By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Name three reasons we must have a right theology of suffering.

(2) Recognize different types of suffering.

(3) Identify some insufficient answers to the problem of suffering.

(4) Describe how the attributes of God are comforting to suffering believers.

► Each student should write or recite Romans 8:18–21 from memory.

► Two or three students should report on their preaching or teaching assignment from Lesson 1. Other students should share what they learned as they prepared the sermon or Bible study.

R.G. Hutchison, a missionary leader, said, “We must preach the whole gospel for the whole person. God wants to save us spirit, soul, and body. He is concerned about our suffering.”

► What does this mean to you? How does the gospel speak to the physical and emotional needs of the people to whom you minister?

Suffering is an undeniable part of life. We see the results of sin all around us. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and drought bring great loss. People suffer physical illness and disease. Many struggle with emotional pain and depression. Others suffer the effects of war, corruption, and abuse. We live in a fallen world.

Because suffering is everywhere, we must have a right theology of suffering. Bad theology makes suffering far worse. When we suffer, we need to know who God is, what sin has done to our world, and how God plans to restore our broken world. If our theology is wrong, our faith may become weak at the very time we most need to trust God and find hope in his promises.

A right theology of suffering is important for three reasons.

(1) If we misunderstand suffering, we may fail to learn lessons that God wants to teach us through our suffering.

The people of Judah misunderstood their exile. Instead of repenting for their own sin, they blamed their parents (Ezekiel 18:1–2). Ezekiel knew that unless they understood why they were suffering, they would not learn the lesson God intended.

Today, many people focus more on removing suffering than on learning God’s lessons from suffering. A church leader in Sri Lanka observed, “Today in the church we have a lot of emphasis on a therapy for suffering but insufficient emphasis on a theology of suffering…. Without an adequate theology regarding suffering, Christians avoid the cross and move away from their call, and they are also unnecessarily unhappy when they face pain.”[1]

James encouraged first-century believers with the promise that their trials and testing would produce spiritual fruit. However, this happens only if we have a proper understanding. That is why James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…” (James 1:5). To benefit from our trials, we must have godly wisdom.

(2) If we misunderstand suffering, we may struggle to trust God’s grace in our suffering.

If you believe that all suffering is caused by your own sin, it may be hard to pray for deliverance. Satan will say, “You deserve your suffering.” If you believe that God heals everyone who has enough faith, you may blame yourself if God doesn’t heal you.

Many pastors have seen the spiritual harm that results from a teaching that says, “God will always bless you with health and prosperity if you are living in a way that pleases him.” This teaching leaves people unprepared for hardship. When suffering comes, they may doubt God’s promises or question their own faith.

(3) If we misunderstand suffering, we may hurt others instead of helping them.

When Job’s friends misunderstood suffering, they added to his pain (Job 16:2). Instead of comforting Paul in his suffering, the Corinthians responded with criticism and condemnation.

Unless we have a biblical theology of suffering, our solutions will be inadequate. We will be like a person who treats a serious disease by putting a bandage on an external wound. The real problem remains untreated.

Without a right theology of suffering, we will struggle in our own trials, and we may harm other believers who suffer. In this lesson, we will look at different kinds of suffering; we will see some insufficient answers; and we will study biblical principles for understanding suffering.

► What is suffering? Each person should answer this question. List the answers on a board and then discuss how different types of suffering produce different responses from the sufferer.

What is suffering? This question has no simple answer. Each person’s pain is different. Suffering is individual. There are many types of suffering. Some suffering lasts for years; some is brief. Some suffering is caused by the actions of other people; some is the result of our own choices.

Different types of suffering will bring different responses. J. Bryson Arthur identified several types of suffering.[1]

Suffering We Deserve

Deserved suffering comes when we fail to live by God’s principles. This includes both God’s judgment on sinners and his discipline for disobedient believers.

► Read Hebrews 12:5–7. Give some examples of God’s discipline in your life.

The Bible gives many examples of deserved suffering. Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because the people refused to obey God’s command to enter Canaan (Numbers 14:28–35). Judah went into exile because she rejected the prophets who spoke God’s Word to them (2 Chronicles 36:11–21). Ananias and Sapphira died because they lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1–10).

