35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 KJV.
In these verses, Paul writes that nothing or no one can separate, or “to put asunder” [meaning of separate (1)], asunder meaning “in a divided state” (2), us from the love or “affection” or “benevolence” [meanings of love (1)] or “the disposition to do good” [meaning of benevolence (2)] “of Christ,” the “anointed” (1), i.e., “The Messiah, Son of God…Redeemer” (2). Not tribulation or “anguish” (1) or “persecution” (1); not distress or signifying “any keen distress from sorrow, remorse, despair, and kindred passions” (2); not persecution or “the infliction of pain, punishment, or death upon others unjustly” (2); not famine or “a scarcity of food” (1) or “as a famine of the word of life” (2); not nakedness or “openness of view” (2); not peril or “danger” (1); or sword or “vengeance” or “justice” (1). Nothing.
“As it is written” (in Psalm 44:22), we are killed or “deprived of life” (2), or “quelled” [crushed, subdued, quieted (2)] “all the day long,” day meaning “as the ‘day’ throws light upon things that have been in darkness” (3). “We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” or we are accounted or to have “esteem” (1) as sheep or “as true followers of Christ in general” [meaning of sheep (3)], for the slaughter or “butchery…(figuratively) of men” (1).
But, because of the magnitude of the love of Jesus, despite all of the above, we are more than conquerors, conquerors meaning “to gain a surpassing victory” through Christ Jesus [‘Christ Jesus’ suggests His grace (3)] who loved us in as “it expresses the deep and constant ‘love’ and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential ‘love’ in them towards the Giver, and a practical ‘love’ towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver.” [meaning of love (3)] as demonstrated when Jesus gave His life, took on our sins, for all (John 3:16).
Therefore through all, not death or “spiritual ‘death’ (which) is conscious existence in separation from God” (3); nor life or “for the life that He gives (that) He maintains” (3); nor angels or “a messenger…pastor” (1); nor principalities or “of evil angels, of holy angels” (3); nor powers or “worker of miracle(s)” [powers also meaning “strength”, “violence” (1)]; nor things present or “being now in view or under consideration” [meaning of present (2)]; nor things to come or “to move towards; to advance near, in any manner, and from any distance [meaning of come (3)]; nor height or “a barrier (figuratively)” (1) or “high thing” (1); nor depth or “mystery” or “deepness” (1); nor any other creature or “creation”[meaning of creature (1)] or “ordinance” [from creature (1)] or “a rule established by authority; a permanent rule of action” [meaning of ordinance (2).]
Therefore, it is said that none of the above, nothing, can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (His grace) our Lord.”
Oh how He loves us! All Hail to the King!
(1) The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, by James Strong, LL.D., S. T. D.
(2) Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary
(3) Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, by W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr.
Brenda A. McGee has attended New York Theological Seminary in New York, NY, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA as a Master of Divinity student.