The Bible addresses the reality of suffering in a direct manner, presenting it as an integral part of existence in a world affected by human rebellion against God. From the earliest accounts in Genesis, where the consequences of disobedience introduce pain and hardship into creation, to the apostolic teachings in the New Testament, scripture provides a framework for understanding why suffering occurs and how believers are to respond. This examination draws on the historical-grammatical interpretation, focusing on the original intent of the authors under divine inspiration, the grammatical structures in Hebrew and Greek, and the broader canonical context. The narrative begins with the fall in Genesis 3, dated around 4026 B.C.E. based on literal biblical chronology, where Adam and Eve’s sin brings about curses on the ground, childbirth, and human toil. Genesis 3:14-19 states, “Then Jehovah God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed among all the domestic animals and among all the wild animals of the field. On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel.’ To the woman he said: ‘I will greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in pain you will give birth to children, and your longing will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.’ And to Adam he said: ‘Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, “You must not eat from it,” cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.'” This passage establishes that suffering stems from a disruption in the perfect order God established at creation, introducing physical, emotional, and relational hardships that persist throughout human history.

Scripture further elaborates that suffering is not only inevitable but often intensified for those who follow God. In the Psalms, David frequently laments the afflictions faced by the righteous, as seen in Psalm 10:1-18, where he questions God’s apparent absence amid oppression, yet affirms divine justice. Similarly, Psalm 22:1-31, which prophetically foreshadows the Messiah’s suffering, describes anguish in vivid terms: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you far from saving me, far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not hear; and during the night there is no rest for me.” This psalm, composed around 1040 B.C.E. during David’s reign, highlights the depth of personal suffering even among God’s chosen. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself warns of tribulation in John 16:33: “I have said these things to you so that you may have peace in me. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage! I have conquered the world.” Written around 98 C.E. by the apostle John, this verse underscores that followers of Christ should expect adversity, not exemption from it. Paul echoes this in Acts 14:22, during his first missionary journey around 47-48 C.E., strengthening the disciples by saying, “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.” These texts collectively teach that suffering is woven into the fabric of a world marred by sin, affecting believers and unbelievers alike, though often serving distinct purposes in the lives of the faithful.

Experiences of suffering can be categorized into three primary types, each rooted in the biblical depiction of a fallen creation. First, suffering arises from physical limitations inherent to human mortality. Disease, physical pain, psychological distress, depression, and mental illness are consequences of the frailty introduced at the fall. For instance, in Romans 8:35-39, Paul, writing from Corinth around 56 C.E., lists tribulations including distress and peril, affirming that none can separate believers from God’s love. This category includes the natural decay of the body, as described in Psalm 90:1-17, a prayer of Moses around 1473 B.C.E., which laments the brevity of life: “The span of our years is 70 years, or 80 if one is especially strong. But they are filled with trouble and sorrow; they quickly pass away, and we fly off.” Second, natural disasters such as storms, fires, floods, and earthquakes contribute to suffering, often portrayed in scripture as part of God’s sovereign control over creation. Amos 4:10-13, prophesied around 755 B.C.E., attributes pestilence and calamity to divine action for the purpose of calling people to repentance: “I sent among you a pestilence like that of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I made the stench of your camps rise up into your nostrils; but you did not return to me,” declares Jehovah. Third, suffering results from human actions, whether self-inflicted or imposed by others, individually or collectively. This includes harm through violence, oppression, or poor choices, as seen in the corporate sins leading to Israel’s exile in 587 B.C.E., detailed in 2 Kings 17:7-24. These categories demonstrate that suffering is multifaceted, not reducible to a single cause, but always under God’s ultimate authority.

Why Does the One True God Allow Evil and Suffering?

A central question posed by biblical figures and modern inquirers alike is why an omnipotent, benevolent God permits evil and suffering. The Bible does not offer a exhaustive philosophical treatise but provides insights through narrative, prophecy, and doctrine, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. One primary cause is human sinfulness, which misuses the freedom God granted. This originates with Adam and Eve’s disobedience in Genesis 3, leading to death and hardship entering the world. Romans 5:12-21, penned by Paul around 56 C.E., explains: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not charged against anyone when there is no law. Nevertheless, death ruled as king from Adam down to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the same way as Adam, who bears a resemblance to the one who was to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by one man’s trespass many died, how much more did the undeserved kindness of God and his free gift by the undeserved kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to many!” Here, Paul clarifies that death—encompassing all forms of suffering—results from personal sin, not an inherited guilt, maintaining individual accountability.

