John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also ,.... Not only they Gentiles, but we Jews likewise: which have the firstfruits of the Spirit : meaning either the apostles, who were all Jews, and who most of them received the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit on the day of "Pentecost", which was the day of the firstfruits, Numbers 28:26 ; and to which there seems to be an allusion here; or else the Jewish converts in general: to the Jews the promises of the Messiah were made; to them he first... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groaneth ,.... As a woman with child, ready to bring forth: for it is added, and travaileth in pain together until now ; regeneration is owing to the grace of God, which is compared to "seed", of which men are born again; the means of conveying it is the Gospel, and ministers are the instruments of begetting souls to Christ, and who travail in birth till Christ be formed in them: now the Gospel being carried by the apostles into the Gentile world, and... read more