An exposition of Paul's Letter to Romans

An exposition of Paul’s Letter to Romans

Chapter 22 of 29 • Chapter 12 • George Booker

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1,2).

Outline:

Paul urges the believers to dedicate themselves to the Lord (vv. 1,2).
Paul instructs the believers to conduct themselves correctly in the church, or ecclesia, of God (vv. 3-21), by:

Making best use of the diversity of their gifts (vv. 3-8), and
Showing love toward one another (vv. 9-21).

"In this chapter the apostle, by the Spirit, lists 29 clear specific commandments of God, which outline a large part of the divine way of life. Let us consider them together for a few moments, and let us honestly examine our present way of life in light of them" (G.V. Growcott).

The exhortation rises out of mankind's universal condemnation by God (Rom 3:20), the justification that God has freely provided (Rom 5:1), and the assurance of acceptance that the believing sinner can have (Rom 8:1). Because of all this, it is only reasonable to present our lives to God as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1). In particular the exhortation in Romans 6:13-19 is in view here.

Comment on Rom 12:1

THEREFORE: This first word forms a link with what has come before, most likely with all of Romans 1-11.

I URGE YOU BROTHERS: The apostle begins now to "urge" his readers instead of simply instructing them. His choice of this word "urge" (Greek "parakaleo") is revealing. This word is the New Testament word for "exhort", and it means "to call someone alongside": e.g., 'Come and stand beside me.' It does not command the listener to go and do something for me; instead, it begs the listener to “come and work with me”.

"Parakaleo" has connotations of pleading, encouraging, inviting and comforting. Its force lies somewhere between begging and commanding. Yet it is far more than a command. “Parakaleo” is one of the tenderest expressions in all the Bible. It possesses something of the element of appeal which is attached to "beseech" (KJV), as well as something of the urgency that is more forcefully expressed by "command".

IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY: Mercy is that quality in God that moves Him to deliver man from his state of sin and misery; the characteristic of mercy underlies all of God's saving activity in Christ. Here "mercy" is the leverage for the appeal that follows.

Pagans are prone to sacrifice in order to obtain mercy, but the Bible teaches that this is the wrong way round: God's mercy provides the basis for sacrifice as the fitting response. Or, as Paul makes plain in Ephesians 2:8-10, we do not do good works so as to be saved; but rather, we are first saved by grace, and then we do good works as our grateful response.

"Mercy" here, the Greek "eleos", is plural in form, but need not be translated by the plural (like the KJV does), since this already is the common expression in Greek. If "mercy" (singular) is used, then we should think of the overflowing greatness of God's mercy; if "mercies" (plural) is used, then we may think of the "sure mercies" (plural) of the many promises embodied in God's covenants, as in Isaiah 55:3.

TO OFFER YOUR BODIES: Paul is not urging the dedication of the body, that is, the "outer shell", as an entity distinct from the inner man. Instead, he views the body as the vehicle which implements the desires and choices of the redeemed spirit — the man himself. The body is the means by which the believer makes contact with the society in which he or she lives. Through the body, and only through the body, can any of us serve God and one another.

OFFER: "Paristemi" signifies to stand beside, to exhibit, to offer. It is a technical term for presenting a sacrifice or offering to God, as in Luke 2:22. The same word occurs in Romans 6:13,16,19, where the NIV translates it as "offer", and the KJV as "yield": 'Offer, or yield, your body, i.e., all of yourself.'

AS LIVING SACRIFICES: This may allude to the scapegoat, the only living sacrifice under the Law (cp. Lev 16:10 with Acts 1:3). As Christ, in some sense like the scapegoat, bore away our iniquities (Isa 53:11), so we ought to bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom 15:1).

LIVING: The term suggests how unusual this "sacrifice" is. Old Testament sacrifices were dead, but the believer's "sacrifice" is alive!

Paul's use of "sacrifice" to describe the service that followers of Christ should offer now implies that, from the perspective of the Law of Moses, all blood sacrifices have now ceased (see Heb 9:9,12,28; 10:4,11,12,14,18; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14; Rom 10:4). While animal sacrifices might still have been offered by Jewish believers in the Temple at Jerusalem, any efficacy they may have had in the past has come to an end. And so it should, and will, remain for believers:

"Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [the Lord Jesus Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy… And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (Heb 10:11,12,14,18).

Being a dead sacrifice is relatively easy: it means dying once, and that's it. With all due reverence, it might even be said of Jesus, that his death on the cross — as terrible and painful as it was — was easy enough to do: thousands of Jewish men died on crosses, helped along their way by Roman soldiers.

The difficult part was what Jesus had done, for years and years earlier. He had lived, day by day, a perfect and blameless life. Of course, that's what made the last act of his life so very meaningful to all the rest of us.

As believers, we don't — or shouldn't — just offer a dead sacrifice. We don't just throw ourselves down at the foot of the cross, or the "altar", and say: 'Take me, Lord, and kill me!' Absolute as such a sacrifice would be, it would be relatively easy compared to what we are called to do. We are called to be "living sacrifices", every day — making mistakes, falling into sin again and again, but standing up, being forgiven, and going forward again, all the time seeking to show, in our lives every day, something of the perfect character of Jesus Christ.

The sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac is an excellent example of that. God doesn't accept the slaying of Isaac; instead he gives him back his life — as if to say: 'Thanks for the offer; now I know that you want to serve me; but here is how I want you to serve me… by living. Now, go and do it.'

But the "go and do likewise" part is really difficult! It goes on and on, and — inevitably, many times over — we fail. So we are taught the lesson of our own fallibility and our own weakness. As we continue to live, and as we see how little our resolve is worth, and how we fall short, then our pride is humbled, and we know how small we really are! In this we learn the need for forgiveness of sins, even as we strive to be the "living sacrifice". And still we must get up and pull ourselves together, and try again, and again, and again — and go on.

And that's what is meant by a living sacrifice. But as one observant fellow once wrote, "The trouble with 'living' sacrifices is they keep crawling down off the altar!"

So we pray, "Lord, bring me back to your altar!" And we keep praying that prayer.

HOLY: We are called to be holy, because the Lord God is holy (1 Pet 1:16), and because we must be a "holy" priesthood so as to offer ourselves as "spiritual sacrifices" to Him (1 Pet 2:5).

