"You have been adopted into the family," Paul says. "You will share in the inheritance." Then Paul gives us a BTW: part of that shared inheritance is suffering.
Sharing in the Spirit does not immunize us against the suffering that is part of creation; but, suffering is not the last word.
Paul believed that the end was coming very soon. We now believe this earth and our attachment to it are coming to continue for quite a while. This difference in timetable forces us to consider how we are to interpret Paul's words about hope and patience.
Sources: Reinventing Paul, John G. Gager; Paul and His Letters, Leander E. Keck
One of my favorite commentaries is The People's New Testament Commentary, by M. Eugene Boring and Fred B. Craddock. Here's what they say about this passage in Romans:
God is concerned with saving not only individuals but with all of creation.
Sin also is concerned with the individual and with all creation.
The evil we are experiencing is not the last word.
Through the Spirit, we have a foretaste of what God's new world will be like.
Hope is not just a wish; hope is confidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment