Romans 8:28-29 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 8:26-28

The apostle here suggests two privileges more to which true Christians are entitled:? I. The help of the Spirit in prayer. While we are in this world, hoping and waiting for what we see not, we must be praying. Hope supposes desire, and that desire offered up to God is prayer; we groan. Now observe, 1. Our weakness in prayer: We know not what we should pray for as we ought. (1.) As to the matter of our requests, we know not what to ask. We are not competent judges of our own condition. Who... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 8:29-30

The apostle, having reckoned up so many ingredients of the happiness of true believers, comes here to represent the ground of them all, which he lays in predestination. These precious privileges are conveyed to us by the charter of the covenant, but they are founded in the counsel of God, which infallibly secures the event. That Jesus Christ, the purchaser, might not labour in vain, nor spend his strength and life for nought and in vain, there is a remnant given him, a seed that he shall see,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 8:26-30

8:26-30 Even so, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray, if we are to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings which baffle speech to utter; but he who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because it is by God's will that he intercedes for those whose lives are consecrated to God. We know that God intermingles all things for good for those who love him, for those who are called according to his purpose. For... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good,.... There is a temporal good, and a spiritual good, and an eternal one. Temporal good is what the men of the world are seeking after, and generally have the greatest share of, and the saints the least; and yet they have as much as is needful for them, and what they have, they have with a blessing; and even sometimes afflictions work for the temporal good of God's children: spiritual good lies in a lively exercise of grace and a conformity of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow ,.... The foreknowledge of God here, does not intend his prescience of all things future; by which he foreknows and foretells things to come, and which distinguishes him from all other gods; and is so called, not with respect to himself, with whom all things are present, but with respect to us, and which is eternal, universal, certain, and infallible; for in this sense he foreknows all men, and if this was the meaning here, then all men would be predestinated,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God - To understand this verse aright, let us observe: That the persons in whose behalf all things work for good are they who love God, and, consequently, who live in the spirit of obedience. It is not said that all things shall work for good, but that συνεργει , they work now in the behalf of him who loveth now, αγαπωσι ; for both verbs are in the present tense. All these things work together; while they are... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, etc. - " In this and the following verse the apostle shows how our calling is an argument that all things work together to advance our eternal happiness, by showing the several steps which the wisdom and goodness of God have settled, in order to complete our salvation. In order to this he first gives us, in this verse, the foundation and finishing, or the beginning and end, of the scheme of our redemption: For whom God did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 8:28

Verse 28 28.And we know, etc. He now draws this conclusion from what had been said, that so far are the troubles of this life from hindering our salvation, that, on the contrary, they are helps to it. It is no objection that he sets down an illative particle, for it is no new thing with him to make somewhat an indiscriminate use of adverbs, and yet this conclusion includes what anticipates an objection. For the judgment of the flesh in this case exclaims, that it by no means appears that God... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 8:29

Verse 29 29.For whom he has foreknown, etc. He then shows, by the very order of election, that the afflictions of the faithful are nothing else than the manner by which they are conformed to the image of Christ; and that this was necessary, he had before declared. There is therefore no reason for us to be grieved, or to think it hard and grievous, that we are afflicted, unless we disapprove of the Lord’s election, by which we have been foreordained to life, and unless we are unwilling to bear... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 8:1-39

( c ) The blessed condition and assured hope of such as are in Christ Jesus. The summary of the contents of this chapter, which follows the Exposition, may be referred to in the first place by the student, so as to assist comprehension of the line of thought. read more