ACC ~ Romans 8 v16

THE SPIRIT BEARING WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRITS. ORIGEN: The Spirit of adoption … bears witness and assures our spirits that we are children of God after we have passed from the spirit of slavery and come under the Spirit of adoption, when all fear has departed. We no longer act out of fear of punishment but do everything out of love for the Father. It is right too that the Spirit of God should be said to bear witness with our spirits and not with our souls, because the spirit is our better part. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

DIODORE: Paul showed by this that he called the soul “spirit” when it was spiritual, and the gift of the Spirit “Spirit.” PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

AMBROSIASTER: The witness of children is that by the Spirit they should be seen to bear the sign of the Father. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THE GIFT AND THE GIVER. CHRYSOSTOM: This means that the Comforter bears witness with the gift which he has given us. For it is not merely the gift which speaks but the Comforter who gave the gift as well. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 14.

EVIDENCE OF OUR ADOPTION. PELAGIUS: The evidence of our adoption is that we have the Spirit, through whom we pray in the manner mentioned above; for only sons could receive such a pledge. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

HIS SPIRIT AND OURS. THEODORET OF CYR: Paul uses the word spirit in two senses. The first is the Spirit of God, the second is our spirit, i.e., through the grace which we have been given. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

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