AND PLEASING TO GOD: "Euarestos": fully agreeable.

THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP: Instead of "spiritual" (from the Greek "logikos"), the KJV has "reasonable", by which we might more easily read "reasoning". The sacrifice we render is intelligent and deliberate, perhaps to be understood in contrast to the sacrifices of the tabernacle and temple, in which the animals had no part in determining what was to be done with them.

The KJV "reasonable" suggests a wrong reading, perhaps because of the slow evolution in the common meaning of the English word. In our day, "reasonable" can sound like: "enough to satisfy someone else, such as an employer or a teacher; just enough, and no more". But here in Greek, "logikos" means the whole person, a living sacrifice each day.

So what is our “reasoning" or "spiritual" service? Surely it is that service that is most logical for each person to offer — based on his or her capacities and abilities. As Epictetus the philosopher said, "If I were a nightingale, I should act like a nightingale; if I were a swan, I should act like a swan." Meaning, each person should serve God by doing what he or she does best. For us, this would be our "reasonable", and "spiritual", service.

The detail of this principle is explained further in Romans 12:4-6, where Paul lists some of the many different "gifts" which the believer may use to glorify God.

G.V. Growcott compares this sacrifice of our "living" bodies to the whole burnt offering, which was completely consumed upon God's altar (cp. Lev 1). Then he adds:

“In view of the infinite magnitude and glory of what God promises, anything less would not be reasonable. Anything less than a living sacrifice, a whole burnt offering, would be an insult to God. And we must not only give ourselves wholly to God. Even that is not enough. We must do it eagerly… We must truly see and realize the necessity and the beauty and fitness and desirability of so doing. It must be a deep and true and satisfying pleasure. We must develop a spiritual state of mind wherein we are not able to be happy doing anything less.

“Out of the travail of all our problems there must be born in each of us something very wonderful and very unworldly; something very personal and individual; something very beautiful and spiritual. If this occurs, all the travail is worthwhile. We must perceive in all that happens a divine, loving means working out a glorious end. Very little in this life will be as we desire it to be. But we have the all-sufficient assurance that all will be exactly as God desires it to be.

We shall not be judged, at the judgment seat of Christ, for how much we know, or how much we have done. But we shall be judged for how much effort and interest and desire we have put into knowing, and how faithfully and wholeheartedly we have tried to do God’s will. The widow's mite is equal to the rich man's abundance. The mite's value lay in the fact that it was her all. So it must be with us. Anything less than our all is a mockery and a dishonoring of God, Who freely and lovingly promises us all. But how few really respond with all their heart! They are His jewels among the common clay; today [they are] unknown, [but] tomorrow [they will be] resplendent forever.

We shall not be judged, at the judgment seat of Christ, for how much we know. Or how much we have done. But we shall be judged for how much effort and interest and desire we have put into knowing, and how faithfully and wholeheartedly we have tried to do God’s will.

The widow’s mite is equal to the rich man’s abundance. The mite’s value lay In the fact that it was her “everything”. And so it should be with us. Anything less than our “everything” is dishonoring to the Father and the Son, who have promised us that we would be with them in the Edenic paradise.

Comment on Rom 12:1,2

Verse 1 deals with making the commitment to God, and verse 2 deals with maintaining it. The first verse calls for action, and the second verse commands a lifetime process. These verses are a call for transformation.

DO NOT CONFORM ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD: Compare 1 Peter 1:14. Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.

BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND: The Greek is the basis for the English "metamorphosis": to be transformed from within, into a drastically different creature, as occurs when the larva becomes a butterfly, or the tadpole becomes a frog.

Robert Haldane writes:

This word signifies the change of the appearance of one thing into that of another… This term denotes the entire change that passes over a man when he becomes a Christian. He is as different from what he was before, as one species of animal is from another. Let not men be so far the dupes of self-deception as to reckon themselves Christians, while they are unchanged in heart and life. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (or creation); old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new" [2 Cor 5:17]. If there be not a radical difference between their present state and that in which they were by nature, they have no title to the character of Christians. This shows that, in general, it is not difficult to discriminate Christians from the world. If the change be as great as the word of God here teaches, what difficulty can there be, in most cases, in judging of the character of those who profess Christianity? It is not the heart we are called to judge. If the person be "metamorphosized", as the word originally implies, from a state of nature to a conformity with Christ, it will certainly appear, and the state of the heart will be evident from the life. As there are degrees in this transformation, although all Christians are transformed when they are born again, yet they ought to be urged, as here, to a further degree of this transformation.

The same Greek word is used of the Transformation of Jesus in Matthew 17:2-8 and Mark 9:2-8. It is used also, by Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

“We must be able to feel, when we go to bed each night, that we have that day done our most and best: that all we have done was necessary and useful, and the most important thing to be done at the time, and that we have done it with all our heart, unto the Lord. We must not be satisfied with what we have done, but we must be reasonably satisfied that we have tried our best, and that we have noted, and learned something by, our slips and failures. We must be able to feel we are slowly overcoming, growing, deepening, becoming more naturally spiritual — that it is less as duty and effort, more as pleasure and desire. We must be able to see ourselves passing some tangible milestones of progress: a steady transformation of the mind Godward — less and less interest in passing, worldly, animal things of any kind”.

G.V. Growcott

THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND: The believer is renewed through the knowledge of the Word of God, imprinted upon the heart, i.e., the mind (see Col 3:10; 2 Cor 4:16; Rom 8:6,13). This re-programming of the mind does not take place overnight, but is a lifelong process. By slow, gradual steps, our way of thinking comes to resemble more and more the way God wants us to think.

THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD'S WILL IS — HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL: That is, you will be able to put to the test (as in a scientific experiment) what you have heard, and thus to judge and discern and discriminate among various modes of behavior. By this means you will be able finally to arrive at the best way of life.

Comment on Rom 12:3-8

Paul began this section with a reminder of his apostolic authority. It may be that the Romans had not met Paul personally; therefore he urged them to receive his teaching humbly. A humble attitude was also important as they evaluated and exercised the individual abilities which God had given each of them (1 Pet 4:10). Paul had had experiences with Christians, who were proud because of their spiritual gifts. He had seen this in Corinth, where he actually composed this letter (1 Cor 12:14-31; 13:4; 4:12,20). There the diversity of spiritual gifts, and how they were exercised, had threatened to destroy the unity that should have exemplified the ecclesia of the Lord. Paul's main point here is that Christians should not think highly of themselves, but that they should exercise sober judgment as they evaluate themselves.