Sin’s consequences manifest in personal and corporate suffering, as illustrated in Psalm 7:12-16: “If anyone does not turn back, He will sharpen his sword; he bends his bow and makes it ready. He prepares his deadly weapons; he makes his arrows fiery shafts. Look! The wicked man is pregnant with trouble; he conceives harm and will give birth to lies. He digs a pit and excavates it, but he will fall into the hole that he made. His trouble will return on his own head, and his violence will come down on the crown of his head.” Written by David around 1020 B.C.E., this psalm shows that evildoers reap what they sow, a principle reiterated in Galatians 6:7-8 around 50-52 C.E.: “Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap; because the one sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but the one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit.” Yet, scripture rejects the notion that all suffering directly correlates to personal sin. Job’s story, set around 1473 B.C.E., refutes this through God’s rebuke of Job’s friends in Job 42:7-8: “After Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite: ‘My anger burns against you and your two companions, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has. Now take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept his prayer in order not to deal harshly with you; for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.'” Job’s afflictions were not due to his sin but served a higher purpose.

Beyond human sin, suffering can originate from satanic and demonic influences, as depicted in Job 1:9-12 and 2:6, where Satan challenges Job’s integrity, and God permits testing: “Then Satan answered Jehovah: ‘Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? Have you not put up a protective hedge around him and his house and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread out in the land. But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.’ Then Jehovah said to Satan: ‘Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only do not lay your hand on the man himself!’ So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah.” This narrative illustrates that evil forces operate within boundaries set by God, never beyond His control. In the New Testament, Luke 13:16 describes a woman bound by Satan for 18 years, whom Jesus heals, affirming demonic causation: “Was it not necessary, then, for this woman who is a daughter of Abraham and whom Satan held bound for 18 years to be released from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” Written around 56-58 C.E., Luke’s account shows that while Satan causes suffering, Christ’s authority overcomes it. Ephesians 6:10-13, from Paul’s Roman imprisonment around 60-61 C.E., urges believers to arm against spiritual forces: “Finally, go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength. Put on the complete suit of armor from God so that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil; because we have a wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. For this reason take up the complete suit of armor from God, so that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have accomplished everything, to stand firm.”

Despite these explanations, some suffering remains unexplained, transcending human comprehension. Isaiah 55:8-9, prophesied around 732 B.C.E., declares: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” declares Jehovah. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Habakkuk 2:2-4, around 607 B.C.E., calls for faith amid mystery: “And Jehovah answered me: ‘Write down the vision, and make it plain on tablets, so that the one reading it may run. For the vision is yet for its appointed time, and it is rushing toward its end, and it will not lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it! For it will without fail come true. It will not be late! Look at the one who is proud; he is not upright within himself. But the righteous one will live by his faithfulness.'” Job 42:2-3 reflects this humility: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this who conceals counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I spoke, but I did not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” In such cases, trust in God’s wisdom is paramount, with full understanding reserved for eternity, as in Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of the present time do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us.”

God’s Purposes in Allowing Suffering

God employs suffering to teach, discipline, and foster maturity in His people, transforming it into an instrument for good. This is evident in Judges 2:21-3:6, where God leaves nations to test Israel around 1375 B.C.E.: “I, for my part, shall no longer drive out from before them any of the nations that Joshua left behind when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will be careful to walk in the way of Jehovah by keeping his commandments as their forefathers did or not.” Thus he left those nations remaining, without driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. These are the nations that Jehovah left remaining so that by them he could test all those of Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan (it was only so that succeeding generations of Israel would learn how to wage war, those who had not experienced such things before): the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites inhabiting Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. They served as a means of testing Israel to determine whether they would obey Jehovah’s commandments that he had given to their forefathers through Moses. So the Israelites continued to dwell in among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. They took their daughters as wives, and they gave their own daughters to their sons, and they began serving their gods.” This historical context shows suffering as a refining tool.

Psalm 66:10 affirms: “For you have examined us, O God; you have refined us as silver is refined.” Malachi 3:3, around 443 B.C.E., likens God to a refiner: “And he will sit as a refiner and cleanser of silver and will cleanse the sons of Levi; and he will clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness.” Romans 5:3-5 explains the process: “Not only that, but let us rejoice while in tribulations, since we know that tribulation produces endurance; endurance, in turn, an approved condition; the approved condition, in turn, hope, and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given to us.” Suffering builds character, as in 1 Peter 5:10, written around 62-64 C.E.: “But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you.”

