Romans 8:18
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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After speaking of being heirs who suffer with Christ, Paul places present suffering in the light of future glory, encouraging believers to endure with hope.
What Does Romans 8:18 Mean?
Paul offers a profound perspective on suffering: the pains of this present time are not even worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. He is not minimizing real suffering -- Paul knew affliction firsthand and does not pretend it is trivial. Rather, he places it on a scale against the coming glory and finds that the weight is utterly unequal. However heavy present trials may feel, they are light when set beside the surpassing glory God has prepared for His people.
The word "reckon" suggests a deliberate calculation, a settled conviction rather than a passing feeling. Paul has weighed the matter and reached a firm conclusion. He speaks of glory "which shall be revealed in us," pointing to a future unveiling in which believers will share in God's glory. This hope reframes how the Christian endures hardship. Suffering is real, but it is temporary and limited; the glory to come is real, and it is boundless and eternal. The believer can therefore face affliction with confidence, knowing it is not the end of the story. Paul invites his readers to lift their eyes from present pain to the magnificent future that awaits, a glory so great that it transforms the meaning of everything endured along the way.
In the Original Language
"Reckon" translates the Greek "logizomai," to calculate or conclude. "Sufferings" renders "pathēmata," and "glory" comes from "doxa," the radiant splendor and honor that belongs to God and will be shared with His people.
Cross References
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17
“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
- 1 Peter 4:13
“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.”
- Romans 8:17
Application
When weighed down by hardship, believers can lift their eyes to the coming glory, gaining strength to endure by remembering that present suffering is temporary and the glory eternal.