Comment on Rom 12:3

FOR BY THE GRACE GIVEN ME: Paul was once a blasphemer and murderer, but the Lord Jesus showed him mercy by God's grace, and Paul was converted to become an apostle of the Lord (1 Tim 1:11-16).

I SAY TO EVERYONE OF YOU: DO NOT THINK OF YOURSELF MORE HIGHLY THAN YOU OUGHT: This, as we said, is what the Corinthian believers did with the spiritual gifts they had received — hence the need for Paul's exhortation about the One Body in 1 Corinthians 12:14-31. Possessing special gifts should not be the cause of self-congratulation, since the recipient had done nothing to earn or merit them. Instead, such gifts should be exercised thankfully, carefully, prayerfully and diligently.

"Get your mind off yourself You are totally unimportant. You can become important — eternally important to God — but it will never be by thinking about yourself. It will only be forgetting yourself, and setting your mind totally on God and on others. Thinking of yourself shrinks your mind smaller and smaller until at last it shrivels and dies. Thinking about God and others expands your mind more and more until at last it bursts into glorious, eternal Life and Beauty. God's Way is the only way. Beware of the great diabolos-deceiver: your own desires.”

G.V. Growcott

BUT RATHER THINK OF YOURSELF WITH SOBER JUDGMENT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURE OF FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN YOU: The "measuring standard" by which we should evaluate ourselves is our faith. The phrase does not suggest that, by trying harder, we can summon up or generate a greater quantity of faith; instead, it refers simply to the basic faith that is — or should be — the possession of every believer. Paul is not saying: 'Grit your teeth and see how much faith you can produce!' Rather, he is saying: 'Just think about, and remember, what you have been taught. And then act upon it!'

Simply put, that faith — which we have all received — reminds us that we, along with other believers, are dependent on the saving mercy of God in Christ. And, as we consider the example of our Lord, we see yet again that we must never think of ourselves too highly, since we have no "works" in which we may boast before God.

"Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought."

The journalist, commentator, and reporter, Tom Brokaw, was wandering through Bloomingdales' New York store one day, shortly after earning a promotion to the co-host spot on the Today Show.

Brokaw's new position was another peak in a rapidly-rising career in television journalism, after he had plodded faithfully up the ranks, first in Omaha, then for NBC in Los Angeles and Washington. As he remembered the incident, he was feeling pretty good about himself.

While he browsed through the store, he noticed a man watching him intently. The man continued to stare, and finally, when the man approached him, Brokaw prepared himself to enjoy his television stardom in New York.

The man pointed at him and asked, "Tom Brokaw, right?"

"Right," said Brokaw.

"You used to do the morning news on KMTV in Omaha, right?"

"That's right," said Brokaw, getting ready for the warm praises destined to follow.

"I knew it the minute I spotted you," the fellow said. Then he paused and politely asked, "So whatever happened to you?"

Comment on Rom 12:4

JUST AS EACH OF US HAS ONE BODY WITH MANY MEMBERS, AND THESE MEMBERS DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION: This verse and the next are a repetition, in miniature, of 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. To offset the danger of individualistic thinking with its resulting danger of pride, Paul refers to the human body. Two truths are set forth in this verse: the unity of the body, and the diversity of its members, with corresponding diversity in their functions. We can, individually, be very different from one another, yet still be bound in unity by a common faith and hope.

Comment on Rom 12:5

SO IN CHRIST WE WHO ARE MANY FORM ONE BODY, AND EACH MEMBER BELONGS TO ALL THE OTHERS: Two truths are set forth in this verse:

the unity of the body; and
the diversity of its members, with corresponding diversity in function.

The Apostle reminds us that we can, individually, be very different from one another, yet still be bound in unity by a common faith and hope.

Now, in verse 5, Paul adds a third truth to go with the two in the previous verse:

Diversity must never mean independence; every member belongs to all the other members, and depends on them all.

This verse is the positive side of the negative statement in Paul's corresponding analogy for the Corinthian believers:

"If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body" (1 Cor 12:15,16).

In the One Body which is Christ's, each member should profit from what the other members contribute to the whole. Reflection on these truths reduces preoccupation with one's own gift, with one's own 'special' place in the brotherhood, and makes room for appreciation of other people and the gifts they exercise. As has been said, "Your right hand has never yet had a fight with the left hand.” On the contrary, each constantly helps the other.

"A man's reaction to the needs of the body, to which he has supposedly given allegiance, is often a measure of the true character of the man himself. Self-seeking, opportunism and disregard for the lasting well-being of the corporate fellowship can cause untold unhappiness both to the individual and to the higher cause of the association and community spirit by which his fellows live. This is especially true of our relationship as individuals to the ecclesia and community to which we belong. Our attitude to the body is our attitude to Christ. The ecclesia is his body. If we are superior to it, we lack humility; if we are divisive within it, we deny the atonement by which we were reconciled and made one.” Harry Tennant, The Man David, p. 182

Comment on Rom 12:6

WE HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS: Paul is not referring to gifts in the natural realm, but to those functions made possible by a specific empowerment of the Holy Spirit granted to certain believers. These gifts do not contradict what God has bestowed in the natural order and, though they may even build on the natural gifts of individuals, they ought not to be confused with the latter. Nevertheless, there may be lessons to learn by comparing the exercise of the first-century Spirit-conferred gifts with our exercise of modern (i.e., non-Holy Spirit) gifts.

Variety in the gifts should be understood from the standpoint of the needs of the Christian community, which are many, as well as from the desirability of giving many different believers shares in the work.

ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN US: With his eye still on the danger of pride, Paul reminds his readers that these new capacities for service are not inherent in those who exercise them, but they come from divine grace. Every time he goes into this subject Paul is careful to make this clear (1 Cor 12:6; Eph 4:7; 1 Pet 4:10).

"Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with” (Warren W. Wiersbe).

