Romans 8:17

Joint-heirs Roman law made all children, including adopted ones, equal heritors. Jewish law gave a double portion to the eldest son. The Roman law was naturally in Paul's mind, and suits the context, where adoption is the basis of inheritance. If so be that (εἴπερ) The conditional particle with the indicative mood assumes the fact. If so be, as is really the case. Suffer with Him Mere suffering does not fulfill the condition. It is suffering with Christ. Compare with Him - all things, Romans 8:32.

{18} And if children, then {s} heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; {19} if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (18) A proof of what follows from the confirmation: because he who is the son of God enjoys God with Christ. (s) Partakers of our Father's goods, and that freely, because we are children by adoption. (19) Now Paul teaches by what way the sons of God come to that happiness, that is, by the cross, as Christ himself did: and in addition declares to them fountains of comfort: firstly, that we have Christ a companion and associate of our afflictions: secondly, that we will also be his companions in everlasting glory.

And if children, then heirs; there is a parallel text in Galatians 4:7 . It is not so with the children of earthly princes: see 2 Chronicles 21:3 . Joint-heirs with Christ; or co-heirs with Christ; he is our elder Brother, and is not ashamed to call us brethren: the inheritance is his by nature, ours by grace. If so be that we suffer with him; the cross of Christ is the condition of our heavenly inheritance. The pronoun him is not in the original, but fitly supplied in our translation. Suffering with him, is much the same with suffering for him: suffering believers do but pledge Christ in the cup that he began to them. That we may be also glorified together; or, glorified with him, not with equal glory, but according to our proportion; he was glorified in this way, Luke 24:26 , and so must we. Three things are implied in our being glorified together: 1. Conformiry; we shall in some measure be like him in glory: see John 17:22 Philippians 3:21 . 2. Concomitancy; we shall be present with him in glory, John 17:24 1 Thessalonians 4:17 . 3. Conveyance; our glory will be from him; his glory will reflect on us, and we shall shine in his beams.

(17) One characteristic of the son is that he is his father’s heir. So it is with the Christian. He, too, has an inheritance—an inheritance of glory which he will share with Christ. But he must not be surprised if, before sharing the glory, he also shares the sufferings. Suffer with him.—All who suffer for the sake of the gospel are regarded as suffering with Christ. They “drink of the cup” that He drank of (Matthew 20:22-23). (Comp. 2Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24.)

Romans 8:17-18 . And if children, then heirs — Those that are really the children of God by adoption and grace, are not only under his peculiar direction, protection, and care, and shall be supplied with all things which God sees will be good for them; not only have they free liberty of access to God, and intercourse with God, as dutiful children have access to, and intercourse with, their father; but they are heirs of God — Heirs of the heavenly inheritance, and by the redemption of their bodies, being made immortal like God, they shall enjoy that inheritance. See note on 1 Peter 1:3 . And joint-heirs with Christ — Entering into his joy, Matthew 25:21 ; sitting down on his throne, Revelation 3:21 ; partaking of his glory, John 17:22 ; Php 3:21 ; Colossians 3:4 ; 1 Corinthians 15:49 ; and inheriting all things, Revelation 21:7 , jointly with him who is heir of all things, Hebrews 1:2 . Only it must be observed, he is heir by nature, we by grace.

If so be that we suffer with him — Willingly and cheerfully for righteousness’ sake: that is, we shall enjoy these glorious and heavenly blessings, provided we be willing, not only to deny ourselves all prohibited carnal gratifications, and to govern our lives by his precepts, but also to suffer with him whatever reproach, infamy, persecution, and other injuries we may be called to undergo, in conformity to him, for the honour of God, and the testimony of a good conscience; that we may be also glorified together — With him, which we cannot be in any other way than by suffering with him: he was glorified in this way, and so must we be. Here the apostle passes to a new proposition, on which he enlarges in the following verses; opening a source of consolation to the children of God in every age, by drinking at which they may not only refresh themselves under the severest sufferings, but derive new strength to bear them with fortitude. For I reckon, &c. — Here the apostle gives the reason why he now mentions sufferings and glory. When that glory shall be revealed in us, then the sons of God will be revealed also.

Romans 8:17 . Yet this last is involved, for “if children, also heirs”. Cf. Galatians 4:7 where κληρονόμος is relative to υἱὸς ; and all the passages in which the Spirit is regarded as “the earnest” of an inheritance: 2 Corinthians 1:22 ; 2 Corinthians 5:5 , Ephesians 1:14 . It is from God the inheritance comes, and we share in it with Christ ( Mark 12:7 ). For what it is, see 1 Corinthians 2:9 f. The inheritance attached to Divine sonship is attained only on the condition expressed in the clause εἴπερ συμπάσχομεν ἵνα καὶ συνδοξασθῶμεν . On εἴπερ , see Romans 8:9 . “ Romans 8:17 gains in pathos, when we see that the share of the disciples in the Master’s sufferings was felt to be a fact of which there was no question.” Simcox, Language of N.T ., p. 171. Paul was sure of it in his own case, and took it for granted in that of others. Those who share Christ’s sufferings now will share His glory hereafter; and in order to share His glory hereafter it is necessary to begin by sharing His sufferings here.

Romans SONS AND HEIRSRomans 8:17 . God Himself is His greatest gift. The loftiest blessing which we can receive is that we should be heirs, possessors of God. There is a sublime and wonderful mutual possession of which Scripture speaks much wherein the Lord is the inheritance of Israel, and Israel is the inheritance of the Lord. ‘The Lord hath taken you to be to Him a people of inheritance,’ says Moses; ‘Ye are a people for a possession,’ says Peter. And, on the other hand, ‘The Lord is the portion of my inheritance,’ says David; ‘Ye are heirs of God,’ echoes Paul. On earth and in heaven the heritage of the children of the Lord is God Himself, inasmuch as He is with them for their delight, in them to make them ‘partakers of the divine nature,’ and for them in all His attributes and actions. This being clearly understood at the outset, we shall be prepared to follow the Apostle’s course of thought while he points out the conditions upon which the possession of that inheritance depends. It is children of God who are heirs of God. It is by union with Christ Jesus, the Son, to whom the inheritance belongs, that they who believe on His name receive power to become the sons of God, and with that power the possession of the inheritance.

Thus, then, in this condensed utterance of the text there appear a series of thoughts which may perhaps be more fully unfolded in some such manner as the following, that there is no inheritance without sonship, that there is no sonship without a spiritual birth, that there is no spiritual birth without Christ, and that there is no Christ for us without faith. I. First, then, the text tells us, no inheritance without sonship. In general terms, spiritual blessings can only be given to those who are in a certain spiritual condition. Always and necessarily the capacity or organ of reception precedes and determines the bestowment of blessings. The light falls everywhere, but only the eye drinks it in. The lower orders of creatures are shut out from all participation in the gifts which belong to the higher forms of life, simply because they are so made and organised as that these cannot find entrance into their nature. They are, as it were, walled up all round; and the only door they have to communicate with the outer world is the door of sense. Man has higher gifts simply because he has higher capacities. All creatures are plunged in the same boundless ocean of divine beneficence and bestowment, and into each there flows just that, and no more, which each, by the make and constitution that God has given it, is capable of receiving.