Romans 5:3

Romans 5:3. And not only so; not only let us rejoice (or, do we rejoice) in the hope of glory; but let us also rejoice in our tribulations. The construction is the same as in Romans 5:2. ‘In' is not the same word used in Romans 5:2; there the ‘hope' was the direct ground of the glorying, here the ‘tribulations' are the indirect ground, since they become the means of sanctification. ‘Our tribulations,' lit, ‘the tribulations,' which Christians then knew so well. Lord Bacon says: ‘Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament, adversity of the New.' See marginal references. ‘Christians do not glory in suffering, as such, or for its own sake; but as the Bible teaches: 1. Because they consider it an honor to suffer for Christ. 2. Because they rejoice in being the occasion of manifesting His power in their support and deliverance; and, 3. Because suffering is made the means of their own sanctification and preparation for usefulness here, and for heaven hereafter. The last of these reasons is that to which the Apostle refers in the context' (Hodge).

Knowing that, since we know that; the believer finds this out in his own experience. This knowledge extends to the whole series of successive results; the climax is set forth in Romans 5:5.

Worketh patience. Not ‘patience' as we generally understand it, but ‘constancy,' patient endurance, steadfastness, holding out bravely against trials and persecutions.