IF A MAN'S GIFT IS PROPHESYING: This prophecy, or prophesying, is not primarily a gift of predicting the future, but rather the communication of revealed truth that will both convict and build up the hearers (cp. 1 Cor 14:3, 31). This gift is prominent in the other listings of gifts (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11), where prophets are second only to apostles in the enumeration. The equivalent "gifts" today, more or less, would be the ability to speak or teach or write.

LET HIM USE IT IN PROPORTION TO HIS FAITH: As in verse 3, one who possesses a Holy Spirit gift should use it carefully, having in mind the right relationship of that gift to what his "faith" teaches him: that he has no inherent self-worth, and that he is utterly dependent upon the grace of God. A prophet was not to be governed by his pride, or his emotions (1 Cor 14:32), or by his love of attention, or by the sound of his own voice (1 Cor 14:30).

The same applies to a public speaker or teacher or writer today.

Comment on Rom 12:7

The list which follows is not exhaustive but only illustrative (see 1 Cor 12:27,28).

The Greek "diakonia" probably refers to ministering to the material needs of other believers. The NEB translates it as "administration", perhaps hinting that we should read it as referring to supervising the care of the needy, which was specifically the province of the "deacons". Even so, it should be recognized that others also could engage in a variety of helpful ministries to the needs of the saints (1 Cor 16:15). In fact, Paul inserts in the midst of a catalog of restricted terms dealing with gifts the very broad designation of: "those able to help others" (1 Cor 12:28).

The modern equivalent in our day, minus the special conferring of Holy Spirit gifts, would be the means as well as the desire to help others, by organizing and/or, most simply, being willing to perform useful tasks, no matter how 'mundane' they might seem.

IF IT IS TEACHING, LET HIM TEACH: In 1 Corinthians 14:6 teaching is paired with knowledge, whereas prophecy is coupled with revelation. Probably the aim in teaching was to give help in the area of Christian living rather than formal instruction in doctrine, even though it must be granted that the latter is needed as a foundation for the former. In our latter-day circumstances, this could mean the ability to give private counsel and direction to individuals, and it could equally be performed by sisters as well as brothers.

Comment on Rom 12:8

IF IT IS ENCOURAGING, LET HIM ENCOURAGE: "Paraklesis": to encourage, comfort, or exhort. Whereas "teaching" (v. 7) appeals to the mind, "exhortation" appeals to the will. This is the same word as the "urging" or "beseeching" of verse 1.

IF IT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, LET HIM GIVE GENEROUSLY: "Giving" is capable of broad application within the body, ranging from the giving of material goods to the conferring of spiritual benefits — and seems to encompass some of the other gifts mentioned here.

GENEROUSLY: The Greek is "haplotes", with singleness, or sincerity. The KJV has "simplicity". We should practice giving with singleness of heart and free of mixed motives (cp. Acts 5). The idea is not so much giving lavishly as giving single-mindedly. That, and not seeking any notoriety for such giving:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matt 6:1-4).

IF IT IS LEADERSHIP, LET HIM GOVERN DILIGENTLY: Greek "proistemi": to stand before, i.e., in rank; thus to preside and to lead, and to manage and direct (the same word as in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 1 Timothy 3:4,5; 5:17). Leaders may be tempted to enjoy the benefits or prestige of their positions rather than really providing leadership.

IF IT IS SHOWING MERCY, LET HIM DO IT CHEERFULLY: This relates to ministering to the sick and especially to the needy, in a practical giving of material benefits as required (cp. v. 13). A cheerful rather than a grudging attitude is an important part of such ministry.

As to the "cheerful" part, it has been said: "If you come with sympathy to sorrow, be sure to bring God's sunlight in your face."

Comment on Rom 12:9-21

The necessity of love, toward all men:

Verses 9-13 deal with the importance of demonstrating love to fellow believers.
Verses 14-21 broaden this responsibility to apply, more widely and inclusively, to non-believers.

Comment on Rom 12:9-13

Nowhere else in Paul's writings do we find a more concise collection of ethical injunctions. In these five verses are thirteen exhortations, ranging from love of Christians to hospitality for strangers… Each of the thirteen exhortations could serve as the text for a full-length sermon. What they deal with are basic to effective Christian living.

Comment on Rom 12:9

LOVE MUST BE SINCERE: Love is primary (Lev 19:18; Matt 22:39), but if it is not sincere, it is not real love but only pretense. When writing to the church at Corinth, Paul paused in his discussion of spiritual gifts to inject a chapter on love (1 Cor 13); it is altogether fitting, therefore, that he should follow his presentation of spiritual gifts here in Romans with the same emphasis. The whole of the believer's conduct, in fact, should be bathed in love. If he fails to love his brother, doubt is cast on his professed love for God (1 John 4:19-21).

It is important to note that "love" doesn't really stand alone as a Christian virtue. Instead, it always seems to be an underlying criterion, or prerequisite, for other Christian virtues. Paul mentions it first in this section, and then proceeds to build upon the concept of love when urging believers to show honor, to serve, to pray, to share, to be humble, to return good for evil, to feed the hungry, and to give drink to the thirsty. Love is practically useless if it exists in a vacuum, devoid of other actions, for then it is no more than a warm, fuzzy feeling. But, when exercised in a response to the Lord's call to duty, it is the engine that drives all righteous behavior.

SINCERE: Greek "anupokritos" is, literally, "without hypocrisy" (as the NET). The RSV's "genuine" is good, but the KJV's "without dissimulation" is archaic and difficult.

The Greek word used here, in Romans 12:9, also appears in 2 Corinthians 6:6 and 1 Peter 1:22 (a sincere love); 1 Timothy 1:5 and 2 Timothy 1:5 (a sincere faith); and James 3:17 (sincere wisdom).

HATE WHAT IS EVIL; CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD: What God seeks in the believer is not so much a single worthy act as it is a continuing quality of life. Love readily suggests purity. The two are found together in God, whose eyes, we are told, are too pure eyes to behold evil (Hab 1:13), and thus who cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13). Hatred readily follows love — hatred, that is, of what is evil. The human attitude must follow the divine in this respect also, because it is the opposite of the command to love. The two belong together. To "cling to what is good" is to be wedded to it. Total commitment leaves neither time nor inclination to think of evil.

Paul says, "Hate what is evil", but he does not say, "Hate the evil man." In fact, it is much the reverse: 'Hate what is evil (v. 9)… but never repay evil with more evil (v. 17). Instead, overcome the evil person by doing good deeds for him (v. 21).'

Comment on Rom 12:10

BE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN BROTHERLY LOVE: "Devoted" is "philostorgos", which is a combination of "phileo" and the lesser-known Greek word "stergo". "Stergo" customarily denotes the natural affection developed out of the bond between parents and children. Thus the Greek translated "devoted" ("kindly affectioned" in the KJV) reinforces the thought that, in Christ, believers are all members of the same family, the family of God.

The apostle has called for love, but so that love is seen as more than a mild ideal, he now puts this general command into a living context.

Love is to be shown to people, not lavished on a principle. This love must be shown most particularly at times when to do so is most difficult. We have a difficult time thinking of being "devoted" or "kindly affectioned" (KJV) toward someone when he or she has, in our mind, been unfair or unloving toward us. However, that it is precisely the time when we must exert ourselves all the more to achieve such an attitude, and a conduct that corresponds to that mindset.

"Brotherly love" is also a special term denoting a natural love of family ("philadelphia").

HONOR ONE ANOTHER ABOVE YOURSELVES: To honor is to accord recognition and show appreciation. "Preferring one another" (KJV) is correct, but it employs a definition of "prefer" which is no longer in common use, and thus may be misinterpreted.

Presumably, such "honor" is based not on some personal attractiveness nor some supposed usefulness, but rather on a recognition of the new creation (2 Cor 5:17) — that is, God's transforming work in individual believers. The perfect example of this is the Lord Jesus Christ, who "made himself nothing, taking upon himself the very status of a servant" (Phil 2:6-8). And in this way he gave "honor" to all his brethren.

Comment on Rom 12:11

NEVER BE LACKING IN ZEAL, BUT KEEP YOUR SPIRITUAL FERVOR, SERVING THE LORD: "Zeal" (Greek “spoude”) includes earnestness, diligence, and eagerness. It also suggests energy which is directed toward the work of the Lord, not the accumulation of wealth.

It is natural for Christians to slack off in our diligence in serving the Lord when we have been Christians for some time. Apollos was a model of someone who maintained fervent diligence in his service (Acts 18:25), but the Laodicean brethren had lost their fervor, and were neither hot nor cold, but merely lukewarm and distasteful to the Lord (Rev 3:15,16).

Comment on Rom 12:12

BE JOYFUL IN HOPE: Or "joyful in the hope": "It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain" (Acts 28:20).

PATIENT IN AFFLICTION: The hope of Israel, the hope of the gospel, the hope of the kingdom… We must never lose sight of our hope of things in the future that God has promised us. This will help us persevere in tribulation (Rom 5:3,4).

If I can be sure, when the time finally comes for the Great High Priest to return from the Most Holy Place bringing the final blessing… that I'll still be here, waiting at my post, rejoicing in the tribulations which I endure, and having learned patience… real patience… enough for a lifetime, of broken hearts and broken dreams [sounds like a country western song, doesn't it?], of hurt feelings, of resentments, of disappointments, of bitterness, of ailments and illnesses, of the gradual and insidious decline of all my human powers, and the frustrations of coming short time and again of what I would like to be, but can't quite be, of asking forgiveness for the 490th time for the same sins, of forgiving others for the same number of times… without throwing up my hands and walking away from the door of the temple. Out into the howling waste of a wilderness of snakes and scorpions — where there is no hope and no life and no love… the wilderness where Judas went, and Cain, and Saul, and a million others — who could not truly believe that the High Priest was coming to bring them the last great blessing. Yes, if I can only wait… long enough… then "I will be saved" will turn into "I am saved"! God give me strength enough to wait… that long.

"In all our troubles and problems and disappointments, let us never for a moment forget our blessings — and our obligation of constant thanksgiving for them. This is what troubles are for: to drive us ever more deeply into the comfort of our blessings, and to make us all the more diligent to lay secure hold upon them by righteousness and loving service to God. Our blessings are always infinitely greater than our troubles ever could be. If we cannot see this, we are blind indeed. We have seen people calling themselves Christadelphians reproaching God for their 'undeserved' troubles. It is very easy and very natural to the flesh. But what folly! What tragedy! We are not ready for the Kingdom, or God would terminate our probation, and give us sweet sleep. We have yet labors to accomplish, and lessons to learn. Let us glory in and profit by the tribulations that are of the loving hand of God to prepare us frail, erring mortals for eternal joy" (G.V. Growcott).

FAITHFUL IN PRAYER: The Greek word here is "proskartereo", to be faithful in persevering or persisting in some endeavor, steadfastly enduring in this effort. Of course, it cannot mean that every minute of every day can be devoted to one endeavor, but it surely means that this endeavor should never be far from the mind of the believer.

Prayer is our great resource whenever we feel stress and strain (Phil 4:6,7). Note the same progression from hope to perseverance to prayer in Romans 8:24-27. Men should always pray and not give up the hope (Luke 18:1).

"Let us not confine our request for Divine blessing to self and family, but be diligent to remember those of our number who in special measure need God's mercy and blessing: the sick, infirm, aged, bereaved, lonely, distressed. Let us not be afraid of naming them in our prayers: we know them individually, it is our privilege to be able to call them to remembrance in our prayers, and to be assured they will not be forgotten by God" (quoted by Roy Styles, from an unknown source).

Comment on Rom 12:13

SHARE WITH GOD'S PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED: We should never be so self-centered that we fail to reach out to others. Again, the Father and the Son are our great examples here:

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10).

Even under persecution one should not allow himself to be so preoccupied with his own troubles that he becomes insensitive to the needs of other believers. Apparently, it is temporal need that is in view. To share with others is never more meaningful than when one is hard pressed to find a sufficient supply for himself. When this sharing takes place under one's own roof, it is labeled "hospitality". The Greek term ("philoxenos") is more expressive than the English, for it means "love for strangers". Paul's word for "practice" ("dioko", "pursue") is strong (the same word is used in the sense of "persecute" in verse 14), calling for an undiminished ardor in extending this courtesy to traveling believers. The Lord had encouraged his disciples to depend on such kindness during their missions (Matt 10:11). Without it, the spread of the gospel during the days of the early church would have been greatly impeded. With it, the "church in the house" became a reality (Rom 16:23; cp. Rom 16:5). What sanctified this practice above all was the realization that in receiving and entertaining the traveler, those who opened their doors and their hearts were receiving and entertaining Christ (Matt 10:40; 25:40). Harrison, EBC

PRACTICE HOSPITALITY: Here is that rare word, "philoxenia", which in this verse is translated in exactly the same way by both the KJV and a number of modern Bible versions. Though translated "hospitality" by many versions, the word more precisely means itself means: the love for strangers. The only other place where this exact word is used in Hebrews 13:2:

"Do not forget to entertain ['phileo': love] strangers ['xenos'], for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it" (Heb 13:2).

