the sufferings of this present time

Paul writes in Romans 8:18 (CLV):

For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us.

The image that is evoked, here, is that of a balance scale. Paul is sure that all the sufferings of this creation (:19,20), has less weight than the glory that is coming. Its weight comes not even close. That means that the more we suffer, here, the more glory must be our portion, later on. After all, we know in advance that the scales point towards the glory! Imagine all the trouble, pain, sorrow and tears of every creature on one side of the scales. Well, Paul says that this does not equal, by far, the glory of the new creation. That is a great truth! But did you know that Paul expresses it even much more beautiful than many Bible translations do it? The sufferings not only do not weigh as much as the glory to come. That is far too mildly stated. Paul says: all the suffering is WORTH NOTHING compared with the coming glory! The glory that shall be revealed is not only much more than all the sufferings of this creation. By putting it that way, we would greatly short-change the glory-to-be. No, the glory will be so gloriously ‘weighty’ that all the previous sufferings are no more than a speck of dust on its scales. There is no comparison. That is why we boast in the hope of the glory of God (Rom.5:2).

Delen: