Paul, in this letter addressed to Gentile Christians, discusses their disobedience and their redemption (Chapters 1-4) and their new life in Christ (5-8).
"You have been adopted into the family," Paul says. "You will share in the inheritance." Then Paul gives us a BTW: part of that shared inheritance is suffering.
Sharing in the Spirit does not immunize us against the suffering that is part of creation; but, suffering is not the last word.
Paul believed that the end was coming very soon. We now believe this earth and our attachment to it are coming to continue for quite a while. This difference in timetable forces us to consider how we are to interpret Paul's words about hope and patience.
Sources: Reinventing Paul, John G. Gager; Paul and His Letters, Leander E. Keck
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