Romans 8:29 (WEB)
For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Romans 8:29 (KJV)
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Key words
- πρωτότοκον ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖςprōtotokon en pollois adelphois · Greek
- 'the firstborn among many brethren' — the risen Christ as the elder brother of a new family.
Why it matters
Christ is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Pitre closes chapter 6 with this verse (p 137, where the book cites it as Romans 8:28): if the resurrection is a kind of birth and Jesus is the firstborn of many, then his mother is not only his mother but ours. That question carries the reader into the New Rachel chapter.
Catechism · 8
Celebrating the Church's Liturgy
“Through their icons, it is man "in the image of God," finally transfigured "into his likeness,"” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Rom 8:29; 1 Jn 3:2.
The Sacrament of Baptism
“No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Rom 8:29; Council of Trent (1547): DS 1609-1619.
The Virtues
“We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Rom 8:28-30; Mt 7:21.
Grace and Justification
“For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. and those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified."” — Catechism footnote: Rom 8:28-30.
The Father
“Such is the "plan of his loving kindness", conceived by the Father before the foundation of the world, in his beloved Son: "He destined us in love to be his sons" and "to be conformed to the image of his Son", through "the spirit of sonship".” — Catechism footnote: Eph 1:4-5, 9; Rom 8:15, 29.
The Battle of Prayer
“For St. Paul, this trust is bold, founded on the prayer of the Spirit in us and on the faithful love of the Father who has given us his only Son.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Rom 10:12-13; 8:26-39.
"Our Father Who Art in Heaven"
“United with the only Son, who has become "the firstborn among many brethren," she is in communion with one and the same Father in one and the same Holy Spirit.” — Catechism footnote: Rom 8:29; Cf. Eph 4:4-6.
"Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary"
- §501Paragraph 2 · "Conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary"Read at vatican.va
“Jesus is Mary's only son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save: "The Son whom she brought forth is he whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, that is, the faithful in whose generation and formation she co-operates with a mother's love."” — Catechism footnote: LG 63; cf. Jn 19:26-27; Rom 8:29; Rev 12:17.
Fathers and councils · 27
Gregory of Nyssa
“…apostle on four occasions employs this term, once as here, calling Him, “first-born of all creation,” another time, “the first-born among many brethren,” again, “first-born from the dead,” and on another occasion he employs the term absolutely, without combining it with other words, saying, “But when again He…” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For now he speaks of “the first-born of all creation,” and again of “the first-born among many brethren,” then of “the first-born from the dead;” and in the Epistle to the Hebrews the name of “first-begotten” is absolute, being mentioned by itself: for he speaks…” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“And in the next place, when He put on a created nature and became like us in body, reasonably was He therefore called both our Brother and ‘First-born.’” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29. Bishop Bull’s hypothesis about the sense of πρωτοτόκος τῆς κτίσεως has been commented on supr. p. 347. As far as Athan.’s discussion proceeds in…
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John Damascene
“And He is called First-born among many brethren, for although being Only-begotten, He was also born of a mother.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“Let us honour the apostles as the Lord’s brothers, who saw Him face to face and ministered to His passion, for whom God the Father did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, first apostles, second prophets, third pastors and teachers.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
““Paul did not say ‘conformed to the Son of God’ but ‘conformed to the image of His Son’ in order to point out a distinction between the Son and His image, for the Son, wearing the divine tokens of His Father’s Excellence, is an image of His…” — editor's note: Romans viii. 29
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Ambrose of Milan
“Wherefore also the Apostle says: “Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For this is “to be conformed to the image of Christ,” namely, when one does not strive for what is another’s, and does not deprive another of something so as to gain it for oneself.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Augustine of Hippo
“He foreknoweth, He hath predestined all before the foundation of the world that are to reign with His Son in life everlasting.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“Thus it is with men whom God predestined before the world to be conformed to the image of His only-begotten Son, who has been first and especially pressed in His Passion, as the great Cluster.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For He who predestined us before we were born, promised undoubtingly: “For whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29, 30.
Read the whole comment“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all; how has He not with Him also freely given us all things?”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 28–32
Read the whole comment“And for this reason the apostle says, “Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29
Read the whole comment“…the promise of a blessedness so much the more solid and firm, as it is inward, in which God has chosen that we should become conformed to the image of His Son.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“For whom He did foreknow, He also did pre destinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 28, 29.
Read the whole comment“And because the apostle says, “The Lord knoweth them that are His; for whom He did foreknow, He also predestinated [to be] conformed to the image of His Son,” none of them can perish; therefore it follows in that psalm, “Thy consolations have delighted my soul.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“…are all to come to the “measure of the age of the fullness of Christ,” or that other saying, “Whom He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son,” is to be understood to mean that the stature and size of Christ’s body shall be the measure of the bodies of all those who shall be in His kingdom, then, say…” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“Then, again, these words, “Predestinate to be conformed to the image of the Son of God,” may be understood of the inner man.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“From the words, “Till we all come to a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ,” and from the words, “Conformed to the image of the Son of God,” some conclude that women shall not rise women, but that all shall be men, because God made man only of earth, and woman of the man.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
Read the whole comment“…predestinate; and whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified;”—there is none of such sheep as these that the wolf seizes, or the thief steals, or the robber slays.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29, 30.
Read the whole comment“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren: and whom He did predestinate, them He also called.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 28–30.
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Basil the Great
“For he, who no longer “lives after the flesh,” but, being “led by the Spirit of God,” is called a Son of God, being “conformed to the image of the Son of God,” is described as spiritual.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“The Apostle also recognises the mystery of this brotherhood, for he calls Him not only the firstborn from the dead, but also the firstborn among many brethren.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…the Baptism wherewith He Himself was baptized; and the third by the Resurrection of which He was the Firstfruits; condescending, as He became the Firstborn among many brethren, so also to become the Firstborn from the dead.” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 29.
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Tertullian
Chapter XIV.—The Divine Power Shown in Christ’s Incarnation. Meaning of St. Paul’s Phrase. Likeness of Sinful Flesh. No Docetism in It. Resurrection of Our Real Bodies. A Wide Chasm Made in the Epistle by Marcion’s…
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Clement of Alexandria
““For if God foreknew those who are called, according to His purpose, to be conformed to the image of His Son,” for whose sake, according to the blessed apostle, He has appointed “Him to be the first-born among many brethren,” are they not godless who treat with indignity the body which is of like form with the Lord?” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 28, 29.
Read the whole comment“And whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”” — editor's note: Rom. viii. 7, 8, 10, 13, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30.
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Cross-references · 38
Cited together in The City of God XXII.16.
Cited together in The City of God XVIII.51.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in Catechism §257.
Cited together in Catechism §257.
Cited together in Catechism §257.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in The City of God XXII.17.
Cited together in The City of God XXII.12 and 1 other place.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.12.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.12.
Cited together in On the Sermon on the Mount II.12.
Cited together in Catechism §257.
Cited together in Catechism §257.
Cited together in The City of God XVIII.51.
Cited together in Catechism §1161.
Cited together in Catechism §1161 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.
Cited together in Catechism §501.
Cited together in The City of God XXII.17.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in The City of God XVIII.51.
Cited together in On the Duties of the Clergy III.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity XIII.16.
Cited together in Catechism §1821.
Cited together in Catechism §1821.
Cited together in The City of God XXII.17.
Cited together in The City of God XXII.12.
Cited together in Catechism §501.
Cited together in Catechism §501.
Cited together in Catechism §2790.