Context

Hope is a powerful thing. Barack Obama knew it. And Paul knew it, too.

This verse pops up near the end of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. He tells them that he's coming to visit them soon and then he wishes them all good things. He hopes that God is going to fill their hearts with all kinds of wonderful stuff. By the time he gets to Rome, they'll be bursting with hope, joy, peace, and rainbows.

Quite the send-off, right?

Where you've heard it

• This is just a nice little wish, which makes it perfect for prayers and hymns of all kinds.
• The Irish hymn "Lord of All Hopefulness" is a partial shout-out to this verse.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This sweet greeting will never raise any eyebrows. Who wouldn't want to be filled with hope, joy, peace, and rainbows? Well, maybe not rainbows, but you get the point.