Discipline from God is an expression of love, not anger. Proverbs 3:11-12 states: “My son, do not reject the discipline of Jehovah, and do not loathe his reproof, for those whom Jehovah loves he reproves, just as a father does a son in whom he delights.” Hebrews 12:3-13, authored by Paul around 61 C.E., expands: “For you have entirely forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: ‘My son, do not belittle the discipline from Jehovah, nor give out when you are corrected by him; for those whom Jehovah loves he disciplines; in fact, he scourges everyone whom he receives as a son.’ You need to endure as part of your discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you have not all shared in receiving discipline, you are really illegitimate children, and not sons. Furthermore, our human fathers used to discipline us, and we gave them respect. Should we not more readily submit ourselves to the Father of our spiritual life and live? For they disciplined us for a short time according to what seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit so that we may partake of his holiness. True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but it is painful; yet afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, and keep making straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but, rather, may be healed.”

Believers are called to rejoice in suffering, as it leads to growth. James 1:2-12, written around 62 C.E., instructs: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance complete its work so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything. If any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways. But let the lowly brother rejoice over his exaltation, and the rich one over his humiliation, because he will pass away like the flower of the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the plant, and its flower falls off and its outward beauty perishes. So, too, the rich man will fade away in his pursuits. Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving him.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 adds: “Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you never saw him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet you exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are attaining the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

The Redemptive Nature of Suffering for Believers

Suffering holds redemptive potential, particularly for believers, aligning with God’s overarching plan of salvation. This is exemplified in the life of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery around 1750 B.C.E., leading to imprisonment, yet ultimately positioning him to save his family during famine. Genesis 50:15-21 records: “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said: ‘What if Joseph is harboring hatred against us and he attempts to repay us for all the evil that we did to him?’ So they sent this message to Joseph: ‘Your father gave this command before his death: “This is what you are to say to Joseph: ‘Please, forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin in that they did evil to you.”‘ Now please forgive the transgression of the servants of your father’s God.” But Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said: “Here we are as your slaves!” But Joseph said to them: ‘Do not be afraid. Am I take God’s place? Although you meant to harm me, God intended it for good, to preserve many people alive as he is doing today. So do not be afraid. I will keep supplying you and your little children with food.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke reassuringly to them.” Here, suffering, though evil in intent, serves a greater good under God’s providence, as Paul affirms in Romans 8:28: “We know that God makes all his works cooperate together for the good of those who love God, those who are the ones called according to his purpose.”

Christ’s suffering epitomizes vicarious redemption, fulfilling Isaiah 53:1-12, prophesied around 732 B.C.E.: “Who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed? He will come up like a twig before him, like a root out of parched land. No stately form does he have, nor any splendor; and when we see him, his appearance does not attract us. He was despised and was avoided by men, a man who was meant for pains and was familiar with sickness. It was as if our face were turned away from him. He was despised, and we held him as of no account. Truly he himself carried our sicknesses, and he bore our pains. But we considered him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. But he was pierced for our transgression; he was crushed for our errors. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and because of his wounds we have healing. We have all strayed like sheep; each has turned to his own way; and Jehovah has caused the error of us all to meet up with him. He was oppressed and he let himself be afflicted, but he would not open his mouth. He was brought like a sheep to the slaughter, like a ewe that is silent before its shearers, and he would not open his mouth. Because of restraint and judgment he was taken away; but who will concern himself with the details of his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the transgression of my people he received the stroke. And he was given a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, although he had done no wrong and there was no deception in his mouth. But it was Jehovah’s will to crush him, and he let him become sick. If you will present his life as a guilt offering, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and through him the delight of Jehovah will have success. From the trouble of his life he will see light; he will satisfy himself with full knowledge. My righteous servant will bring righteousness to many people, and he is the one who will bear their errors. Therefore, I will give him a portion among the many, and he will apportion the spoil with the mighty ones, because he poured out his life even to death and was counted among the transgressors; he carried the sin of many people, and he intercedes for the transgressors.” This finds fulfillment in Christ’s crucifixion around 33 C.E., as described in 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ died once for all time for sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

Believers participate in Christ’s sufferings, as in Philippians 3:8-11, written around 60-61 C.E.: “What is more, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have taken the loss of all things, and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ and be found in union with him, not having my own righteousness, which results from law, but the one that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that is from God and is based on faith, so as to know him and the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, to see if at all possible I may attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:5-11 adds: “For just as the sufferings for the Christ abound in us, so the comfort we receive through the Christ also abounds. Now if we are being afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which you demonstrate by enduring the same sufferings that we also suffer. And our hope for you is unwavering, knowing as we do that just as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the tribulation that happened to us in the district of Asia. We were under extreme pressure beyond our strength, so that we were very uncertain even of our lives. In fact, we felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death. This happened so that we would trust, not in ourselves, but in the God who raises up the dead. From such a great risk of death he did rescue us and will rescue us, and our hope is in him that he will also continue to rescue us. You also can help us by your supplication for us, in order that many may give thanks in our behalf for the favor we receive in answer to the prayers of many.”

