Romans 8:29 kjv
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29 nkjv
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29 niv
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29 esv
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:29 nlt
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:26 | Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness..." | Humanity created in God's image. |
| Ps 1:6 | For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous... | God's intimate, protective knowing of His own. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." | God's prior knowledge and calling of individuals. |
| Hos 13:5 | I cared for you in the wilderness... | God's prior relational knowing of Israel. |
| Mt 12:50 | For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” | Jesus identifying spiritual kinship. |
| Jn 1:18 | No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God... has made him known. | Christ perfectly revealing God's image. |
| Jn 17:22-23 | I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one... | Believers sharing Christ's glory and unity. |
| Rom 5:19 | ...through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. | Christ as the new head and pattern for humanity. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him... | Immediate preceding verse, explaining God's purpose. |
| Rom 8:30 | And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. | The "golden chain" of salvation, culminating in glorification. |
| Rom 9:24 | even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? | God's sovereign calling to a specific people. |
| 1 Cor 15:49 | And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. | Future glorification into Christ's resurrected image. |
| 2 Cor 3:18 | ...we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image... | Progressive transformation by the Spirit into Christ's image. |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | The god of this age has blinded the minds... the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. | Christ as the supreme image of God. |
| Gal 4:19 | My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you... | Paul's deep desire for Christ-likeness in believers. |
| Eph 1:4-5 | For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy... and predestined us for adoption... | God's prior election and predestination to sonship. |
| Col 1:15 | The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. | Christ's supreme image and preeminence over creation. |
| Col 1:18 | And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead... | Christ's preeminence in the church and resurrection. |
| Col 3:10 | and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. | Renewed into God's image through Christ. |
| Heb 1:6 | And again, when God brings his Firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” | Christ's unique and worshipped status as Firstborn. |
| Heb 2:11-12 | Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family... | Christ and believers as "brothers" with shared Father. |
| 1 Pet 1:2 | ...chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit... | God's foreknowledge as the basis of election and sanctification. |
| 1 Jn 3:2 | Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know... | Future full conformation and likeness to Christ. |
| Rev 1:5 | ...Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. | Christ as the Firstborn with supreme authority and testimony. |
Romans 8 verses
Romans 8 29 Meaning
This verse unveils God's eternal purpose for those He has chosen: that they might be progressively transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. It presents a divinely orchestrated plan, commencing in eternity past with God's loving selection (foreknowledge) and definitive purpose (predestination), all leading to the believer's ultimate conformity to Christ's character and glory. This transformative process has the grand aim of elevating Christ as the supreme head and example amidst His vast spiritual family, affirming His preeminence and our shared sonship with Him.
Romans 8 29 Context
Romans chapter 8 stands as a majestic summit in Pauline theology, celebrating the liberating power of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of adoption as God's children, and the indestructible hope that believers possess in Christ. Verse 29 flows directly from the powerful promise of verse 28, where "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Verse 29 provides the foundational reason for this certainty: God's ultimate purpose for His people, tracing their salvation from His eternal plan to their ultimate glorification. Historically, Paul addresses a Roman church comprising both Jewish and Gentile believers, solidifying their common standing in Christ and their shared identity within God's sovereign design, challenging any previous distinctions or reliance on ethnic privilege or human merit. This concept counters pagan notions of impersonal fate or merit-based salvation by asserting a personal, purposeful God initiating and completing His redemptive work in individual lives.
Romans 8 29 Word analysis
- For (ὅτι, hoti): Functions as a conjunction introducing the reason or basis for the statement in the preceding verse (v. 28), establishing a logical flow in God's divine plan.
- those God foreknew (οὓς ὁ θεὸς προέγνω, hous ho theos proegnō): "Foreknew" signifies not merely predictive knowledge of future actions, but a deeply relational, purposeful, and covenantal choice or selection made by God in eternity past. It implies a sovereign act of setting affection upon specific individuals, distinct from simple foresight, similar to "knowing" Israel in Amos 3:2.
- he also (καὶ, kai): Serves as an intensifier and connector, highlighting that predestination is an intentional continuation and logical progression of God's prior foreknowing.
