We should understand Paul’s in the sense that
God knows the mind of the Spirit because it is in accordance with God’s will; or
God knows that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.
Paul writes that the Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows the mind of the Spirit. He then includes a clause that could be translated as either because
or that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.
Which is it?
While it is difficult to decide between these, likely Paul wants us to translate the word in question (ὅτι) as because,
so that Paul is saying God knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. The reason to favour a causal rendering of ὅτι is that Paul places the preposition according to God’s will
at the beginning of Romans 8:27b. By doing so, Paul has placed it in the emphatic position, to highlight it. The best explanation for why Paul would highlight that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will
is that he wants to highlight the causal connection between God knowing the mind of the Spirit and the Spirit interceding according to God’s will. In other words, God knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.
Some contend that we should translate ὅτι as that,
so Paul is saying that God knows the mind of the Spirit, that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. In other words, Paul introduces Romans 8:27b to explain the content of what God knows by knowing the mind of the Spirit. He knows that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. The argument here is that given the context, there are only two ways to translate ὅτι, namely, either as because
or that.
Further, we should not translate ὅτι as because,
for such a translation suggests that the reason God’s knows the mind of the Spirit is that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. Of course, it seems that God knows the mind of the Spirit, not because the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will but because the Spirit is God. Thus, we ought to take ὅτι to mean that.
While this view makes an important point, it fails to notice the intent behind using ὅτι to mean because.
That is, Paul may want us to take ὅτι to mean because
not because he is explaining the metaphysics behind the relationship of the Trinity, but to encourage the Romans. He wants the Romans to understand that the Spirit lives in them and intercedes for them according to God’s will, and since the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will (because the Spirit and God are one), God knows the mind of the Spirit. Paul is not explicating the mystery of the trinitarian relationship, but encouraging the Romans that the Spirit is in them, and the Spirit intercedes for them.
So while it is difficult to decide between translating ὅτι because
or that,
we slightly favour because.
Thus, Paul is saying God knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.
Interpretation 1:
God knows the mind of the Spirit because it is in accordance with God’s will.
Summary:
When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us by articulating our prayers to the Father. And the Father knows what the Spirit intercedes for us because the Spirit intercedes according to the will of God.
The Holy Spirit is God so he always aligns with the Father. At the same time, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Helper. This means we have a Comforter and Helper who is God himself, who always aligns with the will of the Father.
Advocates:
James Dunn
Richard Longenecker
John MacArthur
Douglas Moo
Leon Morris
Thomas Schreiner
Frank Thielman
Minor differences:
Some of our authors contend that we ought to translate ὅτι in a causal sense, as because.
Others agree that we could take it to mean because
but that it could also mean that,
and it is not necessary to choose between these.
For Douglas Moo, Richard Longenecker, Frank Thielman, and John MacArthur, Paul uses ὅτι in a causal sense, because.
In other words, Paul is saying that God knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.1,2,3,4
Our other authors, including James Dunn, Leon Morris, and Thomas Schreiner, agree that Paul could be using ὅτι in a causal sense, but that he might also be using it in an explicative sense. In other words, Paul may be using ὅτι to explain that what God knows is that the Holy Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. For Dunn, Paul intended to leave ambiguity between a causal and explicative understanding of ὅτι but it is not possible to bring out this ambiguity in an English translation.5 For Morris, there is simply no way to decide between taking ὅτι in a causal or explicative sense, so both possibilities ought to be kept open.6 For Schreiner, that we cannot decide between the causal and explicative sense does not matter, because both translations amount to the same meaning.7
Arguments
Possible weaknesses
Interpretation 2:
God knows that the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will.
Summary:
When we do not know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us. God knows the mind of the Spirit, in particular, that the Spirit intercedes for believers according to the will of God.
Advocates:
Charles Cranfield
Arguments
Possible weaknesses
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.