Romans 8:35

35. Who… separate The apostle now issues his third challenge to the foes of the redeemed. He has called for the accuser, the condemner, and now he summons the separator, sure that none dare appear. He next challenges an entire catalogue of enemies by name and declares the discomfiture of all.

Love of Christ It is a strange dispute between commentators whether this phrase signifies our love to Christ or Christ’s love to us. We often speak of a person being separated from another’s affection, but whoever heard of a man being separated from his own love to another? Besides, it is God’s and Christ’s maintenance of the cause of the Christian which runs through the entire passage. In the present verse the apostle enumerates a series of earthly or natural foes of the Christian, and in 38 and 39 the supernatural or transcendent.

Nothing, indeed, can separate the believer from Christ; but the man may depart from his faith and cease to be a believer. Nothing can kill the Christian, but he may commit suicide. None can pluck him out of his Father’s hand, but he may leap out of that hand himself. And hence of that one enemy which a man may be to himself the apostle makes no mention in his hostile catalogue.

Tribulation The apostle now enumerates seven enemies which assail the Christian in vain. Not but that these foes can materially harm him, though they can neither accuse nor condemn him as before God. From their corporeal assaults, even the Divine Protector promises no immunity and no deliverance from their earthly power. But they cannot break, they will brighten, rather, and strengthen the golden chain that fastens the justified to Christ.