^8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us. [n. 652]
^8:19 For the expectation of the creature waits for the revelation of the sons of God. [n. 656]
^8:20 For the creature was subjected to vanity: not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope. [n. 661]
^8:21 Because the creature also itself will be delivered from the servitude of corruption, into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. [n. 666]
^8:22 For we know that every creature groans and travails in pain, even till now. [n. 670]

652. After proving that we are freed through the grace of Christ, the Apostle now assigns the cause of the postponement of immortal life, which is the inheritance of the children of God, namely, that it is necessary for us to suffer with Christ in order to reach the fellowship of his glory. But because someone might say that such an inheritance is burdensome, since it cannot be obtained except by enduring suffering, he shows the superiority of future glory over the sufferings of the present life.

First, he states his proposition;

second, he proves it, at for the expectation.

653. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that it is necessary for us to suffer in order to be glorified, and that we should not reject sufferings, if we would have glory. For I, who have experienced both, consider: a man of much experience will speak with understanding (Sir 34:9). He endured many sufferings: with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings (2 Cor 11:23), and he was a beholder of future glory: caught up into Paradise, he heard things that cannot be told (2 Cor 12:3).

This I consider, namely, that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us.

654. Herein he mentions four things to show the excellence of that glory. First, he designates its eternity when he says, the glory to come, namely, after the present time; but there is nothing after the present time except eternity. Hence that glory surpasses the sufferings of this time as the eternal surpasses the temporal: for this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor 4:17).

Second, he designates its dignity when he says, glory, which suggests a splendor of dignity: let the faithful exult in glory (Ps 149:5).

Third, he designates how it will be manifested when he says, that will be revealed. For the saints have glory now, but it is hidden in their conscience: our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience (2 Cor 1:12). But later that glory will be revealed in the sight of all, both good and bad, about whom it is said: they will be amazed at his unsuspected salvation (Wis 5:2).

Fourth, he designates its truth when he says, in us. For the glory of this world is vain, because it is based on things outside a person, namely, in the trappings of wealth and in the opinion of men: they boast of the abundance of their riches (Ps 49:6). But that glory will be based on something within a man, as it says in Luke: the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).

655. Thus, the sufferings of this life, if they are considered in themselves, are slight in comparison to the quantity of this glory; for a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you (Isa 54:7). But if these sufferings are considered insofar as they are voluntarily endured for God out of love, which the Holy Spirit produces in us, then man properly merits eternal life through them. For the Holy Spirit is a fountain whose waters, i.e., effects, well up to eternal life, as it says in John (John 4:14).

656. Then he proves his proposition by the excellence of that glory, when he says, for the expectation of the creature.

First, by the eager longing of the creature;

second, by the eager longing of the apostles, at and not only it (Rom 8:23).

In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he mentions the eager longing of the creature;

second, he manifests it, at for the creature.

657. First, therefore, he says: it has been stated that future glory exceeds present sufferings. Yet this is obvious, for the expectation of the creature waits for the revelation of the sons of God: we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be (1 John 3:2). For the dignity of divine sonship is hidden in the saints on account of the things they suffer outwardly; but that dignity will be revealed later, when they receive immortal and glorious life, and when the wicked will say: behold how they have been numbered among the sons of God (Wis 5:5).

And he says that the expectation . . . waits to designate by such repetition the intensity of the eager longing: eagerly longing I have eagerly longed for the Lord (Ps 39:1).

658. It should be noted that creature, or creation, can be interpreted in three ways here.

In one way for just men, who are called God’s creature in a special way, either because they continue in the good in which they were created, or on account of their excellence, because every creature somehow serves them: of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures (Jas 1:18).

But this creature, i.e., the just man, waits for the revelation of the sons of God as a reward promised him: awaiting the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God (Titus 2:23).

659. Second, the creature can be human nature itself, which is the substratum of the goods of grace. In the unrighteous this nature is not yet sanctified but is as though without form.

In the men who have already been justified it is partially formed now with grace, but it is still, as it were, without form and awaits the final form which comes through glory.

Thus, therefore, this creature, i.e., we ourselves, in virtue of our human nature, waits for the revelation of the sons of God. We also wait for this in virtue of the grace received into our nature, as we might say that matter waits for its form or colors wait for the completed picture, as the Gloss says: all the days of my service I would wait till my release should come (Job 14:14).

660. In a third way it can be understood of sensible creation itself, as are the elements of this world: from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator (Wis 13:5).

This sort of creation waits for something in two ways: for the eager longing of sensible creation, according as it has its origin in God, is ordered to some end. And this happens in two ways.

In one way, inasmuch as God endows this creation with a natural form and powers that incline it to some natural end. Thus we might say that a tree waits for its fruit to be produced or that fire waits for its higher natural place.

In another way sensible creation is ordained by God to an end which transcends its natural form. For just as the human body will be clothed with the form of supernatural glory, so all sensible creation in that glory of the children of God will itself obtain a new glory: I saw a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1). In this way sensible creation waits for the revelation of the glory of the sons of God.

661. Then he explains this waiting, at for the creature.

First, the need to wait;

second, its end, at because the creature;

third, the sign of waiting, at for we know that every creature.

662. Now the need to wait is due to a defect to which the creature is subject. For a thing subject to no defect has no need to wait for something. He shows the creature’s defect when he says: for the creature was subjected to vanity.