Believers may endure suffering as the result of God’s discipline. The book of Hebrews teaches that God disciplines his children because he loves them. Discipline is painful for the moment, but it produces righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

When we know that we are suffering the results of our own disobedience, it can be difficult to accept God’s grace. But as God’s children, we can call on him even in times of discipline. Lamentations reminds us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” (Lamentations 3:22–23). Even after the destruction of the Temple, Jeremiah knew that God cared for his people.

Suffering We Do Not Deserve

Undeserved suffering may occur because of the actions of other people or because we live in a fallen world. Not all suffering is caused by personal sin. Pain and suffering are the result of the Fall.

Joseph suffered because of his brothers’ jealousy (Genesis 37:12–28). Tamar was raped by her half-brother (2 Samuel 13:1–22). Naomi endured famine because nature itself has been corrupted by the Fall (Ruth 1:1–2, Romans 8:20–22).

Today, innocent people endure physical and emotional abuse from sinful family members. Refugees suffer the results of government policies. Children are neglected by parents. This suffering results from the actions of others.

► Read Psalm 44. Why did the psalmist struggle to understand his undeserved suffering?[2]

Undeserved suffering may cause deep spiritual struggles. We may ask, “Why would a good God allow me to suffer like this?” Friends may blame our suffering on hidden sin. Satan will tempt us to become bitter. In those times, we may pray with the psalmist, “Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” (Psalm 44:26).

When we help a person who is suffering, we must not assume that he is guilty. We should think the best of our fellow believers. We should not assume that every instance of suffering is judgment for sin.

► Read 2 Corinthians 11:23–29. Why was Paul suffering?

Suffering for the Sake of Others

Some suffering is endured for the sake of others. Jesus is the greatest example of this. He died for us “…while we were still sinners…” (Romans 5:6–8).

Many godly people have suffered for the sake of others. Jeremiah suffered abuse from the people to whom he preached. Ezekiel preached to exiles who rejected his message. Prisca and Aquila risked their lives for Paul (Romans 16:3–4). Epaphroditus “…nearly died for the work of Christ…” (Philippians 2:25–30).

Today, missionaries plant churches in dangerous areas and evangelists preach to those who oppose the gospel. To remain faithful in difficult times, we must remember that our suffering is ultimately for the sake of Christ. Jeremiah and Ezekiel suffered at the hands of the people of Israel, but they were fulfilling their call from God. Prisca, Aquila, and Epaphroditus endured hardship because they were servants of Jesus Christ.

Suffering for the Name of Christ

Persecution is suffering because we belong to Christ.

► Read 1 Peter 4:12–16. How did Peter instruct believers to respond when they suffered for the name of Christ?

Peter told believers that they were following the example of Jesus when they suffered (1 Peter 2:19–21). They were suffering for God’s sake, not because of their own wrongdoing. In the face of persecution, believers are called to glorify God and even to rejoice (1 Peter 4:13, 16; Matthew 5:10-12).

Because suffering comes in many forms, there will be many different responses to suffering. If we do not understand this truth, we will be tempted to judge people whose suffering is different than our own. We add to people’s pain when we treat all suffering the same. To minister well, we must listen to each individual. We must respond wisely to each person’s need.

No matter the reason for our suffering, God can use it for good. Through suffering, he teaches us to trust him more fully. Through suffering, God shows us that our ultimate hope and security is found, not in ourselves, but in his grace.

► Read the following verses. After reading each passage, answer the following questions: Is this statement sometimes true? Why did this statement fail to help Job in his suffering?

• Eliphaz in Job 4:8–9 and Job 5:17–27

• Bildad in Job 8:11–13

• Zophar in Job 11:13–20

In Lesson 1, we saw some wrong answers to suffering. Muslims attribute suffering to God’s sovereignty alone. Buddhists attribute all suffering to human desire. Hindus attribute suffering to a person’s actions in a previous life. These answers are wrong because they contradict scripture.

