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Today we consider Paul’s statement from the previous section in 8:17“…provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul uses a specific word for suffering (sumpásxo– to join in or share in suffering, to suffer with) to illuminate how our lives mirror that of Christ’s. We “follow” in his “Christoform pattern” (decline, death, and renewal) and since our lives mirror his suffering, so they will mirror his “renewal” and share in his inheritance. This way of thinking (logizomai) is called Christ following…or faithing in Christ, and is Paul’s alternative way to live from that of religion.

Paul then uses a different word for suffering, (páthema-to be in pain, to experience strong physical desire, often sexual). I have worked both definitions through this context, and both access Paul’s thesis, so employ which ever one is most helpful. I’ve never heard a single sermon with this alternate definition, but it’s really insightful given the cultural context of Rome.

“For I consider (logizomai) that the sufferings (pathema) of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (v.18)

It’s worth noting that Paul’s distinction from v.9…“Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”…continues here. Remember, this isn’t innies vs outies, it’s openers and those yet to open. Paul’s language (compared to English translators) makes it clear that he is describing what happens as we open the gifts and begin our journey of loving the Governor back, each one unique. (toĩs-plural “the loving the God” (v. 28), compared to “those who love God”. We know many never open the gifts and wander far from their home.

Remember, Paul’s Gospel is that we all start from the inside, not outside.

The thrust of Paul’s Gospel is giving us a new way to live apart from religion. For him it’s a mental framework (logizomai) of “considering” ourself dead to sin and alive to Christ in God (6:11). This way of thinking (not religion) has now revealed we are now adopted as God’s children, and will inherit all that God is and has, as a co-heir with Christ. This is the “Glory” (dóxa) that awaits. We will share in Christ’s Glory, splendor, praise, honor, etc…

Let that sink in for a minute. It’s almost incomprehensible. This way of thinking will completely reshape our actions if we pause to consider it. Nothing in our lives compares to what is coming. This Good News has the power to overwrite all our malware scripts.

¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 

So much human suffering (passion) stems from making big things out of small things. Paul is going big…cosmic here, and reframing our assumptions of the cosmos. While Evangelicalism tells us that Heaven is an earth evacuations strategy, Paul is echoing Jesus words: “Heaven is coming here.” He’s saying the laws of entropy will stop, the cosmos is waiting for all of us (the sons and daughters of God) to be set free from its futility (mataiótes-emptiness, useless, futile) and phthorá-decay, destruction, corruption. Why is it waiting? Because Paul will say we are the (àparxé-“first fruits, foretaste, first). In other words, we will get our new bodies that don’t decay or die and we will inherit THIS world that eventually won’t decay or die.

 ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.“

I’m going to drop a grenade in your mind and when it blows up, you can call me and discuss it. Ready? Why would Paul say that our sexual passions/sufferings are no comparison to the glory of the New World which is coming? Is it because something so much better than sex is awaiting us? Certainly yes. What if Paul is describing an incorruptible suffering/sexual passion awaiting us in a world that cannot be corrupted, where everything is redeemed, where no one is married, and everyone is in love? If we all to share in Christ’s Glory, then we are each loved/venerated/glorified by one another. We are sharing in the mutual self-giving dynamism of God and Christ.

“…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

Paul is saying something so much bigger than our tiny containers can handle. It’s big enough to pull us out of our gravitational pull into sin and despair. Hope is the antidote to our bondage to our flesh. Paul is admonishing us to hold off on satisfying our flesh for now because God has something even better for our incorruptible flesh.

²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Religion sells salvation as a commodity. Each religion has its own version, which we buy with our money, time, and belief. Each salvation product is a way for us to escape our lives and find another one after we die. The word (sóizo-heal, rescue, save) is a far more benign term than how it’s wielded in religion. In fact, Paul says we are saved in this hope of this big thing…a dynamic loving union with God in Christ.

Paul’s salvation is not a transactional product of religion, but a transformational flow of faith and experience. Evangelicalism’s salvation is praying to invite Jesus into our heart which “presto-changeo” saves us by converting us to the Christian religion. Paul’s salvation work differently.

Salvation, healing or rescue for Paul is ontological. Romans has taught us that we all start out justified (made right with God) not because of our religion, but because of what Christ has done for us in love. We are given each day (a denarius), or the Amazon gifts of manna, which reveal and integrate us to God, ourselves, each other, and our world. If we follow our flesh, we’ll foolishly venture from our safe dwelling, seeking what we already possess in unopened boxes on our porch. Religion offers individual transactional salvation, Paul’s Gospel is transformational salvation not only for each of our lives, and corporately for all of us, but also for the entire cosmos.

The last nugget here is to mention all the groaning. Paul tells us that creation, ourselves and the Spirit are all groaning. The creation (sustenázo–groans together) v.22, while we (stenázo-groan, complain strongly) v.23, and the Spirit (stenagmós– sighs, deep concern) v.26. The shaft of light that I observe here is that to the degree that we and our created world suffer and groan and complain, to the same degree, the Spirit intercedes and prays for us with a commensurate groan of concern.

The Good News keeps coming and Paul has shown us a way to live, a pattern of thinking, a change of perspective that by opening or exploring it, we will not only rescue ourselves from ourselves and our pernicious appetites, but we will also save our societies in ways governments and militaries cannot do, and beyond this, we will heal every particle of our universe, rather than evacuate it.Salvation is not conversion, it is completion of what is started. Salvation is the mindset that orders our affections for today, not conversion to a religion that “saves us” after we die. God’s kingdom of heaven comes to us by coming through us.

It’s not hard to figure out why religion teaches a gospel other than Paul’s. The only argument against this comes from those making their living by religion. When we accept the constrains of religion, we settle for a gospel that is far too small. Clearly Paul’s Apostolic ministry was to free people from religion (just as he was), not start a new one, and now we can see there is no comparison Paul’s Gospel and what we’ve been given.