Romans 8:35
What does Romans 8:35 mean?
A plain-English look at Romans 8:35 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Romans 8:35 means
Paul challenges every fear: what hardship can sever us from Christ’s love? He lists severe trials—tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword—to show he is not speaking theoretically. The implied answer is that none of these can break Christ’s bond to his people. Suffering may tempt us to doubt love, but the love in view is Christ’s love for us, steadfast amid storms. Security is not the absence of affliction but the presence of a love that holds fast through it. This verse names the realities believers may face and prepares the way to affirm that, even in them, we do not merely survive; we triumph through the One who loves us.
Romans 8:35 in context
Romans 8 — No Condemnation, No Separation
The high-water mark of Paul's letters. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death; the same Spirit cries 'Abba, Father' in our hearts and assures us we are children and heirs. Suffering is real, but the glory ahead is incomparably greater. All things work together for good to those who love God. And nothing — neither death nor life nor angels nor things present nor things to come — shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Justification
- Indwelling Spirit
- Adoption
- Final perseverance
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
KJV
King James Version · 1611Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Who shall separate us from the love of the Christ? tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Or distress? Or famine? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or persecution? Or the sword?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Context
After establishing an unassailable legal standing (vv. 33–34), Paul addresses the experiential challenge: does suffering imply separation from Christ’s love? Verse 35 frames the question with a catalog of severe trials. Verse 36 will quote Scripture to show that suffering for God’s sake is not abnormal but anticipated. Then verse 37 answers the question decisively: in all these things, believers are more than conquerors through Christ’s love.
v.34who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
v.35This passage
v.36Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 7:14
And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
- Acts 14:22
confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.
- 1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:
- Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, who isthe faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;
- Jeremiah 31:3
Jehovah appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Sermon ideas from Romans 8:35
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What Romans 8:35 teaches us about justification
What Romans 8:35 teaches us about indwelling spirit
What Romans 8:35 teaches us about adoption
What Romans 8:35 teaches us about final perseverance
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