The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
8:16 — “bears witness with our spirit.” According to the Modern Version, and the Hispano-American, he says, “it bears witness together with our spirit.” (The American Standard Version also says “with,” instead of “to”). According to the Greek text the preposition is “a,” with the dative case, but in the Greek the dative case has many different uses, and so it is not always translated simply “a.” Let’s notice the context: Paul is not speaking in the context of the conversion of people. This point is ignored by those who teach that the Holy Spirit bears some witness directly “to” the unsaved person, thus working miraculously in the person. Paul is talking about the “spirit of adoption” which is the disposition or attitude of those who are children of God, guided by the Holy Spirit. Well, the Holy Spirit bears witness (speaking by the inspired Word, see for example Hebrews 10:15) of what the life of a child of God is, and our spirit (our disposition as a child) testifies that we possess those characteristics of a child. The testimony of the one is presented jointly with that of the other. If we are led, and if we follow, this mutual testimony proves that we are children of God.
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
because the same Spirit. Romans 8:23, Romans 8:26; 2Co 1:22; 2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13; Eph 4:30; 1Jn 4:13.
to our spirit. 2Co 1:12; 1Jn 3:19-22; 1Jn 5:10.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
A further indication of the adoption of believers as sons is that the Holy Spirit bear witness to their spirits. When believers cry out to the Father in prayer (v. Romans 8:15), the Holy Spirit intercedes for them (v. Romans 8:26).
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
THE SPIRIT HIMSELF GIVES TESTIMONY. The Holy Spirit imparts confidence that, through Christ and with Christ, the believer is now a child of God (v. Romans 8:15). He confirms the truth that Christ loved believers before they loved Him, continues to love them and lives for them in heaven as mediator (cf. Hebrews 7:25). The Spirit also shows that the Father’s love for believers as adopted sons is in no way inferior to that which he has for his only Son (Joh 14:21; Joh 14:23; Joh 17:23). Ultimately, the Spirit creates in believers the love and trust by which they cry out to Him, “Abba, Father!” (v. Romans 8:15).
Source: Full Life Study Bible
testifies to our spirit. In Roman culture, for an adoption to be legally binding, seven reputable witnesses had to be present to attest to its validity. The Holy Spirit of God confirms the validity of our adoption, not by means of some interior and mystical voice, but by the fruit that He produces in us (Gal 5:22-23) and the power it supplies for spiritual service (Acts 1:8).
Source: MacArthur Study Bible
8:16– “bears witness with our spirit.” According to the Modern Version, and the Hispano-American, he says, “it bears witness together with our spirit.” (The American Standard Version also says “with,” instead of “to”). According to the Greek text the preposition is “a,” with the dative case, but in the Greek the dative case has many different uses, and so it is not always translated simply “a.” Let’s notice the context:
Paul is not speaking in the context of converting people. This point is ignored by those who teach that the Holy Spirit bears some witness directly “to” the unsaved person, thus working miraculously in the person. Paul is talking about the “spirit of adoption” which is the disposition or attitude of those who are children of God, guided by the Holy Spirit. Well, the Holy Spirit bears witness (speaking by the inspired Word, see for example Heb 10:15) of what the life of a child of God is like, and our spirit (our childlike disposition) bears witness that we possess those child characteristics. The testimony of the one is presented jointly with that of the other. If we are led, and if we follow, this mutual testimony proves that we are children of God.
Source: Reeves-Partain Notes
CROSS-REFERENCES
i 493 Joh 14:17; 1Co 2:10; Tit 3:6
j 494 1Jn 5:7
k 495 Ac 17:16; Romans 1:9; 1Co 2:11
l 496 Joh 1:12; Gal 3:26; 1Jn 3:2
Source: New World Translation
The Spirit Himself bears witness. The internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in the believer is indubitable proof that he is a son of God.
Source: The Bible of the Americas
16 (1) It is not that the Spirit bears witness and so does our spirit, but the Spirit bears witness together with our spirit. This indicates that our spirit must take the initiative to bear witness first; then the Spirit will bear witness with our spirit.
16 (two) This reveals that today the Spirit of God, the all-inclusive Spirit of the Triune God, dwells in our regenerated human spirit and operates in our spirit. These two spirits are one; together they live, operate and exist, mingled as one spirit (1Co_6:17). See Joh_3:6 ; Joh_4:24 ; and the notes.
16 (3) This is the testimony that the Spirit gives when we cry: “Abba, Father” (v.15). Such testimony declares and assures us that we are children of God, that we possess his life; it also limits and restricts us to live and walk according to this life, in accordance with the fact that we are children of God. The Spirit bears witness to the most basic and fundamental relationship we have with God, namely, that we are his children; it bears no witness that we are his mature sons or his heirs. Therefore, the testimony of the Spirit begins at the moment of our spiritual birth, our regeneration.
Source: New Testament Commentary Recovery Version
§ Literally, “our spirit.”