Today "hospitality" is a popular subject for college or university study. We might meet a young person who tells us he or she is majoring in hospitality at such-and-such college. This course of study can lead to jobs in what is usually called the service industry, and this area of study can include lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise lines, and other fields in the broader tourism industry. It is surely thought-provoking that, two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul encourages all believers to follow this "profession", but presumably without any remuneration!

In the first century, hospitality was so necessary and helpful because ancient inns were notoriously unsatisfactory, and to be avoided at all costs unless there really was no other option. They were usually dirty and flea-infested, and innkeepers were compared by Plato to pirates who held their "guests" to ransom before they would allow them to escape. In the ancient world a better option evolved: a system of "guest-friendships" developed by which families in different parts of the country undertook to provide friends and relatives with safe accommodations when they traveled. In larger cities, an official called a "proxenos" (literally, "one who acts for, or represents, the stranger") acted something like an ambassador or consul to procure suitable lodgings for respectable travelers.

Hospitality to believers in Christ seems to have followed this pattern, but with the added benefit of the true fellowship and love that arose from a shared belief and hope (see Rom 12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; 5:9,10; Titus 1:8; Heb 13:2; 1 Pet 4:9).

Hospitality might be practiced toward those who were "strangers" in that they were believers from a different place. But the same hospitality was also — and maybe especially — to be offered to those who were altogether "strangers". That is, they were not just personally unknown to believers, but they had no affiliation with the gospel whatsoever. In this, they were doubly "strangers".

The word "hospitality" consists of two Greek words: "phileo" (love) and "xenos" (strangers, or more specifically foreigners or aliens). This second word describes people of a different nationality or ethnicity.

The opposite of "philoxenos" (love of strangers) is "xenophobia" (fear of strangers). The whole history of mankind is filled with an almost universal xenophobia, a fear of strangers, a fear of those who look different or speak with a different accent. Every country and every people, it seems, has had a natural distaste for those who are "alien" to themselves. Some social scientists go so far as to postulate a warning signal programmed into our genes, a sort of protective instinct natural to every human being, warning against the person who doesn't look like oneself and one's family. Discomfort can beget distrust, and distrust can beget fear, and finally fear can give way to out-and-out hatred.

Instances of wholesale murder, or enslavement, of those who belong to a different tribe, or a different race, mark major developments and turning points in the history of nations, and the world. In our country, as well as other countries, we can point to examples of xenophobia:

the 'ethnic cleansing' by the massacres of Indian tribes which accompanied the settlement of our frontier;
a 250-year history of African slavery;
a general internment, or imprisonment, of all Japanese-Americans during World War II;
In Germany during the same war, the “Holocaust”, in which Adolf Hitler and his Nazis’ systematically exterminated practically every Jewish man, woman, and child;
our present United States administration’s hateful gathering up of thousands upon thousands of people just because they had different colors of skin, and holding those people in Hitler-like concentration camps;
a pervasive discrimination against almost every new wave of immigrants to this country, no matter from which country or continent they have come;
the relatively harmless form of ethnic jokes of every description.

Certainly, this xenophobia goes all the way back to the confusing of languages at the Tower of Babel, by which the people were scattered over the face of the whole earth after the Flood (Gen 11:7-9). The preaching of Peter and the apostles in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, was — or should have been, at least for believers — the beginning of the end of discrimination against peoples of different races and languages: "Each of us hears… in his own native language… the wonders of God" (Acts 2:8, 11).

Thereafter, "all the believers were together and had everything in common", "gave to anyone as he had need", and "ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (vv. 44-46). This undoing of Babel, for the believers, continued as the gospel was preached to the Gentiles (Acts 8; 10; 11; etc.). For those in Christ, a natural "fear of strangers" began to give way to a spiritual "love of strangers", exemplified in the "hospitality" and "kindness" which so characterized the first-century fellowship of believers. The final and total abolition of xenophobia is described in the Kingdom vision, of "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Rev 7:9).

Christ and the apostles explicitly call believers to "love aliens, or foreigners". Although this may be very much contrary to human nature, it is commanded:

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are . If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:27,29).

How can it be otherwise for the people who, regardless of their ethnicity, have been "purchased… from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9), to become themselves "God's elect, strangers in the world" (1 Pet 1:1), "aliens and strangers in the world" (1 Pet 2:11)?

"Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers ['xenos'] to you" (3 John 1:5).

Comment on Rom 12:14-21

Now the same commands to love are essentially expanded, to include as their objects all mankind — those who do "evil", those who are enemies, and those who "persecute" true believers. Even when the followers of Christ have absolutely no natural feelings of sympathy toward certain people, they must obey the same commands to love and provide practical care for them. Their Father in heaven and His Son have done and continue to do the same toward all men; they must be our examples.

Comment on Rom 12:14

BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU; BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE: Paul's injunction to bless persecutors rather than curse them undoubtedly goes back to the teaching of our Lord (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28). The teaching was clearly manifested during his trial and his suffering on the cross.

A few years after Paul wrote these words, Roman Christians were to lose their lives in great numbers at the hands of Emperor Nero. Persecution in some form or another was so common in the experience of the early church that Paul was able to assume as a matter of course that it would be a factor in the lives of his readers. If such treatment is not encountered in our society today, we can at least cultivate the readiness to meet it and so fulfill the injunction in spirit.

The principle of non-retaliation permeates the whole of the New Testament. To bless one's persecutors involves praying for their forgiveness and for a change of outlook regarding the Christian faith. It can be done only by the grace of Christ: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

Comment on Rom 12:15

REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE; MOURN WITH THOSE WHO MOURN: "Friendship divides sorrow and doubles joy." Compare 1 Corinthians 12:26: "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." Also compare Philippians 4:14: "It was good of you to share in my troubles."