Why Do the Righteous Suffer While the Wicked Prosper?

The apparent injustice of righteous suffering and wicked prosperity perplexes biblical authors, yet scripture resolves it through eternal perspective. Psalm 73:2-12 articulates Asaph’s struggle around 1000 B.C.E.: “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I became envious of the arrogant when I would see the peace of the wicked. For they have no deathly pangs; their paunch is fat. They are not plagued like other humans. Therefore, haughtiness is their necklace; violence envelops them as a garment. Their prosperity makes their eyes bulge; they have exceeded the imaginations of their heart. They scoff and speak about what is bad; about defrauding they speak in an elevated style. They have put their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walks about in the earth. Therefore, his people turn there, and they drink their fill of water. And they say: ‘How does God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?’ Look at these arrogant ones; they are at peace and have amassed riches.” Jeremiah 12:1-4, around 627 B.C.E., questions: “You are righteous, O Jehovah, so let me plead my case with you. I want to speak with you about matters of justice. Why is the way of the wicked successful? Why do all those dealing treacherously have peace? You planted them, and they have taken root. They keep growing and producing fruit. You are near to their mouth, but far away from their innermost feelings. But you know me well, O Jehovah; you see me, and you examine my heart’s attitude toward you. Single them out like sheep for slaughtering; set them apart for the day of killing. How long will the land mourn and the vegetation of every field dry up? Because of the evil of those dwelling in it, the beasts and the flying creatures have been swept away. For they say: ‘He does not see what will happen to us.'”

Job, despite his righteousness, endures catastrophe, yet maintains integrity, as in Job 1:21: “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. Jehovah has given, and Jehovah has taken away. Let the name of Jehovah continue to be praised.” Habakkuk 1:12-13, around 607 B.C.E., queries national injustice: “Are you not from everlasting, O Jehovah? O my God, my Holy One, you do not die. O Jehovah, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you established them for punishment. Your eyes are too pure to look on what is evil, and you cannot tolerate wickedness. Why, then, do you look on those who are treacherous and remain silent when the wicked swallows up someone more righteous than he is?” Resolution comes in recognizing eternal outcomes. Psalm 73:13-28 shifts: “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. All day long I am plagued; every morning brings punishment. If I had said: ‘I will speak this way,’ then I would have betrayed your people. When I tried to understand this, it was troubling to me until I entered the grand sanctuary of God. Then I discerned their end. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you make them fall to destruction. How suddenly they come to ruin! They are completely swept away by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Jehovah, when you rouse yourself, you will despise their image. When my heart was bitter, and deep within I felt sharp pains, I was unreasoning and did not understand; I was like a senseless animal before you. But now I am continually with you; you hold on to my right hand. You guide me with your advice, and afterward you will lead me to glory. Whom do I have in the heavens? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My body and my heart may fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever. For look! Those far away from you will perish. You will put an end to everyone who immorally leaves you. As for me, drawing near to God is good for me. I have made the Sovereign Lord Jehovah my refuge, to declare all your works.”

Believers respond to suffering with hope, not resignation. Psalm 39:7-13 prays: “And now what am I waiting for, O Jehovah? My hope is in you. Rescue me from all my transgressions. Do not make me an object of scorn to the senseless one. I remain speechless; I do not open my mouth, for you are the one who has acted. Remove your plague from me. Because of your hand’s opposition I have come to an end. When you reprove or discipline a man for sin, you consume what he loves like a moth; surely every man is mere breath. (Selah) Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and listen to my cry for help. Do not ignore my tears, for I am but a foreign resident with you, a settler the same as all my forefathers. Turn your harsh gaze away from me so that I may regain my strength before I pass away and am gone.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 encourages: “But thanks to God, for he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.” The resurrection hope, detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 around 50 C.E., provides comfort: “Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope. For if we have faith that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in death through Jesus. For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. So keep comforting one another with these words.”

God’s presence sustains through suffering. Psalm 23:1-6 affirms: “Jehovah is my Shepherd. I will lack nothing. In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; he leads me to well-watered resting-places. He refreshes me. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name. Even though I walk in the valley of deep shadow, I fear no harm, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my adversaries; you refresh my head with oil; my cup is well-filled. Surely goodness and loyal love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of Jehovah for all my days.” Hebrews 4:14-16 invites: “Therefore, since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold on to our public declaration of him. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin. Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time.”

Ultimately, suffering pales against future glory. Romans 8:17-18 states: “If, then, we are children, we are also heirs—heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ—provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of the present time do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us.” Revelation 21:4-5, written around 96 C.E., promises: “And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. And the One seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also he says: ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.'”

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