Romans 8 is a segment of the Bible that focuses on identity. How should believers in Jesus as Messiah view themselves? It is sufficient to say that Paul does not consider the race card an appropriate means of identity! He processes through the chapter with statement after statement: not in the flesh but in the spirit, not slaves but children, not merely children but heirs. These descriptions of identity ultimately lead to several questions at the end of the chapter and perhaps further clarification in chapters 9-11. But what is interesting about these questions is how Paul wants us to regard them.
Paul introduces the questions with a question, "what shall we say?" and proceeds to ask specific questions and give somewhat loosely related answers. However, the thrill of understanding Romans is when one recognizes that this is not the first time that Paul has asked this question. On several occasions Paul has asked the "what shall we say?" question and followed it up with one or more questions. In 3.3-4, and 3.5-6 he begins his rhetoric. This is followed in 6 and 7 with a series of 4 repetitions, 6.1, 6.15, 7.7 and 7.13. Thus on six prior occasions the auditor has heard Paul ask a question and known his reply, me genoito.
Now Paul asks, one more time, "what shall we say?" and the anticipated answer is me genoito! But Paul himself does not provide the elicited response. He proceeds to ask several questions about our identity. The kind of questions we ponder with no real answers, culminating with "who could separate us from the love of Christ?"
Understanding our identity leads us to live in certain ways and discuss issues with a certain background. On the basis of Romans, "who can separate us from the love of Christ?" when we are in the spirit, children of God and jointheirs with Christ?
