Romans 5:3
in Romans 5Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
KJV
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
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This verse in Romans 5
Commentary
16 notes on this verseFor those who are well prepared, tribulations are like certain foods and exercises for athletes which lead the contestant on to the inheritance of glory. When we are reviled, we bless; maligned, we entreat; ill-treated, we give thanks; afflicted, we glory in our afflictions.
This site's exposition
suffering produces perseverance
on Romans 5:3-5
Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Hope holds at the end of it, God having poured out His love into the heart through the Holy Spirit whom He gave. Wesley and Henry rest the whole chain on that gift of the Spirit.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Since it is through tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God, Paul teaches that we should rejoice in them. For suffering added to hope increases our reward. Suffering is the measure of how much hope we have, and it testifies to the fact …
Paul says this in order to lead us gradually to the love of God, which he says that we have by the gift of the Spirit. He shows us that all those things which we might attribute to ourselves ought to be attributed to God, who was pleased to give us his Holy Spirit through grace.
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
"Rejoice in your hope, and endure patiently your tribulations; for from the patient endurance of tribulations the hope concerning the things which are to come increaseth in us," even as he said in another place, "Tribulation perfecteth patience in us; and patience, probation, and probation, …
But how Paul, an apostle, from being a persecutor, who first of all shed the blood of the church, though afterwards he exchanged the sword for the pen, and turned the dagger into a plough, being first a ravening wolf of Benjamin, then himself supplying food as did Jacob, -how he, (I say, ) speaks in favour of martyrdoms, now to be chosen by himself also, when, rejoicing over the Thessalonians, he says, "So that we glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, in which ye endure a manifestation of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of His kingdom, for which ye also suffer! As also in his Epistle to the Romans: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, being sure that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed." And again: "And if children, then heirs, heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
Now, consider how great the things to come are, when even at things that seem to be distressful we can be elated; so great is God's gift, and such a nothing any distastefulness in them! For in the case of external goods, the struggle for them brings trouble and pain and irksomeness along with it; and it is the crowns and rewards that carry the pleasure with them. But in this case it is not so, for the wrestlings have to us no less relish than the rewards. For since there were sundry temptations in those days, and the kingdom existed in hopes, the terrors were at hand, but the good things in expectation, and this unnerved the feebler sort, even before the crowns he gives them the prize now, by saying that we should "glory even in tribulations." And what he says is not "you should glory," but we glory, giving them encouragement in his own person. Next since what he had said had an appearance of being strange and paradoxical, if a person who is struggling in famine, and is in chains and torments, and insulted, and abused, ought to glory, he next goes on to confirm it. And (what is more), he says they are worthy of being gloried in, not only for the sake of those things to come, but for the things present in themselves. For tribulations are in their own selves a goodly thing. How so? It is because they anoint us unto patient abiding. Wherefore after saying we glory in tribulations, he has added the reason, in these words, "Knowing that tribulation worketh patience." Notice again the argumentative spirit of Paul, how he gives their argument an opposite turn. For since it was tribulations above all that made them give up the hopes of things to come, and which cast them into despondency, he says that these are the very reasons for confidingness, and for not desponding about the things to come, for "tribulation," he says, "worketh patience."
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS · Written before 253.
proposed
"And not only so, but we glory also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience trial, and trial hope; but hope does not confound, because the charity of God is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." The very first phrase of this chapter contains something of ambiguity; for it does not have in what follows anything to which what he said, "and not only so," ought to be referred. Whence see whether we can in this way resolve the ambiguity of the expression. Since in the foregoing he has taught us that many things have been granted to us through our Lord Jesus Christ — as when he says that we have been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ, and that through him we have access into this grace, and that through him also we glory in the hope of the glory of God — to all these things which have been said I think that "and not only so" ought to be referred: that is, not only the things which I said above, but this also, that we glory in our tribulations, we have through our Lord Jesus Christ. For while others are made sad in tribulation, we, strengthened by the power of his grace, glory in tribulations. For we have learned a new discipline from his instruction, that through tribulations we may receive the good of patience; and having the good of patience we may be judged approved; and, tried through the patience of many tribulations, we may have the hope of the future reward from God — which hope, because it is certain and true, does not confound those who hope. […]
Divinely, therefore, Paul writes expressly, "Tribulation worketh, patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed." For the patience is on account of the hope in the future.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, and not only so, he shows the vehemence of this hope. For anyone who vehemently hopes for something endures difficult and bitter things for it, as a sick person who strongly desires health gladly drinks a bitter medicine to be healed …
Not only, he says, do we boast in the good things to come, but, what is even more, even in our present afflictions. Do not be troubled, he says, by the fact that we are in afflictions: this is itself a matter of boasting for …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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 are prepared for a more exalted happiness. The Jews objected to the persecuted state of the Christians as inconsistent with the people of the Messiah.
Justification and Its Effects. 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v1-3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And not only so - We not only rejoice in times of prosperity, and of health. Paul proceeds to show that this plan is not less adapted to produce support in trials. But we glory - The word used here is the same that is in Rom 5:2, translated, “we rejoice” καυχώμεθα kauchōmetha. It should have been so rendered here. The meaning is, that we rejoice not only in hope; not only in the direct results of justification, in the immediate effect which religion itself produces; but we carry our joy and triumph even into the midst of trials.
And not only so - We are not only happy from being in this state of communion with our God, and the prospect of being eternally with him; But we glory in tribulations also - All the sufferings we endure for the testimony of our Lord are so sanctified to us by his grace, that they become powerful instruments of increasing our happiness. Tribulation worketh patience - Ὑπομονην, Endurance under trials, without sustaining loss or deterioration. It is a metaphor taken from refining metals. We do not speak thus from any sudden raptures, or extraordinary sensations we may have of spiritual joy: for we find that the tribulations through which we pass are the means of exercising and increasing our patience, our meek forbearance of injuries received, or persecutions experienced, on account of the Gospel.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μόνον | monon | only [so] | G3441 → | 110 times |
| δέ, | de | now, | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καυχώμεθα | kauchometha | we glory | G2744 → | 37 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θλίψεσιν | thlipsesin | tribulations | G2347 → | 44 times |
| εἰδότες | eidotes | knowing | ||
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θλῖψις | thlipsis | tribulation | G2347 → | 44 times |
| ὑπομονὴν | hupomonen | perseverance | G5281 → | 32 times |
| κατεργάζεται, | katergazetai | produces, | G2716 → | 22 times |
οὐNot
ouG3756 →1664 times
μόνονonly [so]
mononG3441 →110 times
δέ,now,
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καυχώμεθαwe glory
kauchomethaG2744 →37 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖς<the>
taisG3588 →19766 times
θλίψεσινtribulations
thlipsesinG2347 →44 times
εἰδότεςknowing
eidotes
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
θλῖψιςtribulation
thlipsisG2347 →44 times
ὑπομονὴνperseverance
hupomonenG5281 →32 times
κατεργάζεται,produces,
katergazetaiG2716 →22 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
James 1:12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 1:6–8
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
- Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful…
- James 5:11
See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
- Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- 1 Peter 5:10
Through
2 Corinthians 4:17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
it leads to
- Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
- Romans 5:3–5
Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Romans 8:18
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Suffering35 verses
On this page
Studies9
About Romans
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Augustine of Hippo, AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 26; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILY 16; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4; John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans IX; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence; Tertullian, Scorpiace; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Romans and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans.