Romans 8:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What does it mean that 'the Spirit bears witness with our spirit'? The Apostle says that the Comforter bears witness to the gift imparted to us. This is not only the voice of the gift, but also the voice of the Comforter Who bestowed the gift. He Himself, through the gift, taught us to utter this word.

When the Spirit bears witness, what uncertainty can there be? If a man, or an angel, or an archangel, or some other similar power had promised this, doubt might perhaps be possible for some. But when the supreme Being both bestowed this and testifies to us about it by the word we are commanded to utter in prayer, who can doubt the dignity? When a king honors someone and publicly declares his honor before all, will any of his subjects dare to contradict him?

Thus, according to the greatness of the expected reward, we should show even greater zeal for the works of God, pushing every care for the world behind us. The Apostle John teaches us what it means to be coheirs with Christ, saying, When He appears, we shall be like Him (1 Jn 3:2).'

Although this testimony is a gift of grace, as the very restoration of our spirit to its rights and power is a gift of grace, grace is most intimately joined to our spirit and becomes one with it.

Therefore everything gracious is enacted through our spirit. It is received by the spirit from the Spirit of God, and by the spirit it is proclaimed in our inward world.

For this reason the Apostle said before, “By Whom we cry, Abba, Father.” The Spirit of grace gives our spirit strength and boldness to cry in this way, but we are the ones who cry.

To this voice, proceeding from the depths of our spirit, the Spirit Himself bears witness. How?

Probably by a certain special testimony, not proceeding from the depths of our spirit, but heard from without, though in the spirit, and reflected in it. It comes from the Spirit of God.

If we take the testimony of our spirit to be a childlike feeling toward God, consisting in the simplicity of unquestioning trust in God and surrender of oneself to Him, then we may take the testimony of the Spirit as assurance.

It assures us that such a relation to God is true, without deception, and pleasing to God Himself (see Oecumenius).

But this passage can also be understood not as a new assurance of sonship to God, but as a conclusion from what precedes. We received the Spirit of adoption.

Thus the Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God. “To our spirit” means to our feeling and our consciousness.

As a consequence, we cry, “Abba, Father.”

St. Chrysostom says: “The Apostle says that I am given strength not only by the word ‘Abba, Father,’ but also by the cause that produces the word.

For I pronounce it at the prompting of the Spirit. The Apostle expressed this even more clearly elsewhere, saying, ‘God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father’ (cf. Gal 4:6).

What does it mean that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit? The Apostle says that the Comforter testifies concerning the gift communicated to us.

For this word is not only the voice of the gift, but also the voice of the Comforter, Who bestowed the gift. Through the gift He Himself taught us to pronounce this word.

When the Spirit bears witness, is any place left for doubt? If a man, an angel, an archangel, or some other power had promised this, some would have the right to doubt.

But when the supreme Being both grants this and testifies to it by the very word He commanded us to pronounce in prayer, who can doubt the dignity?

If a king grants someone a rank and announces it before all, none of the subjects dares contradict it.”

These two understandings do not contradict each other. What is spoken of separately in the first is affirmed together in the second.

It is more important for us to dwell attentively on how mysterious this testimony is. Blessed are the Christians to whom the Apostle wrote, affirming that they had such testimony.

For them it was tangibly clear. In our time it produces only amazement.

Dogmatically, we cannot but hold that it ought to be so. Yet which of us can boast of experiential assurance in this?

The spirit of the world has overcome us. The movements of the Spirit of God are scarcely intelligible to us.

But this does not shake the truth that those faithful to the Spirit of God truly bear within themselves this testimony of the Spirit, or continually hear it.

Who, then, is faithful to the Spirit? The one who is led by the Spirit. Again this is mysterious.

Here it is more comprehensible: the one who, living by the spirit in God, zealously strives in every way to please God by fulfilling His will expressed in the commandments.

Such a man unfailingly reaches the feeling of sonship to God and hears within himself the Spirit’s testimony concerning it. This is the summit of growth, the end of the path.

Yet the Fathers assure us that even at the beginning one is given to perceive this.

Ambrosiaster writes about this practical side of the testimony: “When we act well, and when the Holy Spirit for this reason abides in us, then to that voice and to our spirit crying in prayer, ‘Abba, Father,’ this Spirit of God gives testimony while He abides in us.

He testifies that we do not unreasonably say, ‘Abba, Father.’ For we show a life worthy of this voice.

This is the faithful testimony concerning children, that they are children, when through the Spirit the paternal mark is seen in them, that is, the paternal character and spirit of life.”