Romans chapter 8 verses 19 through 23. All creation groans for the sons of God, verses 19 through 22." For the eager expectation of creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For creation was subjected to futility. This was not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope. For creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.
What is the creation that groans and travails and eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God? Origen understands Paul to be talking about rational creation, that is, the angels. Origen writes," Every creature above observes our struggles and conflicts, and they suffer when we are defeated, but they rejoice when we are truly victorious." Jesus said," There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." So the angels take a keen interest in the affairs of men.
They care about human salvation, and they groan over those who are lost, and over Christians who turn away from God. Furthermore, our own souls and spirits have been subjected to futility. Origen explains that this is because they are confined within a fleshly body with all its limitations and corruptibility. They eagerly await the resurrection and the end to this bondage.
In contrast, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Ambrosiaster interpret Paul here to be personifying the material world, the plants, animals, and physical earth. Chrysostom writes," Paul personifies this whole world just as the prophets did, for the prophets speak of the rivers clapping their hands, little hills leaping, and mountains skipping." It is not that we are to imagine that these objects are alive, nor are we to ascribe any reasoning power to them. Rather, it is so we may learn the greatness of God's blessings.
As far as the futility of the material world, the earth was cursed because of Adam and Eve, and now it brings forth thorns and thistles. Furthermore, everything born into the world, animals and plants, eventually dies and decays. Theodoret offers this explanation. Paul declares that all visible creation has obtained a mortal nature for the maker of all things had foreseen Adam's transgression and the sentence of death that would be passed on him.
Now, it was neither fit nor right that what was created for mankind should possess an incorruptible nature, while man himself was mortal and prey to desires and sufferings. For all these other things were made for man's sake. Chrysostom argues that this state of futility will eventually end. Just as man will receive immortality in the resurrection, the material world will inherit incorruption. God promises there will be a new heaven and new earth.
Chrysostom writes," Material creation will also be a sharer in your blessings." For Paul says," Creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption." In other words, it shall no longer be corruptible. Instead, it will be raised along with the beauty given to your body. For when our bodies became corruptible, the material world became corruptible also. Similarly, when our bodies are made incorruptible, all creation will follow suit as well.
Here, Chrysostom is using corruption in the sense of decay, atrophy, and disintegration. He goes on to quote from the Psalms," Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed." Of course, we will have to wait and see how all this is actually fulfilled. Yet these early Christians have put forth an exciting idea that God did not originally create the plants and animals to die.
Rather, because of the sentence of death imposed upon man, death was imposed on the plants and animals as well. For it would have been inappropriate that humans, God's highest material creation, would live for only a brief lifespan and then die, while the plants and animals would never die. Our pets would live on while we would end up dying. So God imposed death on all material creation. However, this corruptibility will end in the new earth that has been promised.
However, we should keep in mind that this was simply one of the viewpoints held by the early Christians. The church itself had no official dogma on what God's plan is for material creation in the future. The early Christians recognized that the apostles had not explained all the mysteries concerning God's plans for the future of the universe.
Romans 8:23," And not only this, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we also groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." Along with the rest of creation, we Christians also groan. This is said in two senses. First, we groan in eager expectation of being freed from this mortal fallen body. Paul had written to the Corinthians about this redemption of the body," For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality." As part of our redemption, we also eagerly await being united with Christ, our Lord and Savior. Yet Origen points out that there is a second sense in which we now groan. We groan over our sins, for we well know that we can still be lost.
As Paul told the Corinthians," We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things in the body according to what He has done, whether good or bad." Waiting for the adoption. Paul had previously said that we have already been adopted. So why does He now say that we are still waiting for the adoption? It is because while we are still in this life, we can prove ourselves unworthy and be disinherited.
Theodoret comments," Here Paul shows us more precisely that at the present time, we have obtained only the provisional status of children. But at that time, we shall be made partakers of the full reality. That is when our bodies shall have been released from corruption and shall have put on immortality. Irenaeus writes," Those who do not obey Him have ceased to be His sons, for they have been disinherited by Him." So in the present life, our adoption is only provisional.
We are still waiting for our adoption to become final, eternally fixed. This only happens upon our death if we have walked faithfully with Christ throughout our lives. Chrysostom writes," If we die with a good hope, then the gift becomes immovable. It then becomes clearer and greater, no longer having to fear any change from death and sin. At that time, the gift will be secure, when our bodies shall be freed from death and its countless passions. For that will be full redemption.
At that time, we shall never again return to our former captivity. We ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit. What does Paul mean when he says we presently have the first fruits of the Spirit? He means that we presently have only the earnest or token deposit of the Spirit. He told the Corinthians," He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as an earnest." So we do not yet have the Spirit in full measure.
Theodoret comments," By the word first fruits, he points out that in the future life, we shall receive a far greater measure of the gift of the Spirit. For what is now offered to us is called only the first fruits and an earnest.
Therefore, at that time, the fullness of the Spirit shall far exceed the first fruits in greatness." Chrysostom writes," The first fruits are so great that through them, we are freed from our sins and attain righteousness and sanctification." If that is the case, consider how great the entirety of the Spirit will be.