For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
What does Romans 8:18 mean?
The sufferings of the saints strike no deeper than the things of time, last no longer than the present time, are light afflictions, and but for a moment.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Romans 8:18-22 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Romans 8:18
For I reckon - I think; I judge. This verse commences a new division of the subject, which is continued to Romans 8:25 . Its design is to show the power of the gospel in sustaining the soul in trials; a very important; and material part of the scheme. This had been partially noticed before Romans 5:3-5 , but its full power to support the soul in the prospect of a glorious immortality had not been fully discussed. This topic seems here to have been suggested by what is said of adoption.
Key words
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this present time.
- glory
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glory. For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time,....
- this present time
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this present time.
Context in Romans 8
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Romans 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as justification and Abraham. Romans is Paul’s fullest sustained exposition of sin, grace, righteousness, faith, Israel, the Spirit, and transformed life in Christ. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justification, grace, and faith in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.