Romans 8:17
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)
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Being God's children means we are co-heirs with Christ, not just to God's favor, but to God Himself as our inheritance. This incredible reality is not given to us lightly; the text implies that sharing in Christ's sufferings is the necessary pathway, the "if so be," that prepares us to share in His glory.
The Apostle Paul is building on the idea that believers are adopted as God's children by the Holy Spirit. This sonship isn't just a title; it guarantees them an inheritance. He connects this inheritance directly to Christ, explaining that believers are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His future glory. However, this glorious inheritance is promised if they first share in Christ's sufferings, implying that enduring hardship for Christ is part of the path to glorification.
Ever wonder what it truly means to be adopted into God's family? It's more than just a title – it's a claim to an incredible inheritance!
Paul grounds our status as heirs in our adoption as children of God. This isn't just a nice idea; it means we have a legal right to what God possesses.
We often dream of glory, but Paul links it directly to something we tend to avoid: suffering. Why is this connection so crucial?
The verse presents a conditional reality: 'provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.' This isn't about earning our inheritance through suffering, but about suffering being the necessary path or preparation for enjoying it.
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.
Paul is writing to Christians living under the immense pressure of Roman society, likely including periods of persecution. His words in Romans 8:17 remind them that their current suffering is not random but a divinely appointed path toward sharing in Christ's ultimate glory, a truth that would have been a profound source of hope and endurance.
c. 4 BC - AD 30/33
Life of Jesus Christ
The earthly life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ascension and Pentecost
Following Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit is poured out on believers at Pentecost, empowering them and marking the birth of the church.
c. AD 40s-60s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul undertakes extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches and spreading the gospel.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
Paul is imprisoned in Rome, where he writes epistles, including Romans, to churches he had previously ministered to or heard about.
This passage directly echoes the concept of inheritance flowing from sonship, stating, 'So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.' It reinforces the idea that adoption into God's family grants an heirship.
Philippians 3:10This verse speaks of 'sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,' which strongly parallels Romans 8:17's condition of suffering with Christ. It highlights the process of conformity to Christ, even in suffering, as a pathway to experiencing His resurrection power.
1 Peter 4:13This passage encourages believers to 'rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice with exceeding gladness when his glory is revealed.' It connects sharing in Christ's suffering with future rejoicing in His glory, mirroring the linkage in Romans 8:17.
Colossians 1:24Paul states, 'Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.' This shows a willingness to share in suffering for the sake of the body of Christ, which aligns with the concept of suffering *with* Christ in Romans 8:17.
Revelation 21:7cambridgeRomans 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,…
Being God's children means we are co-heirs with Christ, not just to God's favor, but to God Himself as our inheritance. This incredible reality is not given to us lightly; the text implies that sharing in Christ's sufferings is the necessary pathway, the "if so be," that prepares us to share in His glory.
The Apostle Paul is building on the idea that believers are adopted as God's children by the Holy Spirit. This sonship isn't just a title; it guarantees them an inheritance. He connects this inheritance directly to Christ, explaining that believers are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His future glory. However, this glorious inheritance is promised if they first share in Christ's sufferings, implying that enduring hardship for Christ is part of the path to glorification.
The Apostle Paul is building on the idea that believers are adopted as God's children by the Holy Spirit. This sonship isn't just a title; it guarantees them an inheritance. He connects this inheritance directly to Christ, explaining that believers are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in His future glory. However, this glorious inheritance is promised they first share in Christ's sufferings, implying that enduring hardship for Christ is part of the path to glorification.
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c. AD 64
Great Fire of Rome and Persecution
Nero blames Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, leading to severe persecution and martyrdom, a context that would resonate with Paul's message of suffering and glory.
This verse promises, 'The one who conquers will have this inheritance, and I will be his God and he will be my son,' directly linking overcoming and faithfulness to inheriting from God. This echoes the promise of inheritance for those who are God's children, as seen in Romans 8:17.
"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." — Being God's children means we are co-heirs with Christ, not just to God's favor, but to God Himself as our inheritance. This incredible reality is not given to us lightly; the text implies that shari…
