"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
— Romans 8:18 (NIV)
Romans 8:18 is the "present sufferings are not worth comparing" verse, Paul's way of weighing real pain against the glory still to come. This page gives the verse, what the key words mean, where it sits in Romans 8, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about suffering, Bible verses about hope, and Bible verses about perseverance.
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The verse
The King James reads: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
"Consider" (KJV "reckon") is logizomai (G3049), to count up or reach a conclusion, an accountant's word. "Sufferings" is pathema (G3804), afflictions or what a person endures. "Glory" is doxa (G1391), splendor or honor, and "revealed" is apokalypto (G601), to uncover or bring into view.
Where it sits in Romans 8
The verse just before it says, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:17).
Right after it, Paul widens the picture: "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed" (Romans 8:19), and "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (Romans 8:22). A few verses later comes Romans 8:28, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him."
What the verse is saying
Paul does not say suffering is small or unreal. He calls it "present" suffering and puts it on the scale. His conclusion, after counting, is that the coming glory outweighs it.
The glory is "revealed in us," so it is not only something to look at but something God's children will share (verse 17). Paul says something similar in 2 Corinthians 4:17: "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." See 2 Corinthians 4:16 for the verse just before that one.
Questions people ask
What does Romans 8:18 say?
In the NIV it says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." The KJV reads, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
What does Romans 8:18 mean?
It means that the pain of this life, however real, is small next to the glory God will reveal in his children. Paul reaches that conclusion by weighing the two, not by pretending the suffering is not there.
What is the glory in Romans 8:18?
Verse 17 links it to being "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ," sharing in his glory. Verses 19-23 tie it to the day the children of God are revealed and creation itself is set free.
Who wrote Romans 8:18?
The apostle Paul wrote it in his letter to the church in Rome. Paul knew suffering firsthand; he lists beatings, shipwrecks, and hunger in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.
What other verses are like Romans 8:18?
2 Corinthians 4:17 (light and momentary troubles achieving eternal glory), 1 Peter 5:10 (after you have suffered a little while, God will restore you), and Romans 8:28 are close companions.
