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Time after Pentecost · Proper 11 · Year A

Romans 8:18-27

Future Glory

July 19, 2026

Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne
Saint Paul Writing His Epistles, Valentin de Boulogne, c. 1618–1620Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
A French follower of Caravaggio working in Rome. Paul is lit from one side at a table strewn with paper, caught mid-thought with the pen stopped.The creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God … the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now.Valentin de BoulogneA French painter in Rome and the most committed of Caravaggio's followers, who died at thirty-eight after a night out in the cold.Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonThe oldest art museum in Texas, grown very large on oil money, and free on Thursdays.Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelMt. 13:24-30, 36-43Mt 13:24-30, 36-43
EpistleRom. 8:18-27Rom 8:18-27
Old TestamentIsa. 44:6-8Is 44:6-8
PsalterPs. 119:57-64Ps 119:57-64

Overview & Insights

“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

1. Suffering/glory (8:18) 2. Three groanings (8:19–27) a. Creation groans (hope for the revelation of the children of God) (8:19–22) b. Believers groan (firstfruits of the Spirit / by hope we were saved) (8:23–25) c. The Spirit groans (the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses) (8:26–27) 3. Suffering/glory (8:28–30)1 Each of these points—suffering/glory, the groaning of creation, the groaning of Christians, and the groaning of the Spirit—includes blessings of the age to come and the new covenant that have already dawned for Christians but are not yet complete.

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Take it further: Romans 8:18-27

Commentary

Working Preacher: Commentary on Romans 8:12-25Working Preacher: Commentary on Rom 8:12-25 Working Preacher

Lutheran lectionary commentary on Romans 8:12-25, covering this Sunday's verses on present suffering and future glory.

Enduring Word: Romans 8Enduring Word: Rom 8 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.

StudyLight: Romans 8 CommentariesStudyLight: Rom 8 Commentaries StudyLight

Many complete commentaries on Romans 8 gathered on one passage page.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Romans 8:18BibleHub: Commentaries on Rom 8:18 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries keyed to present suffering and future glory.

Background & Word Study

BibleProject: Romans 5-16 OverviewBibleProject: Rom 5-16 Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the second half of Romans and its argument about life in the Spirit.

BibleHub: Romans 8 InterlinearBibleHub: Rom 8 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek-English interlinear for word-level study of Romans 8.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Romans 8Catena: Rom 8 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on Romans 8.

Questions preachers ask

What is creation waiting for?

The whole creation groans in labor pains, and we with it, awaiting the redemption of our bodies; present suffering is nothing beside the glory soon to be revealed.

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