- predestined (προώρισεν, proorisen): Means to pre-determine, appoint, or mark out beforehand. It indicates God's sovereign act of deciding the destiny or course of action for those He foreknew. The object of this predestination is explicitly "to be conformed to the image of his Son." It is a pre-setting of purpose and a pre-ordaining of outcome.
- to be conformed (συμμόρφους, summorphous): Implies a radical transformation of inner character and outward conduct. It means to share the same nature, form, or character as Christ. This is the central goal of God's redemptive plan for humanity—to restore His image within us. This conformity progresses through sanctification in this life and is completed in glorification.
- to the image (τῆς εἰκόνος, tēs eikonos): "Image" signifies representation and resemblance. Humanity was created in God's image (Gen 1:26), but that image was marred by sin. Christ is the perfect image of God (Col 1:15), and believers are being renewed into His moral and spiritual likeness, reflecting His attributes and character.
- of his Son (τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, tou huiou autou): Emphasizes Jesus Christ as the singular model and standard for the believer's conformity. It highlights His unique position as God's Son and our identity being reshaped in accordance with Him.
- that he might be (εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν, eis to einai auton): Expresses the ultimate purpose and intended result of this entire divine process—the glorification and exultation of Christ.
- the firstborn (πρωτότοκον, prōtotokon): Not implying a sequential birth, but denoting Christ's preeminence, supremacy, and unique status as the heir and head over God's new creation and spiritual family. He has priority and sovereign authority over all.
- among many brothers and sisters (ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, en pollois adelphois): Highlights the numerousness of God's adopted family and their shared spiritual kinship with Christ. It shows that believers, though transformed, are part of a community with Christ as their revered Head. The term "brothers" inherently includes both men and women in a spiritual family context.
- Words-Group analysis:
- "For those God foreknew he also predestined": This phrase initiates God's sovereign initiative in salvation. "Foreknew" refers to God's electing, intimate knowledge, while "predestined" denotes His prior determination of a purpose for these chosen ones. It highlights the divine, unconditional basis of salvation, originating entirely with God before time.
- "to be conformed to the image of his Son": This is the specific goal of God's predestination. It speaks to the ongoing spiritual transformation of believers, shaping them internally and externally to reflect the moral character, righteousness, and eventually the glory of Christ. It addresses the restoration of the marred divine image in humanity.
- "that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters": This declares the ultimate purpose behind God conforming believers to His Son's image. Christ is not merely one of many, but holds supreme preeminence as the Firstborn—the heir and head of this vast spiritual family, making His glory the central aim of redemption. It highlights both His supremacy and the spiritual kinship shared by believers through Him.
Romans 8 29 Bonus section
This verse forms an integral link in Paul's "golden chain" of salvation (Rom 8:29-30), which systematically outlines the eternal security of the believer from God's pre-temporal decision to ultimate glorification. The concept of "image" (eikōn) is critical, tracing back to Genesis's account of human creation, implying both resemblance and function as representatives. Our conformation to Christ's image isn't about becoming divine, but fully human as God intended—sinless, righteous, and reflecting God's character. The "firstborn" title also connects deeply to Old Testament legal and familial customs where it denoted priority, authority, and inheritance, reinforcing Christ's supreme Lordship over the new covenant family. This divine blueprint provides the bedrock assurance for believers that God's unwavering purpose will bring all things to their designed conclusion.
Romans 8 29 Commentary
Romans 8:29 illuminates the profound depth of God's redemptive plan, presenting a cohesive theological sequence originating in eternity past. It firmly anchors salvation in God's sovereign initiative: His "foreknowledge" is not mere passive foresight, but an active, loving selection, a purposeful decision to set His affection upon individuals. Flowing directly from this is "predestination," which outlines the predetermined goal for these chosen ones: to be made "conformed to the image of his Son." This is the transformative process of sanctification and ultimate glorification, where believers progressively shed sin's likeness and embrace Christ's character, reflecting His holiness, love, and righteousness. This entire divine operation is not for humanity's self-exaltation but for the glory and preeminence of Christ. He is "the firstborn among many brothers and sisters," establishing His unique position as the Head, Lord, and Model, uniting a vast family of believers under His leadership, while ensuring that all of creation ultimately brings Him glory through this redeemed community. This verse provides immense assurance for believers, revealing an unbreakable, divinely guaranteed trajectory for their spiritual journey.