In this lesson, we will see that some answers are not completely wrong, but they are insufficient. They do not apply in every situation.

Job’s friends spoke some truths, but their answers did not apply to Job’s situation. Eliphaz was correct to say that God punishes sinners; but God had testified that Job was blameless and upright (Job 1:8). Bildad was correct to say that the hope of the godless will perish; but Job was a man who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1). Zophar was correct to teach that if we repent, God will forgive; but Job was not suffering because of hidden sin.

► What insufficient answers have you heard regarding the problem of suffering?

Wrong or insufficient answers can add to the pain of someone who is suffering. When Paul Tripp became ill, he realized that our beliefs affect how we suffer. He wrote:

Each of us brings to our suffering things that shape the way that we suffer…. My suffering was real,… the pain I went through was horribly real, and the weakness that is now my normal life is real. But the way that I experienced all those harsh realities was shaped by the thoughts, desires, dreams, expectations, cravings, fears, and assumptions of my heart. The same is true for you. Your responses to the situations in your life… are always more determined by what is inside you than by the things you are facing.[1]

Because our beliefs affect how we suffer, it is important to avoid wrong or insufficient answers to suffering. Insufficient answers that are common among believers include the following.

Insufficient answer 1: “Suffering is always a punishment for sin.”

Response:

Sometimes suffering is punishment for sin, but not always. Well-meaning friends sometimes say to a suffering believer, “Pray that God will show you the sin that brought this illness.” However, there are many reasons for suffering. We must not blame all suffering on a person’s guilt.

Insufficient answer 2: “God always delivers his people from suffering.”

Response:

God sometimes rescues his people from suffering, but he sometimes allows them to endure hardship. God sometimes gives grace to persevere rather than deliverance from the pain.

God delivered righteous Daniel from the lion’s den, but righteous Stephen was martyred. God delivered Elijah from Queen Jezebel, but King Ahab killed Naboth.

Daniel’s three friends demonstrated trust in God despite the outcome. They trusted God’s ability to rescue them from the furnace. But they testified that they would remain faithful to God even if he did not deliver them. Yes, God could deliver them. “But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17–18). Even if God allowed them to die, they would remain faithful.

God does not always deliver his people from suffering. God delivered Peter from prison, but he allowed James to be executed (Acts 12:1–11). Both apostles were faithful servants of God. God cared for both apostles. But God allowed James to die as a martyr. We must not promise that God will always deliver his people from suffering in this life.

Insufficient answer 3: “If you love God, everything will turn out for good.”

Response:

This answer is partly true, but it is often misunderstood.

► Read Romans 8:28–39. What is the promise in Romans 8:28?

Romans 8:28 may be one of the most misunderstood verses in the New Testament. Some evangelists have used this verse to teach that God will remove every problem if you have enough faith. Some pastors have wounded believers by dismissing their pain. They have said, “Do not grieve the death of your child. Remember, God is working everything out for good!”

If we read Romans 8:28 apart from the rest of Romans 8, we may think that God will deliver his people from every problem. However, the next verse defines God’s good purpose. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29). God’s purpose is to make us like Christ. That purpose is sometimes accomplished through suffering.

In Romans 8, Paul was writing to people who were being persecuted for their faith. Paul did not promise that God would deliver them from persecution, but he promised that God would give them victory despite their suffering. He promised that their suffering would never separate them from God’s love (Romans 8:38–39). God’s love does not guarantee that life will be easy; but it does guarantee that we can be more than conquerors despite the difficulties of life.

We must not promise that everything will be good in this life. Believers sometimes face terrible suffering in this life. But in our suffering, we know that God is accomplishing his good purpose of shaping us in the image of Christ.

Insufficient answer 4: “Your suffering shows your lack of faith.”

Response:

A young couple was excited to learn that they would have a baby boy. But a few weeks later, the doctor said, “Your baby has a faulty heart. He will die immediately after he is born.”

Lucas and Jane prayed that God would heal their baby, but the baby died. Lucas and Jane were heartbroken, but they suffered even more distress when a pastor said, “If you had had enough faith, God would have healed your baby.” Lucas began to wonder, “Did my lack of faith kill my baby?” Wrong theology made their suffering much worse.

