Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 8:16
16. The Spirit itself—It should be "Himself" (see on :-). beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children—"are children" of God—The testimony of our own spirit is borne in that cry of conscious sonship, "Abba, Father"; but we are not therein alone; for the Holy Ghost within us, yea, even in that very cry which it is His to draw forth, sets His own distinct seal to ours; and thus, "in the mouth of two witnesses" the thing is established. The apostle had before called us "sons of God,"... read more
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 8:15
15. For, c.—"For ye received not (at the time of your conversion) the spirit of bondage," that is, "The spirit ye received was not a spirit of bondage." again—gendering. to fear—as under the law which "worketh wrath," that is, "Such was your condition before ye believed, living in legal bondage, haunted with incessant forebodings under a sense of unpardoned sin. But it was not to perpetuate that wretched state that ye received the Spirit." but ye have received—"ye received." the spirit of... read more