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Matthew 5:11,12
Blessed are ye, whenmen shall revile you, and persecuteyou, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake…

Acts 20:24
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

2 Corinthians 4:17,18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory; …

the glory.

Colossians 3:4
When Christ,who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-12
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, …

2 Thessalonians 2:14
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

that our present sufferings
Paul acknowledges the reality of suffering in the Christian life. This suffering can include persecution, physical ailments, and the general hardships of living in a fallen world. Historically, early Christians faced significant persecution from both Jewish authorities and the Roman Empire. This phrase connects with other scriptures that address suffering, such as2 Corinthians 4:17, where Paul describes afflictions as "light" and "momentary" compared to eternal glory.

are not comparable
This phrase emphasizes the vast difference between current hardships and future blessings. The Greek word used here suggests a lack of equivalence, highlighting the insignificance of present trials when weighed against future glory. This perspective encourages believers to maintain hope and perseverance, knowing that their struggles have a purpose and an end.

to the glory
"Glory" in biblical terms often refers to the divine presence and majesty of God. In this context, it points to the future state of believers who will share in God's glory. This is a common theme in Paul's writings, as seen inColossians 3:4, where he speaks of believers appearing with Christ in glory. The concept of glory also ties back to Old Testament prophecies about the restoration and exaltation of God's people.

that will be revealed in us
The future tense indicates a promise yet to be fulfilled, pointing to the eschatological hope of Christians. This revelation is both personal and communal, as it involves the transformation of individual believers and the collective body of Christ. The phrase suggests a future unveiling of God's work in believers, aligning with 1John 3:2, which speaks of believers becoming like Christ when He appears. This transformation is a type of Christ's own resurrection and glorification, offering a foretaste of the believer's ultimate destiny.

Paul begins, “I consider…” (Romans 8:18). This points to a deliberate, settled conviction rather than a passing opinion.

• He is weighing two realities on God’s scale—present pain and future glory—much like he does in2 Corinthians 4:18 where he urges believers to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen”.

• The verb highlights a renewed mind that evaluates everything through the lens of God’s promises (Romans 12:2).

“These present sufferings” encompass every hardship believers face in a fallen world.

• Paul has personally experienced beatings, imprisonments, and dangers (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

• Yet he calls them “light and momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17) because they are limited to “the present time.”

• Peter echoes this perspective: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will Himself restore you” (1 Peter 5:10).

The contrast is absolute: present trials cannot be measured against what is coming.

• The idea mirrorsPsalm 30:5—“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”.

• Paul piles up language of disparity in2 Corinthians 4:17, calling future glory “an eternal weight” beyond all comparison.

• Any scale that tries to balance suffering against glory will tip decisively toward glory.

“Glory” speaks of the radiant, unveiled splendor of God shared with His children.

• Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory You gave Me” (John 17:22).

•Colossians 3:4 promises that when Christ appears, “you also will appear with Him in glory”.

• This glory is not abstract—it is tangible, eternal, and climactic, reflecting God’s own character (Revelation 21:3-4).

The glory is future, certain, and personal—“in us.”

• Creation itself “waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (Romans 8:19).

•1 John 3:2 assures, “When He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”.

• The revelation is both corporate and individual: every believer will display Christ’s likeness, fulfilling God’s purpose from the beginning (Romans 8:29-30).

Paul’s settled conviction is that no hardship we endure now can measure up to the magnificent, guaranteed glory God will unveil in His people. Present afflictions are temporary; future glory is eternal. We therefore endure suffering with hope, knowing God’s final outcome far outweighs and outshines anything we face today.

(18)Revealed in us.--Upon us--i.e., reaching to us, and illumining and transfiguring us. The Coming of Christ is always thus conceived of as a visible manifestation of glory in those who take part in it.

(1) Thatἡ κτίσις includes certainly allmankind, not excepting the regenerate.Καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ in ver. 23 means that "we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit" are included, not that we are a class apart.

(2)Thewholeanimal creation is included too. So general a term asπᾶσα ἡ κτίσις could not surely have been used if man only had been meant. And it is obviously true that the whole sentient creation, as well as man, has a share now in the general suffering. To the objection that the irrational creatures cannot be conceived as sharing in the "hope" and "earnest expectation" spoken of, it may be replied that, so far as it seems to be implied that they do, it may only be that the apostle, by a fineprosopopeia, conceives them as feeling even as the human mind feels concerning them. But, further, conscious hope and expectation does not seem, if the language of the passage be examined, to be distinctly attributed to them. All that is of necessity implied is that they share in the groaning from which we crave deliverance.

(3) Inanimate nature toomay be included in the idea, it also seeming to share in the present mystery of evil, and falling short of our ideal of a terrestrial paradise. Tholuck appositely quotes Philo as saying that all natureἀσθένειαν ἐνδέχεταικαὶ κάμνει. It may be that St. Paul had in his mind what is said in Genesis of the cursing of the ground for man's sake, and of the thorns and thistles; and also the pictures found in the prophets of a renovated earth, in which the desert should rejoice and blossom as the rose. Calvin comments on the whole passage thus: "Omissa expesitionum varietate, hunc locum accipio, nullum esse elementum, nullamque mundi pattern, quae non, veluti praesontis miseriae agnitione tacta, in spem resurrectionis intenta sit." Again, "Spem creaturis quae sensu carent ideo tribuit, ut fideles oculos aperiant ad conspectum invisibilis vitae, quamvis adhuc sub deformi habitu lateat."

Parallel Commentaries ...