Since we are his children is literally “but if children.” In such a context the Greek word ei, usually rendered “if,” does not imply doubt, as a literal translation into English might suggest. Rather it assumes that the condition stated is true, and so the Good News Translation renders by since.

We will possess the blessings he keeps for his people is literally “(we are) also heirs.” The word “heirs” is the same word which occurs in 4.13, 14. In the biblical sense “God’s heirs” are those who will receive the blessings that God has for his people. Often in the Old Testament this phrase is used in reference to the people of Israel who were to receive the land which God had promised them, though the same expression is applied in a more general and in a more spiritual sense in other passages. Throughout the New Testament it should be understood in the broadest possible spiritual sense. A translation of this phrase should certainly not imply that God’s people will receive something upon God’s death.

It may be difficult in some languages to obtain a satisfactory noun for blessings. This may be translated as a verb and related as purpose to the expression of “keeping”—for example, “we will possess what God keeps for his people in order to bless them” or “… as a way of blessing them.”

We will also possess with Christ may, in some languages, be translated as “we and Christ together will possess.”

A satisfactory translation of kept may be rendered as “has stored up for,” “has reserved for,” or has put aside for.

The word rendered if is the same word translated if, in fact in 8.9. It is a rather emphatic term and implies that Paul assumes that his statement represents the circumstances as they do in fact exist; that is, “since we do in fact share Christ’s suffering, we will share his glory.” In some languages it may be difficult to have a sequence of conjunctions such as for if. In such a circumstance it may be possible to place the conditional clause after the principal clause—for example, “for we shall share Christ’s glory if we share his suffering.”

The verb rendered share … suffering is used also in 1 Corinthians 12.26 but nowhere else in the New Testament. The verb share … glory appears only here in the New Testament. In this verse the word glory is used with the same sense that it has in 5.2. The theme of suffering and glory is a familiar one in New Testament thought. It is based on the conviction that the believers must follow the same route and receive the same reward that their Lord did.

In Greek the last clause of this verse, we will also share his glory, is actually a clause of purpose (see An American Translation* “in order to share his glory too”). In many languages the concept of sharing can only be expressed in terms of “doing something together”—for example, “if we suffer together with Christ we shall also have glory along with him.” The concept of “suffering along with Christ” may need to be expressed by some form of comparison—for example, “if we suffer somehow as Christ suffered” (“somehow” is used to indicate that our suffering is not identical with his).

The final clause may then be translated as “then we shall have glory as he has glory.” In some languages glory in this type of context may be expressed as “experiencing wonderfulness,” “having that which is wonderful,” or “having majesty such as he has.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .