ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Romans 8.18-25

Book: Romans · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

Brands, events, influencers advertise here

ASV

16. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17. and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.

18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. 19. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. 20. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope 21. that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24. For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? 25. But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

  1. And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; 27. and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:16-27, ASV)
WEB

16. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 17. and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. 19. For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21. that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. 23. Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. 24. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? 25. But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

  1. In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. 27. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God. (Romans 8:16-27, WEB)
KJV

16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18. 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. 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. the: or, every creature 23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

  1. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. because: or, that (Romans 8:16-27, KJV)
YLT

16. The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God; 17. and if children, also heirs, heirs, indeed, of God, and heirs together of Christ, if, indeed, we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together.

18. For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory about to be revealed in us; 19. for the earnest looking out of the creation doth expect the revelation of the sons of God; 20. for to vanity was the creation made subject, not of its will, but because of Him who did subject [it], in hope, 21. that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God; 22. for we have known that all the creation doth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now. 23. And not only [so], but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves in ourselves do groan, adoption expecting, the redemption of our body; 24. for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for [it]? 25. and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect [it].

  1. And, in like manner also, the Spirit doth help our weaknesses; for, what we may pray for, as it behoveth [us], we have not known, but the Spirit himself doth make intercession for us with groanings unutterable, 27. and He who is searching the hearts hath known what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because according to God he doth intercede for saints. (Romans 8:16-27, YLT)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

Setting

  • Speaker: Paul the Apostle
  • Audience: the Roman house churches (mixed Jewish-Gentile), whom Paul had not yet met
  • Location: Corinth, near the close of the third missionary journey
  • Time period: c. AD 56-57

Theological reading

Paul's treatment of present suffering, and the passage that most directly places human redemption inside the redemption of the whole created order.

The argument opens with a weighing: the sufferings of the present time are ouk axia, not worthy to be compared, with the glory to be revealed. The verb is one of reckoning, the same accounting register Paul uses of justification, so the claim is a calculation rather than a consolation.

The unexpected move is the scope. Creation itself waits with apokaradokia, a word picturing a head craned forward in expectation, for the revealing of the sons of God. Creation was subjected to mataiotēs, futility, "not willingly but because of him who subjected it," a phrase that points back to the ground cursed in Genesis 3 and makes the subjection judicial rather than accidental. The hope attached to it is not escape from the material order but its liberation from douleia tēs phthoras, the slavery of corruption. That tells against readings of Christian hope as the soul's release from matter.

Three groanings are then set in parallel: creation groans in labour, believers groan inwardly while awaiting huiothesia, adoption, defined here as the redemption of the body, and in the verses that follow the Spirit groans with unutterable groanings. Labour pains are a hopeful image, pain with an end and an outcome, not futile pain. Paul then defines hope precisely: hope that is seen is not hope, so hope is by definition oriented to what is not yet possessed, and its proper mode is di' hypomonēs, through endurance. See Problem of Evil.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

People:

Lexicon:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.