Romans 8:24 kjv
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Romans 8:24 nkjv
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
Romans 8:24 niv
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Romans 8:24 esv
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
Romans 8:24 nlt
We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it.
Romans 8 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Heb 11:1 | Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. | Defines hope's object as unseen. |
| 2 Cor 5:7 | For we walk by faith, not by sight. | Emphasizes living based on unseen realities. |
| 1 Pet 1:8-9 | Though you have not seen him, you love him… believing, you rejoice… obtaining the outcome of your faith. | Love and belief in the unseen Christ. |
| Titus 2:13 | Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. | Future appearance of Christ as ultimate hope. |
| Rom 5:3-5 | We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame… | Suffering strengthens hope. |
| Rom 12:12 | Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. | Hope as source of endurance. |
| 1 Pet 1:3 | …begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… | Resurrection grounds Christian hope. |
| Gal 5:5 | For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the righteousness for which we hope. | Holy Spirit enables our hopeful waiting. |
| Col 3:3-4 | For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. | Salvation's full manifestation is future. |
| 1 Jn 3:2 | Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him… | Transformation is a future hope. |
| 1 Cor 15:52-54 | …in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed… | Glorification of the body is a future event. |
| Phil 3:20-21 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body… | Heavenly citizenship entails future hope. |
| Rom 8:23 | …we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. | Directly precedes Rom 8:24, explaining the "hope." |
| Heb 6:11-12 | We desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. | Perseverance and assurance in hope. |
| Rom 8:18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. | Hope contextualizes present suffering. |
| Acts 24:15 | Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. | Resurrection as a key aspect of hope. |
| Jer 29:11 | For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. | Old Testament foundation for future hope. |
| Ps 39:7 | And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. | Personal hope anchored in God. |
| Ps 42:5 | Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him… | Hope in God even amidst distress. |
| Hab 2:3 | For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. | Patience for a future divine promise. |
| 1 Thess 5:8 | …and for a helmet the hope of salvation. | Hope as protective armor. |
| Lam 3:24-26 | The LORD is my portion; therefore I will hope in him. The LORD is good to those who wait for him… | Waiting patiently for the Lord. |
| Eph 1:18 | …the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling… | Understanding the scope of divine calling/hope. |
Romans 8 verses
Romans 8 24 Meaning
Romans 8:24 concisely states that Christian salvation, while initiated, is fundamentally anchored in a future hope. Believers "were saved" in the sense that the process of salvation has begun, establishing them in a state of hopeful anticipation. The verse clarifies the very nature of hope: it pertains to what is not yet seen or fully possessed. If something is already visible or fully present, it ceases to be an object of hope in the scriptural sense.
Romans 8 24 Context
Romans 8:24 is embedded in a profound chapter outlining the Spirit-empowered life of believers and their future glory. It immediately follows the apostle Paul's explanation that not only believers but all creation is groaning, eagerly awaiting liberation from decay and the full revealing of the children of God (Rom 8:19-23). The "hope" mentioned in verse 24 refers directly to the "adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" detailed in verse 23. This grand future reality of bodily transformation and full sonship is what Christians are currently waiting for with patient expectation.
Historically and culturally, this passage was addressed to believers in Rome, living in a powerful empire that emphasized present, tangible achievements and visible dominion. In contrast, Paul redirects their focus to an unseen, future glory that transcends earthly realities. While some contemporary Jewish thought emphasized an immediate, physical kingdom of the Messiah, Paul underscores that while the Messiah has come, the full manifestation of His redemptive work is still anticipated. The struggle and suffering endured by believers in their present lives are to be viewed through the lens of this promised, ultimate glory, which cultivates endurance.
Romans 8 24 Word analysis
- For (γάρ - gar): A conjunction that introduces an explanation or reason for the preceding statements (Rom 8:19-23), particularly the groaning and eager waiting. It connects the nature of hope to the preceding expression of waiting.
- in this hope (ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ταύτῃ - en tē elpidi tautē): "This hope" points back specifically to the hope of future glory, adoption, and redemption of the body mentioned in Rom 8:23. Elpis (hope) here is not a mere wish but a confident expectation and sure anticipation rooted in God's faithfulness and promises.
- we were saved (ἐσώθημεν - esōthēmen): A past, completed action (aorist tense). This refers to the decisive event of justification and spiritual new birth that occurred when one believed. However, its usage "in this hope" implies that this initial salvation itself inaugurates a journey that culminates in the future realization of hope, thus emphasizing that our past salvation has placed us into a present state of hopeful waiting for its final consummation (glorification).
- But (δὲ - de): A particle indicating a transition or contrast, introducing a logical distinction.
- hope that is seen (ἐλπὶς βλεπομένη - elpis blepomenē): Refers to hope concerning something that is already visibly perceived or fully possessed. Blepo implies perception with the eyes.
- is no hope at all (οὐκ ἐλπίς - ouk elpis): A clear logical statement. If an object is already fully present and observable, the very concept of hoping for it, in its forward-looking sense, becomes meaningless. It underscores hope's inherent orientation towards the future and the unseen.
- Who hopes for what they already have? (τὸ γὰρ βλέπει τίς ἐλπίζει - to gar blepei tis elpizei): A rhetorical question that reinforces the logical distinction. It uses everyday human experience to illustrate the definition of biblical hope: it is for what is not yet realized but confidently expected.
Romans 8 24 Bonus section
The theological concept illuminated here is eschatological tension. Believers live in the tension between what God has already accomplished through Christ (past, completed salvation, indwelling Spirit) and what He has promised to do in the future (bodily resurrection, full glorification, new heavens and new earth). This tension defines the Christian walk, characterized by both spiritual certainty and patient longing. Our salvation, therefore, spans the past (justification), present (sanctification), and future (glorification). The Spirit himself, dwelling within us as the "firstfruits" (Rom 8:23), is both a taste of future glory and the empowering agent of our present hope, assuring us of God's future fulfillment despite our current physical weaknesses and the groaning of creation around us.
Romans 8 24 Commentary
Romans 8:24 is a cornerstone verse in understanding the Christian experience of "already but not yet" eschatology. Our salvation is a past reality, marking a decisive turning point in our lives and granting us eternal life in Christ. Yet, this initial act of salvation is not the culmination; it is the down payment and the guarantee that sets us on a journey towards a glorious, future completion – the redemption of our physical bodies and full adoption as sons. This ultimate transformation is the object of our Christian hope.
The verse clarifies that true hope, unlike mere wishful thinking, is directed toward something currently unseen. If we could already fully see or possess our glorified bodies and perfect fellowship with Christ, there would be no need for hope; it would be a present reality. Therefore, our current groaning (Rom 8:23) and patience in suffering (Rom 8:18) are entirely logical responses to living in this "in-between" time. This confident anticipation provides believers with the endurance and motivation needed to persevere through trials, fixing their eyes not on the transient visible world but on the enduring, unseen promises of God, which are certain to be fulfilled. Hope becomes an active spiritual virtue, a "helmet of salvation" (1 Thess 5:8) that protects and guides us until Christ returns.