On this verse, Islip Collyer comments:

"It is easier for us to conform to the apostolic command under the second heading we have mentioned. We can suffer [or mourn] with those who suffer [mourn], more readily than we can rejoice with those who are honored. The suffering, however, has to be near and obvious, or we can easily forget and ignore it. We have heard of the millionaire who was so touched with the pitiful story of a caller that he said to a servant, 'Send this poor fellow away at once, or I shall have no appetite for dinner.' Perhaps there are many even in the Brotherhood who would find it too painful to regard the lives of their fellows very closely. A tragedy in the house of a next-door neighbor will cast a gloom over us when a far greater tragedy in a distant land hardly affects us at all. In the same way we shall be partial in our treatment of brethren near and distant unless we make a great effort to enlarge our sympathies.

"When we are called upon to rejoice with the member who is highly honored, the task is still more difficult, especially for some natures. There are men who could sympathize with a friend's misfortune and even make a generous effort to assist him; but they can never forgive him for being successful. The jealous feeling is well disguised, of course. They fear that the friend's good fortune will turn his head and spoil his character, and we may rest assured that they will find ample confirmation of their worst fears, act how he may. Such people are capable of killing an old friend with pinpricks; shaking their heads all the while, and deploring his supposed weakness" ("The One Body", Principles and Proverbs).

Comment on Rom 12:16

LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER: "Be of the same mind one toward another" (KJV). "Have equal regard for one another" (NEB). "Have full sympathy with one another" (Weymouth). Most literally, "Think the same of others." Give every person the benefit of the doubt. Do not impute bad motives to the actions of others. Do not think of others as being beneath yourself. Feelings of superiority are neither realistic nor appropriate for those who owe all to God's grace.

DO NOT BE PROUD, BUT BE WILLING TO ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE OF LOW POSITION: As a means to attaining this harmony, Paul stresses the necessity of rejecting the temptation to think high thoughts about oneself, as though one were a superior breed of believer, and of coming down off the perch of isolation and mingling with people "of low position" or of a humble frame of mind.

The Greek here is simply "tois tapeinosis", meaning "with the lowly", with the result that some have translated "Give yourselves to menial [Greek 'tapeinosis': lowly, or humble] tasks" instead of "Associate with people of low standing." Which translation is preferred depends on whether "tapeinosis" is taken as neuter (thus, humble things) or masculine (i.e., humble people). The ASV takes it to be things that are lowly. The KJV and NIV take it to be people of low position. And the RSV and NET remain determinedly neutral by simply translating "the lowly". Either choice, or the neutral view allowing for both, may express the sense of the passage.

DO NOT BE CONCEITED: And lest one consent to keep these commandments while still retaining elevated notions of his own superiority, Paul puts in a final thrust: "Don't be conceited!" Conceit has no place in the life ruled by love (1 Cor 13:4). In this, Paul seems to be quoting from Proverbs 3:7: "Do not be wise in your own eyes." We might say: 'Don't be proud of your humility. Don't congratulate yourself on what a wonderful fellow you are!'

The KJV has: "Be not wise in your own conceits." The same Greek word, "phronimos", has two distinct but related meanings: "wise" and "conceited". The KJV manages to put both in one sentence, to good effect. To be truly "wise" is a very good thing, but there is a fine line between being wise and being conceited. Human nature being what it is, it is very easy to pass over that line without even noticing.

"Be not presumptuous in your own opinions. Human opinions are worthless. Human opinions have gotten the world into its present disastrous condition. The mind of the Lord is the only safe ground. We must study the Scriptures constantly, not to find support for our views, but sincerely seeking to learn God's views.”

G.V. Growcott

"We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are dull; some are pretty, some are not-so-pretty; some are bright, some are dark. Some have weird names. And every single one is different from all the rest. But they all have to learn to live in the same box" (Author unknown).

Comment on Rom 12:17

DO NOT REPAY ANYONE EVIL FOR EVIL: This thought comes directly from the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ:

"Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well" (Matt 5:39,40).

"It is natural to every man to return evil for evil. Those of the most indolent and passive dispositions are not without feelings of revenge. Nothing but the faith of Christ will enable any man to overcome this disposition. But faith will overcome it; and every man who believes in Christ must labor to overcome it in his heart, as well as in his practice. If Christians are tried by this test, the pretensions of the great bulk of those who usurp the name will be found groundless" (Robert Haldane).

BE CAREFUL TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF EVERYBODY: The KJV has: "Provide things honest in the sight of all men." Charles Hodge writes, "Our translation [i.e., the KJV] of this clause is not very happy [i.e., not very satisfactory], as it suggests an idea foreign to the meaning of the original. Paul does not mean to direct us to make provision for ourselves or families in an honest manner, which is probably the sense commonly attached to the passage by the English reader, but to act in such a manner as to command the confidence and good opinion of men. In this view, the connection of this with the preceding member of the verse is obvious. 'We must not recompense evil for evil, but act in such a way as to commend ourselves to the consciences of all men.' "

Believers are constantly under the scrutiny of unbelievers as well as of fellow believers, and they must be careful that their conduct does not undermine the high standards of the gospel (cp. Col 4:5; 1 Tim 3:7). We should not only be honest, but take precautions so as to be seen to be honest:

"We commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor 4:2).

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men" (2 Cor 8:21).

The verb "be careful" ("pronoeo") is literally "to think of beforehand", which suggests that the conduct of believers ought not to be regulated by habit, but rather that each situation in which we may witness to the world ought to be weighed so that the action taken will, at the very least, not cast the gospel in an unfavorable light.

Comment on Rom 12:18

IF IT IS POSSIBLE: By this accumulation of conditions, in this phrase and the next, the difficulty of the precept is plainly brought out. This qualifying clause suggests that there are instances in human relations when the strongest desire for peaceful agreement and cooperation will not succeed. Examples may be found in Jesus' difficulties with the Pharisees in Matthew 23, and Paul's with Peter in Galatians 2.

AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU: If disharmony and conflict should come, be sure that the responsibility cannot be laid at your feet. The believer may not be able to persuade the other party, but he can at least refuse to be the instigator of trouble.

LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE: Paul strongly advocated being a peacemaker (cf Matt 5:9), but he did not promote peace at any price, as the previous qualifying phrases emphasize.