Believers in Corinth had accepted this false idea. They expected a godly person to have stories of victory instead of stories of beatings, shipwreck, and prison. When they heard about Paul’s suffering, they began to doubt his ministry. Paul answered that his suffering was a mark of his God-anointed ministry (2 Corinthians 11–12).

Kenneth Boa wrote, “The idea that our sufferings will decrease when we place our faith in Jesus is a false gospel. The philosophy that Jesus just wants us to be happy, healthy, safe, and materially blessed is a far cry from the picture Jesus presented for his disciples about what to expect when we follow him.”[2]

John 16:33, 1 Peter 5:10, and 2 Timothy 3:12 all teach that faithful believers can expect suffering in this world. Physical suffering is not evidence that a person lacks faith.

A proper theology of suffering begins with who God is. If we do not understand God’s character, we will not understand what he is doing through our suffering.

► Discuss God’s omnipresence, sovereignty, goodness, and eternity. How will a proper understanding of each comfort us in suffering?

(1) Because God is omnipresent, we know that he is with us in our suffering.

When we suffer, we may feel alone. In his suffering, Job forgot that God is present everywhere. He cried:

Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!… Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him (Job 23:3, 8–9).

When God spoke, he reminded Job that he rules over all creation (Job 38–39). Through examples from nature, God assured Job, “Even when you could not see me, I was there.”

Throughout scripture God promises, “I am with you.” Often, this promise is given to people who are facing trouble. God does not promise to remove the trouble. Instead, he promises to be with his people in their trouble.

► Read the following verses where God promises to be with his people. Notice the setting for each promise:

• Genesis 28:15. Jacob is running from Esau.

• Joshua 1:5. Joshua is entering a land of walled cities and great armies.

• Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 43:5, Jeremiah 30:10–11. Judah is suffering exile in Babylon.

• Jeremiah 1:8, 19; Jeremiah 15:20. Jeremiah is preaching to people who reject his message.

• Haggai 1:13, Haggai 2:4. Jerusalem is a weak and insignificant city in the powerful Persian empire.

• Matthew 28:20. The disciples will face persecution and even martyrdom.

When we are suffering, we may feel alone. At those times, we can rest in God’s presence, knowing that he is always with us. In our suffering, we find comfort in knowing that God has already been wherever our suffering takes us. In the hospital, he is there. In the refugee camp, he is there. In a prison cell, he is there. Wherever we go, God is there.

As a pastor, when you try to comfort a person who is hurting, you may feel helpless to solve their problem. You cannot heal her cancer; you cannot return the refugee to his homeland; you cannot restore a deceased mother to her orphaned children. But you can assure these people that an omnipresent God is with them in their suffering.

(2) Because God is both sovereign and good, we know that he is accomplishing a good purpose in our suffering.

In our suffering, we must recognize both God’s sovereignty and his goodness. If we think only of his sovereignty, we may decide that he doesn’t care about our pain. If we think only of his goodness, we may decide that he doesn’t have the power to deliver us. But as we consider the two together, God’s sovereignty and goodness assure us that he is accomplishing a good purpose in our suffering.

When we lose our home, our health, or our savings, we realize that we do not control our future. God’s sovereignty enables us to trust that he is in control even when we are not. God’s goodness enables us to trust that he intends to bring about good in our suffering.

After God revealed himself to Job, Job responded, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). God did not give Job reasons for his suffering. Instead, God assured Job that he was in charge.

Job had been asking, “Why has this happened to me?”—but all he actually needed to know was that he could trust God with his life. God gave Job the answer he needed. Job learned that even when we don’t understand what God is doing, we can trust him.

