Weekend Word: Hope and Perseverence

by Little Miss Attila on October 30, 2011


We’re looking at Romans 8:24-28 this week.

Here it is in the New American Standard Bible, which may be my favorite translation:

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

And here is the New American Bible, an excellent Roman Catholic translation (and the one that I rely on the most):

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

This is an open-source Bible Study, so let me know what this says to you.

I am acting on the advice of Artemis Retriever, who suggests that while I look for the perfect Bible Study here locally, in (as they say) Real Life, I can also ask my readers and blog-colleagues to amplify on the scriptures that speak to me the most loudly.

(I’d like to make two notes. First of all, though I don’t shy away from identifying as a Christian, I fervently hope that the majority of my political writing is—and will remain—accessible to those of no particular faith, and of other faiths. But both my blog and my news site are general-interest publications, and will therefore cover spiritual topics from time to time; it simply doesn’t make sense to exclude a subject that is, after all, a big part of most people’s day-to-day existence.

I’m also gratified that on the news site a lot of the most devout of our Christian readers come from my old Protestant stomping grounds, too, and I think we should be able to explore some of this stuff without getting exercised about doctrinal differences. I want to go down all the rabbit trails, and yet keep some perspective at the same time. So, no—I won’t be concentrating on The Book of Tobit here: I’d rather take a pan-Christian approach.)

Cross-posted at The Conservatory (the Conservative Commune).

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

retriever October 31, 2011 at 6:52 pm

I love this passage, too. One thing that comes to mind immediately is that it isn’t only the Spirit that intercedes for us in our weakness but our fellow believers. One reason God gave us the Church and called the faithful to gather together was so that when we are in trouble or beset by sins, weakness, sickness or despair, we can be strengthened/exhorted/brought to our senses by the prayers of the community. Sometimes we welecome these prayers, sometimes we are embarrassed by these prayers, sometimes we are enfuriated by them, but they are one of the ways God’s love is made manifest to us critters.

I remember being ill in hospital once and rather dispiritedly asking my minister to have the congregation pray for me, then gloomily forgetting about it. A few days later suddenly feeling better for no reason. It was a Sunday morning. I later found out that right when I started to feel better they had prayed for me in church.

We are called to carry each other when we are weak. One definition I like of ministry is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. But it occurs to me also, that sometimes there are secular institutions that still practice the kind of loyalty and faithfulness that we imagine the Spirit practicing. Think of how soldiers are trained to leave no man behind. How much more will the Holy Spirit leave no soul behind.

So many of us struggle with worldly cares or apathy or bad temper or (in my case right now) materialism and regret at not having accomplished more in life. Yet all of us were bought for a price, and will be sought out and brought home by a loving Saviour who wants none of us left behind.

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Darrell November 2, 2011 at 5:59 am

Beautiful sentiment, Retriever.
Our Savior may want none of us left behind, but He knows that some will be–those that don’t accept God (and Jesus and the Holy Spirit).
That is that free-will part.

St. Paul in Romans 8:24-28 knows that he is working with people that didn’t have the chance to see for themselves and I think he is speaking to Hope–
one of the three Virtues (Faith, Hope, and Love). Hope draws on the drive for happiness that God instills in all of us, bur redirected and focused on finding that happiness in God, which will ultimately lead to our Salvation–being with God. We trust that the path has been laid out to us and it is true (Hope) and this will lead to our eternal life.

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