Romans 1:4

Declared. Gr. horizo, “to mark off by a boundary,” hence, “to designate,” “to determine,” “to define.” The word is translated “ordained” in Acts 10:42; 17:31. Horizo is the root of the compound Greek word translated “separated” in Rom. 1:1.

With power. Or, “in power.” This phrase may be connected as an adverb with “declared,” or as an adjective with “Son of God.” Taken adverbially, the passage would mean that Jesus was powerfully or miraculously declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection. Taken adjectively, the passage would refer to the exalted state of Christ as “Son of God in power” at or since the resurrection. Either interpretation is in harmony with other scriptures (see Eph. 1:19-21). Neither interpretation gives any support to the idea that Jesus lacked in any divine power or quality preceding His resurrection.

Spirit of holiness. Some understand this to mean the Holy Spirit and cite ch. 8:11 in support of this interpretation. However, the Spirit is never so designated elsewhere.

Others see the phrase as the counterpart of “according to the flesh” (ch. 1:3). They note that according to the flesh Jesus was descended from David, but according to the spirit of holiness He was also the Son of God.

The theological implications of this passage have been discussed at length by many interpreters. It does not seem, however, that Paul is chiefly concerned here with contrasting the humanity and divinity of Christ, but rather with making it clear that Jesus is at one and the same time the promised Jewish Messiah and the divine Son of God.

From the dead. Paul is presenting the resurrection of Jesus as proof of divine sonship. Jesus had consistently claimed that He was the Son of God (Matt. 27:43; John 5:17-30; 10:36) and had predicted that He would rise again the third day (Matt. 12:40; John 2:19, 21). Now Paul is affirming that Jesus has been decisively proved to be the Son of God by the miraculous fulfillment of His predicted resurrection.

In the Greek the words “Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 3) appear at the end of v. 4. Paul finally identifies the Son of David and the Son of God with the Jesus of Nazareth already acknowledged as Christ and Lord by the Christians.

These names were full of meaning to a Jew. “Jesus,” a transliteration of the Greek form of the Aramaic Yeshua1, “Joshua,” means “Jehovah is salvation” (see on Matt. 1:1).

“Christ” is a transliteration of the Greek equivalent of the Heb. Mashiach, “Messiah,” the “anointed” (see on Matt. 1:1). “Lord,” as a title for a divine ruler and master, was already familiar from its use in the LXX (see on John 20:28).