ACC ~ Romans 5 v3

SUFFERING NOT AN END IN ITSELF. ORIGEN: The word rejoice is sometimes used positively in Scripture and sometimes negatively. … For if someone rejoices in his wisdom or strength or riches, he is wrong to do so, but if he rejoices in knowing God and in understanding his judgments of mercy and righteousness, he is right to do so. In this case, Paul says that he rejoices in his sufferings, not as an end in themselves but be-cause they lead to various virtues of the soul. … If suffering produces patience and patience is one of the virtues of the soul, then there is no doubt that suffering must be called not evil or neutral but definitely good. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

LIKE EXERCISE FOR ATHLETES. BASIL: For those who are well prepared, tribulations are like certain foods and exercises for athletes which lead the contestant on to the inheritance of glory. When we are reviled, we bless; maligned, we entreat; ill-treated, we give thanks; afflicted, we glory in our afflictions. HOMILY 16.

BLESSED ARE THOSE PERSECUTED. AMBROSIASTER: Since it is through tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God, Paul teaches that we should rejoice in them. For suffering added to hope increases our reward. Suffering is the measure of how much hope we have, and it testifies to the fact that we deserve the crown we shall inherit. This is why the Lord said: “Blessed are you when they persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you on account of God’s righteousness. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.” For to despise present sufferings and hindrances and, for the hope of the future, not to give in to pressure has great merit with God. Therefore one should rejoice in suffering, believing that he will be all the more acceptable to God as he sees himself made stronger in the face of tribulation.

Suffering produces endurance as long as it is not the result of weakness or doubt. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

SUFFERING PREPARES US FOR ENDURANCE. CHRYSOSTOM: Consider how great the things to come are, when we can rejoice even at things which appear to be distressful. … Sufferings are in themselves a good thing, insofar as they prepare us for endurance. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 9.

AUGUSTINE: Paul says this in order to lead us gradually to the love of God, which he says that we have by the gift of the Spirit. He shows us that all those things which we might attribute to ourselves ought to be attributed to God, who was pleased to give us his Holy Spirit through grace. AUGUSTINE ON ROMANS 26.

MINDFUL OF THE END OF SUFFERING. PELAGIUS: We glory not only in the hope of glory but also in sufferings which are most salutary, being mindful of the greatness of the reward. We should desire to suffer something for the Lord’s name so that when sufferings come to an end we may obtain an eternal reward for them. For when we consider the reward, we cannot possibly begrudge the effort needed to be worthy of the reward. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

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