5:3-5 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
5:3-5 What do we learn from what Paul says here?
Firstly, in the context of Ro 5:3-5 tribulations refers to persecutions, afflictions, oppressions and hardships, etc.
These are promised to every believer in Christ. Believers are warned from the commencement of their Christian walk that they must go through many tribulations in the process of conforming to the image of Christ (CP Jn 15:18-20; Ac 14:21-22; 2Ti 3:12).
econdly, we learn that tribulations are needful for believers to develop strength of character and steadfastness in faith (CP Jas 1:2-4; 1Pe 1:3-9; 4:12-14).
True faith will withstand the testing process of tribulations because of the believer's hope in the gospel of Christ to save them (CP Ro 1:16). Ro 5:5 teaches that this hope is grounded in God's super-abundant love which has been poured in, and still floods the hearts of believers, by the Holy Spirit.
This love is the motivating force in believers. Here is the literal English rendering of V3-5 from the Greek text according to Kenneth Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament:
"And not only this, but we also are exulting in our tribulations, knowing that this tribulation produces endurance, and this endurance approvedness, and this approvedness, hope, and this hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts and still floods them through the agency of the Holy Spirit who was given to us."