and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that our shared suffering with Christ isn't a cause for eternal glory, but rather the necessary preparation for it. It's through enduring hardship in union with Him that we become capable of fully experiencing the glorious inheritance awaiting us. This prepares us to fully embrace and appreciate the joy and dignity of His kingdom.
and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Because Christians are adopted as children of God, they are also heirs, sharing in the divine inheritance alongside Christ. However, this inheritance is not automatically guaranteed without qualification; it requires a willingness to endure suffering with Christ, mirroring His path. This shared suffering, in turn, prepares believers for the future glory they will experience together with Him.
If you're adopted into God's family, you're not just a child – you're an heir! But what does that really mean? And how does it connect to Jesus?
Paul draws a powerful conclusion from our status as God's children. If we are sons and daughters, then we are automatically heirs.
The Inheritance of God
This isn't just about inheriting a nice house in heaven. It's about inheriting God Himself! As Meyer points out, God is the 'living bestower of His goods on His children.' This inheritance includes His favor, salvation, glory, and ultimately, participating in all that God is.
Joint Heirs with Christ
But there's more! We are not just heirs of God; we are 'joint heirs with Christ.' This means we share in His inheritance and His glory. Benson highlights that Christ is the heir by nature, while we are heirs by grace. Our union with Him, as Barnes notes, means we are destined to 'partake with him of his glory.' This isn't a lesser inheritance; it's the very same one Christ has, secured through our adoption and His work.
The idea of suffering for faith can feel jarring, especially when we're promised glory. How do suffering and glory fit together in God's plan?
Paul introduces a crucial condition for realizing this glorious inheritance: suffering with Christ. This isn't a detour from the path to glory; it's an integral part of it.
The Fellowship of Suffering
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When Paul says 'if we suffer with him,' he's not talking about simply enduring hardship. Meyer explains it as having 'actual share in the suffering endured by Christ' and drinking 'the same cup that He drank.' This means sharing in the opposition and conflict against sin that Christ faced, and doing so out of love and fidelity to Him, as Cambridge notes.
Preparation, Not Merit
It's vital to understand that our suffering doesn't earn us glory. As Cambridge wisely states, suffering is the 'necessary antecedent to glorification with Him; by way, not of merit, but of preparation.' Our capacity to fully enjoy the eternal bliss is, in large part, imparted through the 'school of trial.' This suffering helps prepare us to fully grasp and appreciate the glory to come, making it a richer experience.
A Shared Destiny
The ultimate goal is to be 'glorified together' with Christ. This implies a shared destiny, a participation in His joy and dignity. This shared suffering isn't just a passive experience; it's a demonstration of our union with Christ, leading us to a future where we share in His reign and His glory.
Understand the original words
klēronomoi · Greek Noun
One who inherits property or spiritual blessings; in a biblical context, it refers to those who possess the promise of eternal life and the Kingdom of God through Christ.
doxazō · Greek Noun
The splendor, majesty, and radiant holiness of God, which will be fully manifest in the future kingdom and shared by believers in their resurrected state.
The concept of 'suffering with Christ' as a prerequisite for glory, as discussed in Romans 8:17, was deeply relevant to early Christians facing persecution, whether sporadic or state-sanctioned. This verse connects their present hardships directly to their future inheritance with Christ.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The foundational event of Christianity, establishing the basis for God's adoption and the promise of future glory.
c. 30-60 AD
Early Church Growth and Persecution
The nascent Christian movement faced significant opposition and sporadic persecution from both Jewish and Roman authorities, leading to 'sufferings with Christ'.
c. 50s AD— this verse
Paul's Ministry in Rome (likely)
While imprisoned, Paul likely wrote Romans to the church in Rome, a diverse community of Jewish and Gentile believers.
c. 64 AD
Great Fire of Rome and Nero's Persecution
Nero's brutal persecution of Christians following the Great Fire likely intensified the 'sufferings' experienced by believers in Rome, a context Paul anticipates.
This passage directly echoes the concept of being heirs through adoption, stating 'So you are no longer a slave, but a child, and if a child, then an heir of God through Christ.' It reinforces the idea that sonship leads to an inheritance, directly paralleling Romans 8:17.
2 Timothy 2:11-12This passage links suffering with reigning, saying, 'If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.' This directly supports the conditional 'if we suffer with him... that we may also be glorified with him' in Romans 8:17.
1 Peter 4:13This verse encourages believers to 'rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice exultantly when his glory is revealed.' It connects sharing in Christ's suffering with future rejoicing and glory, mirroring the structure and theme of Romans 8:17.
Philippians 3:10Paul expresses a desire 'to know him and the power of his resurrection, and to share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.' This shows a deep longing to participate in Christ's suffering as a path to deeper knowledge and transformation, aligning with the suffering-for-glory motif in Romans 8:17.
Colossians 3:4This verse offers a forward-looking hope: 'when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.' It highlights that our future glorification is tied to Christ's appearance and our union with Him, resonating with the 'glorified with him' aspect of Romans 8:17.
cambridgeRomans 8:17: "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."
17 . and if children , &c.] Here St Paul reasons onward from the primary fact, witnessed to by the Spirit, of the Christian’s sonship. He has in view now, more than ever yet in the Epistle, the hope of eternal Glory, when in the fullest sense the saints shall possess the Kingdom of God. This possession he views as an Inheritance by virt…
meyerRomans 8:17: "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."
Romans 8:17 . From the truth of the filial relation to God, Paul now passes over by the continuative δέ to the sure blissful consequence of it,—and that indeed in organic reference to the ζήσεσθε promised in Romans 8:13 . From our child ship follows necessarily our heir ship. Comp. Galatians 4:7 . Both are to be left perfectly general,…
The verse highlights that our shared suffering with Christ isn't a cause for eternal glory, but rather the necessary preparation for it. It's through enduring hardship in union with Him that we become capable of fully experiencing the glorious inheritance awaiting us. This prepares us to fully embrace and appreciate the joy and dignity of His kingdom.
Because Christians are adopted as children of God, they are also heirs, sharing in the divine inheritance alongside Christ. However, this inheritance is not automatically guaranteed without qualification; it requires a willingness to endure suffering with Christ, mirroring His path. This shared suffering, in turn, prepares believers for the future glory they will experience together with Him.
Because Christians are adopted as children of God, they are also heirs, sharing in the divine inheritance alongside Christ. However, this inheritance is not automatically guaranteed without qualification; it requires a willingness to endure suffering with Christ, mirroring His path. This shared suffering, in turn, prepares believers for the future glory they will experience together with Him.
"and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." — The verse highlights that our shared suffering with Christ isn't a cause for eternal glory, but rather the necessary preparation for it. It's through enduring hardship in union with Him that we becom…
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Last reviewed October 2026