Romans 8:22

22 For we now know that all the creatures groan together and travail in pain together until now.

Romans 8:22 Meaning and Commentary

Romans 8:22

For we know that the whole creation groaneth
As a woman with child, ready to bring forth: for it is added,

and travaileth in pain together until now;
regeneration is owing to the grace of God, which is compared to "seed", of which men are born again; the means of conveying it is the Gospel, and ministers are the instruments of begetting souls to Christ, and who travail in birth till Christ be formed in them: now the Gospel being carried by the apostles into the Gentile world, and being succeeded there, it was like a woman big with child, ready to bring forth many sons to God; for as it was prophesied, so it came to pass, that "more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife", ( Isaiah 54:1 ) ; and these births were attended with pain. The apostles preached the word with much contention, and the Gentiles received it in much affliction, though with the joy of the Holy Ghost; as a woman rejoices when a man child is brought forth, though the birth has been attended with pain and labour. This was an united groan, and travail of all the converted Gentiles in the several parts of the world, together with the ministers of the Gospel, earnestly desiring more instances of conversion among them; and this vehement desire had appeared "until now", from the first time of the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles, to the writing of this epistle; and supposes, that though there were many spiritual births, there were more to come; as there has been, and will be more abundantly, in the latter day: and moreover, this painful labour, and these united groans for spiritual births, the apostles were well acquainted with, and therefore could say, "we know" by their preaching among them, in whom they could easily observe, and do in their writings take notice, how eagerly desirous they were of having the Gospel preached unto them.

(The whole creation was brought under a curse because of Adam's sin. This curse will be removed in the eternal state when Christ will restore the creation to the way it was in the beginning. Editor.)

Romans 8:22 In-Context

20 For the creatures were subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected them,

21 with the hope that the same creatures shall be delivered from the slavery of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

22 For we now know that all the creatures groan together and travail in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is to say, the redemption of our body.

24 For in hope we are saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, he does not wait for.