Title: 13
Author: JOEG
Last saved by: Matthew C. Lawson
Company: Auth Co

© 2002 Joe Griffin	                                   ▼                    02-01-06-B.JSH-593 /

The Inscrutable Question: The Two Glories & Heirships in Romans 8:12-21: Two Testimonies; “Children” Compared with “Sons”
B.		The Two Glories & Heirships in Romans 8:12-21
	1-	This passage contains the assertion that the information about to be revealed is guaranteed under the laws of testimony established by God in the Mosaic Law.
Romans 8:16 -	The Holy Spirit testifies together with our human spirit that we are children of God.
	2-	Moses established the legal requirement for affirming truth in:
	Deuteronomy 17:6 - On the evidence of two witness or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
Deuteronomy 19:15b -	 On the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.
3-	This legal principle is quoted four times in the New Testament: by our Lord in Matthew 18:16, by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:1 and 1 Timothy 5:19, and the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:28.
4-	One of Paul’s is phrased in such a way that it is pertinent to our passage in Romans:
2 Corinthians 13:1 - Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
	5-	In Romans 8:16 we find the Holy Spirit and the human spirit of the believer testifying to the validity of the principle that believers are “children of God.”  The word in the text is the present active indicative of the verb:
		summarturšw, summartureo -  “to testify with” or “to bear witness with”
This means that the Holy Spirit confirms a fact along with another witness in compliance with the standard established in the Mosaic Law and reiterated in the New Testament by the Lord, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews.  A fact asserted by two witnesses establishes the veracity of its claim.
		present:	Historical; a past event presented with the vividness of a present reality.
		active:	The Holy Spirit, along with the other witness, produces the action of affirming a fact of doctrine.
		indic.:	Declarative; a statement of fact and the establishment of truth.
The other witness is indicated next by the possessive pronoun ™gè, ego: “our,” followed by the instrumental of association from the noun:
pneàma, pneuma - “spirit”
Romans 8:16a - The Holy Spirit Himself testifies together with our human spirit … 
6-	What these two witnesses confirm is that all who believe in Jesus Christ are “children of God.”  The words for “sons” and “children” in this context are critical to distinguishing the difference between two glories, one, an imputation at salvation and the other, an escrow blessing.
7-	First of all there is a glory that comes to all who believe in Christ.  This is the indwelling of Jesus Christ as Shekinah Glory and the ultimate sanctification of every believer when he receives his resurrection body.
8-	The second category of glory has to do with a specific category of believers who advance to spiritual maturity and receive as a result the rewards associated with the Lord’s millennial kingdom.
9-	The first category which includes all believers is guaranteed from the moment of salvation.  The second category is only a potential at the moment of salvation and must be acquired through the method indicated in context.
10-	The word in verse 16 for “children” is tšknon, teknon and refers to a child.  This word also appears in Romans 8:17 and 8:21.  Another word in context refers to certain believers as “sons of God.”  The word for “sons” is uƒÒj, huios and means an “adult son” and refers to the mature believer.  We might even translate it a “spiritually mature man.”  This word is found in Romans 8:14 and 8:19.  It is implied in Romans 8:17.
11-	Let’s take a look at this entire context and note several words and phrases that are important to our study of glory:
Romans 8:12 -	Therefore, fellow believers, we are not obligated to the flesh [ the first husband ] that we should live according to the standards of the flesh—
v. 13 -	indeed if you as a believer live under the authority of the flesh and you do, you are destined to die [ the sin unto death ], but if by means of the Holy Spirit you recognize as dead the actions from the body [ human works ] you shall live the new life [ sophisticated spiritual life ].
v. 14 -	For as many as are being led by the Holy Spirit, these are [ uƒÒj, huios ] mature sons of God.
v. 15 -	For you have not received again a life of slavery for the purpose of fear but you have received the Holy Spirit of adoption by whom we keep shouting, “Abba!  Father!”
v. 16 -	The Holy Spirit testifies together with our human spirit that we are [ tšknon, teknon ] children of God [ royal family status and eternally secure ].
Romans 8:17 -	Now if we are children [ tšknon, teknon ] we are also heirs [ klhronÒmoj, kleronomos ], on the one hand, heirs of God [ the inheritance of a resurrection body & eternal life ], and on the other hand fellow heirs [ sugklhronÒmoj, sugkleronomos ] with Christ [ eternal rewards from the escrow ] if indeed we suffer [ first class condition: undeserved suffering associated with momentum & evidence testing in the sophisticated spiritual life ] in order that we might be glorified together [ sundox£zw, sundoxazo: escrow rewards & privileges in the millennial kingdom ].
v. 18 -	For I conclude that the sufferings of the present period of time [ momentum & evidence testing ] are not comparable to the glory [ dÒxa, doxa ] which is destined to be revealed to us [ rewards in the millennial kingdom ].
v. 19 -	For the confident expectation of the material universe stands in eager anticipation for the revealing of the [ uƒÒj, huios ] sons of God.
v. 20 -	For the creation was subordinated [ at the fall ] to futility [ unable to consistently sustain mankind ] against its own will [ undeserved suffering of the cyclic seasons ], but because of Him who has subordinated it [ Jesus Christ at the Second Advent ], in confidence
v. 21 -	the material universe itself shall be set free from slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory [ dÒxa, doxa: millennial kingdom ] with reference to the [ tšknon, teknon ] children of God.

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