk '" but his lack of credibility and the absolute work of the cross guarantee the clearing of our debt.¹³

The second degree of legal prosecution, the concept of verdict, is derived from the verb katakrino, which literally means "to judge against, i.e. sentence; condemn" (v.34). Sin has been performed, to be sure, and Holy God requires that someone must bear the blame of these offenses. This made sense to Romans, who were sticklers for observing the letter of the law. If a law had been broken, someone must be found guilty.

Finally, the verb chorizo, "to place room between, i.e. part; reflexively, to go away; depart, put asunder, separate" (v. 35) indicates the final stage of any prosecution: the sentencing. Paul's point, however, is that there is no sentence for those who have been declared "not guilty" because of Christ's substitutionary work. And with God there is no double jeopardy.

⁷Henry, p. 966.
⁸Harrison, Everett F. "Romans." The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Ed. by Frank E. Gaebelein. (Zondervan: 1976), p. 97.
⁹Unger, p. 482.
¹⁰Henry, p. 966.
¹¹Ibid.
¹²Harrison, p. 98.
¹³Ibid., p. 99.