Romans 8:28
28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
About this passage
Romans 8:28 is in Paul's letter to the Christians of Rome, usually dated to the 50s CE. It comes at the end of a passage in chapter 8 about suffering, hope and the work of the Spirit, and it says that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those called according to his purpose.
Translations differ on the grammar. Some read all things as the subject, while others read God as working in all things, and ancient manuscripts vary slightly here. Either reading sits in a context of present suffering, and Paul does not say that every event is itself good.
Christians have drawn comfort from the verse for centuries. Interpreters differ over how far it speaks to individual experience, and over what the good in view is, whether outcomes in this life or the larger purpose described in verses 29 and 30.
Questions
Does Romans 8:28 mean everything that happens is good?
Most interpreters say no. The verse speaks of God bringing good out of all things for those who love him, in a chapter about suffering. It does not call each event good, and readers differ on what the good is.
Why does Romans 8:28 read differently in different Bibles?
The Greek can be read with all things as the subject or with God working in all things, and some manuscripts differ slightly. Translators choose different options, which changes the verse's wording but not its overall setting.