[1]In 2020, Tim Challies’ 20-year-old son Nick collapsed and died instantly while playing ball with friends. Two years later, Challies published a memoir describing the grieving process he experienced. In one chapter he wrote,

I keep saying it: “God is good all the time.” I may be saying it with sorrow and bewilderment and something less than full faith. I may be saying it as a question: “God is good all the time, right?” But I am saying it. I don’t necessarily understand how God is good in this… but I know that there is no moment in which God stopped being good. [He is] good to me, good to my family, good to Nick—good according to his perfect wisdom.[2]

The biblical story of Joseph gives a powerful picture of God’s ability to accomplish good through our suffering. It is a story of terrible suffering: the emotional suffering of being sold into slavery by his brothers; the physical suffering of slavery; the injustice of being falsely accused and imprisoned for rape. Joseph endured terrible suffering. But because he knew that God is both sovereign and good, he trusted that God was accomplishing a good purpose in his suffering.

► Read Genesis 45:5, 7–9. Four times in this passage Joseph attributes his situation to God’s sovereign purpose. Underline those four phrases.

Joseph recognized that a sovereign God sent him to Egypt to preserve God’s covenant people, and that this same God made him lord of all Egypt.

After their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph would take revenge for their wrongs. But Joseph was able to forgive his brothers because he recognized God’s sovereign purpose in his suffering. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). The same original Hebrew word was used in both instances. The brothers intended evil against Joseph, but God intended it for good. A sovereign God used the sin of Joseph’s brothers to accomplish divine good.

The story of Joseph shows God’s sovereign power to accomplish good through difficult situations. However, we must remember that Joseph waited many years to see God’s purpose. There are more than 20 years between Genesis 37 when the brothers sold Joseph into slavery and Genesis 45 when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. Joseph was only a teenager when he was sold into slavery. By the time of his reconciliation with his brothers, Joseph had lived in Egypt for more than half his life.

This points to an important principle: God’s purpose is always good, but his purpose is not always easy. Trusting God’s sovereignty requires patient faith while we suffer. We must trust God to accomplish his purpose in his timing.

Understood together, God’s sovereignty and goodness assure us that God will accomplish a good purpose in our suffering. Because we know that God is sovereign, we can trust him to accomplish his purpose in our suffering. Because we know that God is good, we can trust that his purpose is always good.

(3) Because God is eternal, we know that his purpose in our suffering is eternal.

► Read Romans 8:16–18. What two things do we inherit as fellow heirs with Christ?

In Romans 8, Paul wrote that we are fellow heirs with Christ. We will someday inherit the glory that belongs to the children of God. But in this life, we also share in Christ’s suffering. We are “…heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17). The believers in Rome were living under the threat of persecution. Paul encouraged them by contrasting their temporary suffering with their future glory. God’s purpose is eternal.

► Read 1 Peter 5:8–10. How does Peter encourage believers who are suffering persecution?

Peter encouraged persecuted believers to stand firm for two reasons:

1. We are not alone; other believers are suffering the same type of persecution (1 Peter 5:9).

2. Our suffering is temporary, but our glory will be eternal (1 Peter 5:10).

In the 16th century, Teresa of Avila compared our entire life on earth to one night in a bad inn.[3] Teresa was not minimizing the reality of suffering on earth, but she knew that 70 years of suffering on earth will seem like nothing compared to eternal joy with God. As Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

Tim and Becky Keep were young parents who faced a tragic situation while serving as missionaries in the Philippine Islands. This is Becky’s testimony of how she learned to view suffering through God’s eyes.

When I was a young woman in my twenties, I gave birth to a son. We were devastated to learn that our son had a rare and deadly cancer in both eyes. This began a four-year battle to save our son’s life. The doctors had to remove Jesse’s left eye, and then, after two more years of treatment, his right eye was also removed, leaving our 4-year-old son totally blind. During these years we were sometimes tempted to ask God, “Why?”

Watching Jesse suffer so many operations and painful cancer treatments was heartbreaking. And our son was angry and confused because, in this life, he would never see again.

During these years, we learned to focus on God and his wonderful character. We learned that he can be trusted even when life is difficult. We learned that God can take the bitter things in life and bring from them sweetness and blessing. God alone can give joy amid suffering.

We were helpless to fix Jesse’s problem. We had to lean on God and his Word. The outcome of our son’s cancer was outside of our control, but it was not outside of God’s.

