3AMS

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

Shall separate.

Gr. chōrizō, literally, “to put a space between.” Can anyone put a distance between us and Christ’s love? Can anyone cause Him to stop loving us? All the things that Paul now lists will not make Christ love us any less.

The love of Christ.

This is evidently Christ’s love for us rather than our love for Christ (cf. on ch. 5:5).

Tribulation.

See on ch. 5:3. Paul is well able to speak on this subject in view of his own experiences (see 1 Cor. 4:10-13; 2 Cor. 11:23-33).

Distress.

Gr. stenochōria (see on ch. 2:9). The evils listed in this verse were all exceedingly real to the early Christians.