What does the Bible say about sufferings?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that believers’ sufferings are real and grievous, yet they are not meaningless or final: God uses them to conform His people to Christ, strengthen their faith, and fix their hope on coming glory. Romans 5:1-5 and James 1:2-4 show that trials produce endurance, tested character, and steadfastness through God’s grace. Christians share in Christ’s sufferings and receive comfort through Him, as 2 Corinthians 1:5 and 1 Peter 4:13 teach. They are to entrust themselves to their faithful Creator while doing good, confident that after suffering God will restore and establish them. Romans 8:18 and Revelation 21:4 promise that present affliction will give way to resurrection glory, when Christ returns and sorrow ends.

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • Romans 8:18

    For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:5

    For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

  • 1 Peter 5:10

    But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

  • 1 Peter 4:19

    Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

  • James 1:2-4

    [2] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

  • Hebrews 9:28

    so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.

  • Revelation 21:4

    He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away."

  • 1 Peter 4:13

    But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy.

  • Romans 5:1-21

    [1] Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; [2] through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: [5] and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [6] For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. [8] But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him. [10] For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life. [11] Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. [12] Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned. [13] For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. [15] But the free gift isn't like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. [16] The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. [17] For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. [18] So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. [19] For as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one will many be made righteous. [20] The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly; [21] that as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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