Romans 5:3-4
Boasting Amidst the Tribulation
Paul does not just conclude that we could “boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Instead, he goes on to make a rather shocking statement. Paul says that because we “have peace with God, we can “boast in our tribulations.” This word for tribulation can mean several things: “persecution, suffering, distress, anguish, trouble.”[1] To begin, Paul talks about the persecution and tribulations a believer will go through because they choose to serve Christ. In today’s culture, it is popular for those who claim to be Christians to teach and believe that a believer should not go through any hard times, but this is a lie straight from the father of lies. A time of study in the Scriptures will show that the truth is that believers will and should go through hard times and persecution. In John 15:20, Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” In another place, Paul says to his son in the faith, Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” It is not the lack of hardships that believers are promised; instead, it is the promise of help when facing those hardships. Paul assumes here that his audience realizes that they will face persecution because he does not talk about them having to face it. Instead, he says that they can boast in their tribulation. This same word was used in verse 2 concerning the “boasting in the hope of the glory of God.” In review, when Paul says that a believer can boast in tribulation, he is saying that the believer is “to exalt, gory, and/or take pride”[2] in whatever tribulation that they are facing. This idea brings up the question: “What is the point of this tribulation?”
The point of tribulation is to bring to light what has been hidden in the believer’s heart. What has been hidden deep in a believer’s heart is revealed through difficult times. “Thlipsis (tribulation) has the underlying meaning of being under pressure and was used of squeezing olives in a press in order to extract the oil and of squeezing grapes to extract the juice.”[3] The same concept is used when refining metals. Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). The whole point of the tribulations that believers face is to bring to light areas of their lives that are not pleasing to God so that their faith will be used to praise Jesus. This ties into what Paul said back in Romans 3. The whole point of faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice is that believers will boast in Him, not what they have done.
Tribulation, Perseverance, and Proven Character
Next, Paul gives three things that come as a result of the tribulation the believer faces: perseverance, proven character, and hope. Most people, when they go through trials and afflictions, fall apart. They are never the same, and not in a good way. How can believers boast in affliction? This is what distinguishes believers from the world. When they have trials and afflictions, they can go through them and boast about what God is doing and the peace He has given them. God provides the strength and perseverance to go through each trial He allows. This word for perseverance, hupomone, can also mean “patient enduring.”[4] Why can a believer patiently endure what is happening? Because of what Paul says next. This perseverance through these trials is like fire, refining us like gold (1 Peter 1:7). Believers can continue to preserve through these afflictions because they are being refined into the image of Jesus, and as Paul says, it produces proven character. The Greek word here is dokime. The King James Version translates this word as experience. The meaning Paul is trying to relate here is that the believer has gone through the trial, endured, gained experience from it, and come out of the trial with his character tested and given approval from God.[5] The whole point is to make believers more into Christ’s image and the person He wants them to be. Then, because of this proven character, believers can be confident that, in the future, they will be free from afflictions, trials, and pain in this world and spend forever with God. This character produces in us hope. This is not just an “I hope so,” or “I’m hoping this will happen.” No. This is a hope that is absolutely certain and has no doubts, no misgivings. They can be so sure of this because of God’s love. It will not stop being given to believers when we are going through afflictions.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Ibid.
[2] Ibid.
[3] MacArthur, The MacArthur Commentary, 281.
[4] Thomas, New American Standard.
[5] Ibid.
