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The Meaning of Glory


The Meaning of Glory

Romans 5:2

Excerpt


The meaning of the word glory is more difficult. Originally the word meant “heavy” or “weighty” and later came to be used in the specific sense of the revelation of some heavenly being, especially of God himself. So when Paul speaks of “the glory of God” he has in mind the revelation of what God is like, that is, God’s own character. In 1.23 Paul used the phrase “they exchanged the glory of the immortal God,” which is translated by the TEV as instead of worshiping the immortal God. In such a context “the glory of God” is a way of speaking of God himself. So in the present passage, when Paul speaks of sharing God’s glory, what he means is that the believer will share in the likeness of God himself. The ultimate hope of the believer is that he will share in the divine qualities and attributes. This is simply another way of speaking of the total salvation experience; Paul has already spoken of it in terms of being put right with God and of enjoying peace with God.


Newman, Barclay Moon, and Eugene Albert Nida. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. New York: United Bible Societies, 1973. Print. UBS Handbook Series.

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