663. If by creature is understood the just man, he is understood to be subject to vanity, i.e., to those bodily things which are changeable and inclined to fail. Hence they are called vain: vanity of vanities, and all is vanity (Eccl 1:2).

But he is subjected to them because the needs of the present life require that he occupy himself with them, not willingly, because he does not love such temporal things as those do against whom it is said: how long will you love vanity and seek after lies? (Ps 4:3). But this creature is subjected to such vanity by reason of him, i.e., by God’s ordinance, who subjected it, i.e., the just man, to these sensible creatures; but in hope, namely, that at some time he will be freed from such occupation in the resurrection when they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven (Matt 22:30).

664. If by creature is understood human nature itself, then such a creature is subjected to vanity, i.e., to changeableness; every man stands as a mere breath (Ps 39:5). Not willingly, because such vanity is inflicted on human nature as a punishment. But punishment is involuntary just as guilt is voluntary. But human nature is subjected to such sufferings by reason of him, i.e., by the sentence of God, who subjected it, namely, human nature, to defects, but nevertheless in hope of the time when such sufferings will be avoided: the thresher shall not thresh it forever (Isa 28:28).

665. But if by creature is understood sensible creation, then such creation was subjected to vanity, i.e., to changeability, but not willingly. For the defects which follow on changeableness, such as aging and ceasing to be and the like, are contrary to the particular nature of this or that thing which seeks self-preservation, although they are in keeping with the general nature of things. Nevertheless, the visible creature is subjected to such vanity by reason of him, i.e., by the ordinance of God who subjected it in hope, i.e., in expectation of a glorious renewal as was stated above.

666. Then he indicates the end of this waiting, when he says, because the creature also.

For its waiting or hope is not in vain, because the creature also itself will be delivered from the servitude of corruption, into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.

If by creature is meant the just man, from the servitude of corruption means his care in seeking food and clothing and the other things which serve our mortal life. This is a form of slavery from which the saints are freed, as they struggle toward the liberty of the children of God. Although they have the liberty of justice by which they are released from the slavery of sin, they do not yet have the liberty of glory, which is release from the slavery of misery: who has let the wild ass go free? (Job 39:5).

667. If by creature is meant human nature, it will be delivered from the servitude of corruption, i.e., from suffering and decay, and striving toward the liberty of the glory of the sons of God, which is freedom not only from guilt but from death: death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54).

668. But if it is taken for sensible creation, then that creation will be delivered from the servitude of corruption, i.e., changeableness: because in every change there is an element of decay, as Augustine says and the Philosopher too in Physics VIII. This will contribute to the liberty of the glory of the sons of God, because just as they will be renewed, so will their dwelling place be renewed: I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, i.e., the former changeableness of the creature (Isa 65:17).

669. But he says, the creature also itself will be delivered from the servitude of corruption. According to one sense it means not only we apostles, but also the other just ones. In the second sense it means not only the just but human nature, too. In a third sense, it means not only men but other creatures.

670. Then, when he says, for we know, he presents the sign of this waiting, saying, for we know, namely, we apostles, instructed by the Holy Spirit and also by experience, that every creature groans and travails in pain, even till now.

671. If this is understood of sensible creation, it presents two difficulties.

First, because he says, groans and travails, for this seems to fit only the rational creature. But this can be explained so that groan is the same as the previous expression, not willingly. For we groan against things repugnant to our will. Therefore, inasmuch as the defects of sensible creation are contrary to the natural desire of a particular nature, the visible creature is said to groan. When he says, travails, it is the same as the previous expression, waits. For travail is part of the process of producing offspring.

672. The second difficulty lies in the fact that he says, every creature, because that would include the heavenly bodies; hence a Gloss says that the sun and moon do not complete their assigned span without labor.

But this must be explained in such a way that labor is taken for motion, just as rest is sometimes taken for cessation from work, as God is said to have rested on the seventh day. Accordingly, by groaning is understood decay, which is an element of local motion, inasmuch as a body ceases to be in one place and begins to be in another. By travail is understood the destiny of heavenly bodies to be renewed.

673. But if it is understood of men, then human nature is said to be every creature, because it shares something with every creature: with the spiritual creature it shares intellect, with the animal it shares bodily life, with the bodily creature it shares bodily existence. Therefore, this creature, i.e., man, groans, partly because of the evils it suffers and partly because of the good things it hopes for, which are delayed: many are my groans (Lam 1:22). It travails, because it endures with affliction of soul the postponement of the glory it awaits: hope deferred makes the heart sick (Prov 13:12); a woman in travail has sorrow (John 16:21); anguish as of a woman in travail (Ps 48:6).

674. He says even till now because this groaning was not removed when we were made righteous, but it remains even till now, i.e., until death. Or even till now, i.e., even though those in glory have been set free, the rest of us still remain. Or even till now, because not only the ancient fathers who lived before Christ, but we also who did not live until the time of grace, suffer the same things. In 2 Peter, scoffers are described as saying: where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation (2 Pet 2:4).

It should be noted that God’s creature can mean everything under God.

Hence some try to explain the above words about every creature in such a way as to include angels. But it is quite awkward to suppose that they are subjected to futility or that they groan or are in travail, because they already have the glory, the likeness of which we await, for it says in Matthew: they will be as the angels in heaven (Matt 22:30). Therefore, ours is a more suitable explanation.