"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
— Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)
Romans 5:3-4 is the "suffering produces perseverance" passage, Paul's short chain from hardship to hope. This page gives the verses, what the key words mean, where they sit in Romans 5, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about perseverance, Bible verses about suffering, and Bible verses about hope.
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The verses
The King James reads: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope."
"Glory" is kauchaomai (G2744), to boast or rejoice in. "Sufferings" (KJV "tribulations") is thlipsis (G2347), pressure or affliction. "Produces" (KJV "worketh") is katergazomai (G2716), to bring about. "Perseverance" (KJV "patience") is hypomone (G5281), steady endurance. "Character" (KJV "experience") is dokime (G1382), proven worth, like metal that has been tested. "Hope" is elpis (G1680).
Where it sits in Romans 5
Romans 5 opens with what faith has already given: "since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Verse 2 adds, "we boast in the hope of the glory of God." Verses 3-4 then say believers can rejoice even in their sufferings.
The chain ends in a hope that holds: "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). A few lines later Paul gives the proof of that love: "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
What the verses are saying
Paul is not saying suffering is good in itself or that Christians should go looking for it. He is saying that, for people already at peace with God, hardship is not wasted. Pressure builds endurance, endurance proves what a person is made of, and that tested character learns to hope in God rather than in circumstances.
James makes the same point: "the testing of your faith produces perseverance" (James 1:3), and he promises "the crown of life" to the one who perseveres (James 1:12). Paul also says elsewhere that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
Questions people ask
What does Romans 5:3-4 say?
In the NIV it says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." The KJV reads, "we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope."
What does "suffering produces perseverance" mean?
The Greek word for perseverance, hypomone, means endurance under a load. Paul is saying that trials, met with faith, build the ability to keep going instead of giving up.
Why does the KJV say "experience" instead of "character"?
The Greek word dokime means something proven by testing. Older English used "experience" for that idea; newer translations say "character" or "proven character."
Does Romans 5:3-4 mean God causes suffering?
The verses do not explain where suffering comes from. They say what God does with it in the lives of people who trust him: he uses it to produce endurance, character, and hope.
What verse comes after Romans 5:3-4?
Romans 5:5: "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