Comment on Rom 12:19

DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS: This peace-loving attitude may be costly, however, because some will want to take advantage of it, figuring that Christian principles will not permit the wronged party to retaliate. In such a case, what is to be done? The path of duty is clear. We are not to take vengeance. We do well to remember the example of David in 1 Samuel 24-26: he was pursued and persecuted by King Saul and his men, but even as he fled for his life he repeatedly went well out of his way to avoid retaliating against Saul.

On the other hand, the path of revenge and retaliation is a dangerous one: "The person who pursues revenge should dig two graves", that is, one for his 'enemy', and another for himself!

And it is also a path which dooms its traveler to ultimate dissatisfaction: "Revenge has no more quenching effect on emotions than salt water has on thirst" (Walter Weckler).

BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD'S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE; I WILL REPAY," SAYS THE LORD: Trust God to take care of the situation. He will not do the wrong thing. He will not be too lenient or too severe. Here Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35, in which the context indicates that the Lord will intervene to vindicate His people when their enemies abuse them and gloat over them. God's action will rebuke not only the adversaries but also the false gods in which they have put their trust (Deut 32:37,38).

This passage is cited also in Luke 18:7,8 and Revelation 6:9-11.

Comment on Rom 12:20

ON THE CONTRARY: "IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO DRINK": There is no suggestion that the wrath of God (v. 19) will be visited upon the wrongdoer immediately. On the contrary, that wrath is the last resort, for in the immediate future lies the possibility that the one who has perpetrated the wrong will have a change of heart and will be convicted of his sin and won over by the refusal of the Christian to retaliate.

'If you want to take revenge (i.e., heap coals on your enemy's head), then… the best way to take revenge is to do good to him (Matt 5:44]… and in this way you may make him a friend rather than an enemy [cp. Rom 8:37].'

"The imagery of the burning coals represents pangs of conscience, more readily effected by kindness than by violence. These coals produce the sharp pain of contrition through regret (e.g., Prov 18:19; 20:22; 24:17; Gen 42–45; 1Sam 24:18–20). The coals then would be an implied comparison with a searing conscience" (NET Notes). Derek Kidner comments, "The coals of fire represent the pangs which are far better felt now as shame than later as punishment (Psa 140:10)."

Coals of fire may be a curse (Ezek 10:2; Psa 120:2-4), but in certain instances (with those who recognize their sins?) they may also be a blessing. This was the case with the young man, who was sanctified as a prophet by having live coals from the temple altar touch his mouth (Isa 6:6,7).

IN DOING THIS, YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD: Paul is quoting Proverbs 25:21,22. Another suggestion has been offered for this rather strange figure of speech: Heaping burning coals on his head figuratively describes doing good that results in the conviction and shame of the enemy. The expression alludes to the old custom of carrying burning coals in a pan. When one's fire went out at home, a person would have to go to a neighbor and request hot coals that he or she would then carry home on the head. Carrying the coals involved some danger, discomfort, and uneasiness for the person carrying them. Nevertheless they were the evidence of the neighbor's love. Likewise the person who receives good for evil feels uncomfortable because of his neighbor's love. This guilt may convict the wrongdoer of his or her ways in a gentle manner.

Further exposition of this somewhat difficult passage:

In Speaker's Commentary, E.H. Plumptre points out that, obviously, "the second clause [of Romans 12:20, and hence of Proverbs 25:22] seems at first sight to suggest a motive incompatible with a true charity." Then he offers the following:

"Leviticus 16:12 suggests an explanation. The high priest on the Day of Atonement was to take his censer, fill it with 'coals of fire', and then put the incense thereon for a sweet-smelling savor. So it is here. The first emotion in another caused by the good done to him may be one of burning shame, but the shame will do its work and the heart also will burn, and prayer and confession and thanksgiving will rise as incense to the throne of God. Thus, 'we shall overcome evil with good' [Rom 12:20]."

Plumptre's reference to the burning coals being placed on the small altar in the holy place may help to connect with the rather incongruous picture of burning coals placed on one's head. In the tabernacle and temple analogy, the coals of fire, with incense added, are placed on this small altar, where the burning incense represents prayer (cp. Psa 141:2; Exod 30:7-9,34-38; Luke 1:9,10; Rev 5:8; 8:3,4) — in this case, prayers of remorse and repentance. Thus the repentant evildoer becomes his own altar of incense, his prayers for forgiveness rising as a sweet savor to the Lord, and thereby receives the answer to those prayers, as Proverbs 25:21,22 (and Romans 12:20) envision.

When the apostle Paul cites Proverbs 25:21,22, he makes it perfectly clear that, whatever these verses may have meant precisely to those who first read or heard them, they do not suggest seeking revenge upon one's enemies. We know this for the simple reason that Paul prefaces his quotation with the words, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' [itself a citation of Deut 32:35], says the Lord"; and that he immediately follows the quotation with the words, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:19, 21). Thus the inspired application of these words, in the New Testament, rules out any vengeance or even meting out of punishment by human hands.

Comment on Rom 12:21

DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD: In this context, to be "overcome by evil" means to give in to the temptation to meet evil with evil, i.e., to retaliate. To overcome evil with good has been illustrated in verse 20. Many other illustrations could be given, such as David's sparing the life of Saul, who was pursuing him to snuff out his life. When Saul realized that David had spared his life, he said, "You have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil" (1 Sam 24:17, RSV). The world's philosophy leads men to expect retaliation when they have wronged another. To receive kindness, to see love when it seems uncalled for, can melt the hardest heart.

G.V. Growcott adds this additional useful thought: that the strongest inducement to evil is to be found within ourselves rather than outside: "The battle is right inside ourselves, between the spirit that purifies and the flesh that defiles. We are locked up all our lives in a small room with a deadly enemy. We can't get away from him, though many wander far in the attempt, seeking rest and finding none, blaming their disquietude on their circumstances."

Again, he adds: "The whole teaching of Christ and the apostles is that this is a big battle, a lifelong struggle. Was Paul an exception when he found that ceaseless effort and constant watchfulness were necessary to a successful overcoming? Are we stronger than Paul? If Paul found that his success demanded that he cut himself off from the entanglements of this life and devote all his energies in one direction, can we possibly think that it is unnecessary in our case?"