Scholarship on Romans 5 has often seen the themes of reconciliation and eschatological hope to be related to each other, and, to some extent, to the suffering text in Rom 5.3–5. This text regarding the suffering of believers is only... more
Scholarship on Romans 5 has often seen the themes of reconciliation and eschatological hope to be related to each other, and, to some extent, to the suffering text in Rom 5.3–5. This text regarding the suffering of believers is only incidentally discussed because the focus has always been on the theological themes of the letter. However, because this suffering text is also found in Jas 1.2–14 and 1 Pet 1.6–7, it is very likely that it actually serves a specific purpose in the context of Rom 5.1–11, especially when it is seen in relation to the theme of eschatological hope. By analyzing the structure of the Greek clauses, the relationship of the Greek conjunctions, and the use of the Greek verbs in Rom 5.1–11, I show in this article this intimate linkage between this suffering text and the theme of eschatological hope.
