Paul proceeded to expound on the thought that he introduced at the end of verse 17. This passage gives a very wide perspective of God's great plan of redemption, which is the heart of Paul's theology.264
8:18 In the light of eternity we should view the cost of suffering with Jesus Christ now as insignificant in view of the glory that lies ahead for us (cf. 2 Cor. 4:17). Paul again used a word, pathemata, that means sufferings for any reason and in any form. By glory Paul meant the glory that we will experience at our glorification (v. 17). Our glorification is the third and final aspect of our salvation in which God will deliver us from the presence of sin forever. The Greek preposition eiscan mean either "to"(NASB) or "in"(NIV) and probably includes both ideas here in view of the vastness of this glory.
8:19 Paul broadened his view of glorification to include all of creation. He personified it as leaning forward eagerly in anticipation of the great day in which God will fully redeem it too (cf. Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28). Then God will reveal His sons as such whereas now we appear simply as Adam's sons.
". . . the word here translated revealing' is apokalupsis, a removal of a covering,--as when some wonderful statue has been completed and a veil thrown over it, people assemble for the unveiling' of this work of art. It will be as when sky rockets are sent up on a festival night: rockets which, covered with brown paper, seem quite common and unattractive, but up they are sent into the air and then they are revealed in all colors of beauty, and the multitude waiting below shout in admiration. Now the saints are wrapped up in the common brown paper of flesh, looking outwardly like other folks. But the whole creation is waiting for their unveiling at Christ's coming, for they are connected with Christ, one with Him, and are to be glorified with Himat His coming."265
8:20 Because of the Fall God subjected the whole creation to "futility"or "frustration."Consequently it never reaches the perfection that He originally intended it to achieve. Probably God is in view as the one who subjected it though Satan and Adam were instrumental in that action.
8:21 In view of prophecies concerning creation's restoration during Messiah's earthly reign, that time was probably in Paul's mind (Jer. 30:23-24; 35). Paul did not have the annihilation of the present earth in view, which will happen at the end of Messiah's earthly reign (cf. 2 Pet. 3:11-13). He was writing of its transformation at the beginning of that reign.
8:22 The creation (excluding man, v. 23) acts as though it is going through birth pains in that it is straining to produce its fruit. Its sufferings are both a result of past events and a portent of future deliverance (cf. v. 20; Matt. 19:28).
8:23 The saints share the sense of groaning and anticipation that Paul described the creation feeling. God will fully redeem both it and us finally. However only the saints have the firstfruits of the Spirit.
God commanded the Israelites to present a portion of their harvest that ripened first as an offering to Himself (Exod. 23:19; Neh. 10:35). This offering acknowledged that the whole harvest was from Him and was really His. It was an offering that the Israelites made in faith confident that the rest of the harvest would follow.
Similarly God's gift of the Spirit at the commencement of the believer's Christian life is His pledge that He will complete the process of salvation. Even though He has redeemed and adopted us there is more of redemption and adoption for us to experience in the future (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 1 John 3:2). When will that take place? It will happen at the Rapture when He glorifies our bodies by making them immortal (Phil. 3:20-21; cf. 1 Cor. 15:44; John 14:1-2). The judgment seat of Christ will follow when we will receive more of our glorious inheritance (1 Pet. 1:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
8:24-25 In the meantime we should look forward with hope to what God has promised and patiently endure present sufferings (cf. 5:4).
"The point of these two verses is that the attitude of hope, so distinctive of the Christian, implies that there is more in store for him than anything that is his already."266
