For an Informed Love of God
Bill Mounce
Exegetical Insight (Chapter 29)
In Romans 1:3–4 it is imperative to see that the two attributive participles (tou: genomevnou, “who was,” and tou: oJrisqevntoV, “who was appointed”) modify the word “son” (uiÔou:) that appears at the beginning of verse 3. The two participial phrases communicate two complementary truths about the Son. First, “he was of the seed of David according to the flesh” (tou: genomevnou ejk spevrmatoV Daui…d kata; savrka). Since Jesus was a descendant of David, he fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that a ruler would come from David’s line (2 Sam 7:12–16; Isa 11:1–5, 10; Jer 23:5–6; 33:14–17; Ezek 34:23–24).
In saying that Jesus was David’s descendant “according to the flesh,” no criticism of his Davidic origin is implied. Nonetheless, the second attributive participle introduces something greater than being the fleshly descendant of David. The Son “was appointed to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead” (tou: oJrisqevntoV uiÔou: qeou: ejn dunavmei kata; pneu:ma aJgiwsuvnhV ejx ajnastavsewV nekrwÇn).
The two stages of salvation history are present here. During his earthly life Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of David, but upon his resurrection he was appointed as the ruling and reigning Messiah. The title “Son of God” in verse 4, then, refers to the messianic kingship of Jesus, not his deity. Paul is not suggesting that Jesus was adopted as God’s Son upon his resurrection. Remember that the phrase introduced with the attributive participle tou: oJrisqevntoV in verse 4 modifies the word “Son” (uiÔou:) in verse 3. The “Son” was appointed by God to be “the Son of God.” In other words, Jesus was already the Son before he was appointed to be the Son of God! The first usage (v. 3) of the word “Son,” then, refers to Jesus’ preexistent divinity that he shared with the Father from all eternity. Jesus’ appointment as “the Son of God” (v. 4) refers to his installment as the messianic King at his resurrection.
How great Jesus Christ is! He is the eternal Son of God who reigns with the Father from all eternity. But he also deserves our worship as the messianic King, the God-Man who was appointed as the Son of God in power when he was raised from the dead.