Romans 5:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 5:3-5

Blessed fruit off a bitter tree. The letters of St. Paul abound in strange and striking paradoxes. In another place he speaks of himself "as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Here he speaks of the Christian as "glorying in tribulation." He has been speaking of the effects of justification by faith, and ends by saying, "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God" ( Romans 5:2 ). Our joy, however, is not confined... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 5:3-5

The joy of tribulation. Paul has taught us that peace, nay glorying, may be ours, though this be a world of trial. He now teaches that we may glory in the very trials themselves. And this teaching he enforces by a chain of arguments. In other words, he taught in the previous verses that we are conquerors; now he teaches that we are "more than conquerors." I. TRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE . NO character can be truly formed without the opportunity of endurance; we must learn to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 5:3-5

Tribulation made subsidiary to hope. Trouble is usually considered antagonistic to joy. A ready objection might occur, therefore, to the apostle's declaration of Christian rejoicing. How was this possible, seeing the many hardships to which the profession of Christianity exposed its votaries? The text refutes such an objection. I. THE CHRISTIAN FACTORY . Tribulation is God's method of disciplining his people. Sin having entered the world, bringing sorrow in its train, the very... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Romans 5:4

And patience, experience - Patient endurance of trial produces experience. The word rendered “experience” (δοκιμήν dokimēn) means trial, testing, or that thorough examination by which we ascertain the quality or nature of a thing, as when we test a metal by fire, or in any other way, to ascertain that it is genuine. It also means approbations, or the result of such a trial; the being approved, and accepted as the effect of a trying process. The meaning is, that long afflictions borne... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Romans 5:3-4

Romans 5:3-4. And not only so Not only do we possess the four fore- mentioned inestimable blessings; but we glory in tribulations also Which we are so far from esteeming a mark of God’s displeasure, that we receive them as tokens of his fatherly love, whereby we may be enabled to do him more singular honour, and be prepared for a more exalted happiness. The Jews often objected the persecuted state of the Christians as inconsistent with what they concluded would be the condition of the... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Romans 5:1-11

The believer’s assurance (5:1-11)When God justifies people (declares them to be righteous, or puts them right with him), he brings them into a relationship of peace with himself. In his grace he accepts them into his holy presence, and assures them of one day sharing his glory (5:1-2). Believers’ anticipation of future glory is what the Bible calls hope. Hope in this sense is not a mere wish for something, but the expectation of something that is certain. It is an assured belief that enables... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Romans 5:4

experience. Greek. dokime. Here; 2Co 2:9 ; 2 Corinthians 8:2 ; 2 Corinthians 9:13 ; 2 Corinthians 13:3 .Philippians 1:2 , Philippians 1:22 . hope . Compare Titus 2:13 . See Romans 4:18 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Romans 5:4

Romans 5:4. Experience— Full proof. The Greek word δοκιμη, has this signification, and is a metaphor taken from gold proved by purifying fire. See 1 Peter 1:7. Sir 2:5 and Saurin's Serm. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Romans 5:4

4. patience worketh experience—rather, "proof," as the same word is rendered in 2 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 13:3; Philippians 2:22; that is, experimental evidence that we have "believed through grace." and experience—"proof." hope—"of the glory of God," as prepared for us. Thus have we hope in two distinct ways, and at two successive stages of the Christian life: first, immediately on believing, along with the sense of peace and abiding access to God (Romans 5:1); next, after the reality... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Romans 5:1-11

D. The benefits of justification 5:1-11Paul’s original readers would have had another question because of what he had written in chapters 1-4. Is this method of justification safe? Since it is by faith, it seems quite unsure. Paul next gave evidence that this method is reliable by explaining the results of justification by faith.Moo argued that chapter 5 belongs with chapters 6-8 more than with Romans 3:21 to Romans 4:25. [Note: Moo, pp. 290-95.] He noted a chiastic structure in chapters 5-8... read more

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