Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 8:35

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

Who shall separate us. That is, finally or entirely separate us. This is a new argument of the apostle, showing his strong confidence in the safety of the Christian.

From the love of Christ. This expression is ambiguous; and may mean either our love to Christ, or His love to us. I understand it in the former sense and suppose it means, "Who shall cause us to cease to love the Savior?" In other words, the love which Christians have for their Redeemer is so strong that it will surmount and survive all opposition and all trials.

The reason for understanding the expression this way is that it is not conceivable how afflictions and other such things should have any tendency to alienate Christ's love from us; but the supposed tendency to alienate our love from Him might be very strong. They are endured in His cause. They are caused, in large measure, by professed attachment to Him.

The persecutions and trials to which Christians are exposed on account of their professed attachment to Him might be supposed to make them weary of a service that involved so many trials. But no, says the apostle. Our love for Him is so strong that we are willing to bear all; and nothing that these foes of our peace can do can alienate us from Him and from His cause. The argument, therefore, is drawn from the strong love of a Christian to his Savior, and from the assurance that nothing would be able to separate him from that love.

Shall tribulation. (θλῖψις) (See Barnes on Romans 2:9).

The word properly refers to pressure from without; affliction arising from external causes. However, it often means trial of any kind.

Or distress. (στενοχωρία). This word properly means narrowness of place; and then, great anxiety and distress of mind, such as arises when a person does not know where to turn or what to do for relief. It refers, therefore, to distress or anxiety of mind—such as the early Christians were often subject to from their trials and persecutions. 2 Corinthians 7:5 states, Without were fightings, within were fears. (See Barnes on Romans 2:9).

Or persecution. (See Barnes on Matthew 5:11).

To these the early Christians were constantly exposed.

Or famine. To this they were also exposed as the natural result of being driven from home, and of being often compelled to wander among strangers, and in deserts and desolate places.

Or peril. Danger of any kind.

Or sword. The sword of persecution; the danger of their lives to which they were constantly exposed. As all these things happened to them in consequence of their professed attachment to Christ, it might be supposed that they would tend to alienate their minds from Him. But the apostle was assured that they did not have this power, but that their love for the Savior was so strong as to overcome all and to bind them unalterably to His cause in the midst of the deepest trials.

The fact is, that the more painful the trials to which they are exposed on His account, the stronger and more unwavering is their love for Him, and their confidence in His ability to save.