During times of suffering, Satan will often use our circumstances to turn our eyes away from the truth about God. But as we leaned into the arms of our heavenly Father during this time, he began to teach us beautiful things about his character. Meditating on these truths about God sustained us during those difficult years.

God is Good

The Bible repeatedly tells us that God is good.[1] God is not good merely because we are healthy and have plenty of food or money. Instead, he is good because that is his divine nature.

It is important that we surround ourselves with people who will remind us of God’s goodness when we can’t see it. It is also important that we remind others of God’s goodness as we come alongside them in their suffering.

On the day our son lost his eyesight, my husband and I stood by his bed, weeping. We were overwhelmed. It seemed so terrible that an innocent child would be blind. As we stood there in our grief, my father walked into the room. He was also sad, but he placed his arms around us and reminded us of this truth, “Tim and Becky, you must remember that even in this terrible circumstance, God is still good.”

What a comfort those words were. We embraced them, not because our suffering was over, but because we knew that a good God would help us to overcome. In suffering, we must always remember that God is too wise to be mistaken, and he is too good to be unkind.

When we suffer, Satan tries to convince us to believe things about God that aren’t true (John 8:44). The only way to combat those lies from our enemy is with the truth of God’s Word.

There were times when I was tempted to believe that perhaps God had forgotten Jesse. Maybe God didn’t know what we were going through. Perhaps he didn’t even care.

► Read Psalm 139:13–16.

Meditating on this passage reminded me that my son had been crafted by my heavenly Father and that he knew every detail of Jesse’s life. These verses promised me that God was in control and would accomplish his good purpose in our son’s life.

God is Compassionate

When we suffer, we are tempted to believe that we are alone and that no one understands the depth of our sorrow. It is important to remember that our heavenly Father is full of compassion.[2]

When our son woke up after the surgery that left him blind, he was devastated. He was only four years old and didn’t understand why he couldn’t see. As his parent, I was devastated too. I held him in my arms and tried to comfort him. We were both in tears. Suddenly, my son asked, “Mommy, is Jesus crying?”

His question surprised me. For a moment I did not know what to say. Then I remembered what the Bible says about our compassionate Jesus: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted like we are. He was poor and despised. He suffered physical pain and endured an agonizing death.

I remembered that Jesus wept with Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died (John 11), so I said to my son, “Yes, Jesse, I think that Jesus is crying with us tonight. He understands our sadness.” How comforting it was to know that Jesus was with us and even participating in our sorrow.

God is a Deliverer

► Read 1 Corinthians 10:13.

There are Christians who believe that God will always remove our problems if we have enough faith, if we live righteously, or if we give enough money to the church.

God does want to deliver his children, but his deliverance is sometimes different than we expect. There are many people who are faithful believers, but who have great difficulty in their lives.

Many people prayed that our son’s eyes would be healed, and yet, he became blind. Jesse became angry and did not understand why he could not see. He kept asking us when his eyesight would return. When we told him the truth, he refused to accept it.

One day we prayed that God would heal our son’s heart. We didn’t want him to grow up angry and bitter. Shortly after this prayer, I overheard our son tell his friend, “I’m not ever going to see again, but when I get to heaven, I’m going to see,” Then, Jesse turned his head towards me and said, “Mommy, it’s okay if I can’t see.” When Tim walked into the room, he repeated, “Daddy, it’s okay if I can’t see.”

God answered our prayer and healed our son’s heart. From that day, Jesse has never again shown bitterness or anger over his blindness. God delivered our son by filling his heart with acceptance and peace.

God is a deliverer. His healing power is often revealed when he fixes our hearts instead of changing our circumstances. He gives us grace and peace amid life’s trouble.

► Pray that you and your fellow class members will see God’s good purpose in each one’s life. Pray that the suffering you face will bring a deeper knowledge of God.

(1) Read Job 1–14. Write 2–3 paragraphs in which you apply a right theology of suffering to Job’s situation. How would right theology encourage Job in his suffering?

(2) Memorize Romans 8:22–25. You will write or recite this scripture at the beginning of your next class.