Romans 12:9-21
Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 4 Study # 1
February 2, 2019
Humble, Texas
(040)
1769 Translation<:
9
Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 [
Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 [
Be] of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [
rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [
is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1901 ASV Translation:
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another;
11 in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving
the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer;
13 communicating to the necessities of the saints;
given to hospitality.
14 Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but
condescend to
things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.
19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [
of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.
20 But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
- I. A General Overview.
- A. The major thesis: Let love be without hypocrisy: 12:9a.
- B. The first sub-thesis: Let this be true in respect to the saints: 12:9b-13.
- 1. Abhor what is evil; cleave to what is good: 12:9b.
- 2. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love: 12:10a.
- 3. Prefer one another in honor: 12:10b.
- 4. Do not be slothful in business: 12:11.
- a. Be fervent in spirit: 12:11a.
- b. Be serving the Lord: 12:11b.
- 5. Rejoice in hope: 12:12a.
- 6. Be patient in tribulation: 12:12b.
- 7. Continue constantly in prayer: 12:12c.
- 8. Distribute to the needs of the saints: 12:13a.
- 9. Be given to hospitality: 12:13b.
- C. The second sub-thesis: Let this be true in respect to the "enemies": 12:14-21.
- 1. Bless those who persecute you: 12:14.
- 2. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep: 12:15.
- 3. Be equitable with all men, high or low: 12:16.
- 4. Recompense to no man evil for evil: 12:17a.
- 5. Be obviously honest with all men: 12:17b.
- 6. Live peaceably with all as much as possible: 12:18.
- 7. Do not avenge yourselves: 12:19-20.
- 8. Overcome evil with good: 12:21.
- II. The Major Thesis: Genuine Love.
- A. The Love.
- 1. This is "he agape".
- a. There are other words in Greek that are translated "love" in our English translations. Each has its own nuance of meaning.
- b. This particular word denotes the particular "kind" of "love" that rests at the root of every "person" as the ultimate sponsor of every attitude and action that is taken.
- 2. This focus upon this particular type of "love" is something we need to understand.
- a. This "Love" as a divine attribute.
- 1)Acording to Romans 5:5 (and multiple other texts in Romans), God has an "agape".
- a) 5:5 addresses "The Love of The God ("he agape tou theou").
- b) 5:8 addresses "His Love" ("ten heautou agaphe"; literally "the of-Him Love").
- 2) According to 8:35, Christ has an "agape". ("tes agapes tou Cristou").
- 3) 8:39 goes on to say that "The Love of The God ("he agape tou theou") is "in Christ Jesus", making it equivalent to "The Love of The Christ" ("tes agapes tou Cristou").
- 4) And 15:30 uses "The Love of The Spirit" ("tes agapes tou pneumatos") as an element in the "medium/instrument of" (dia plus the Genitive) intensive prayer.
- b. This "Love" as a humanly exercised root-element of behavior.
- 1) In Romans, the first use of this noun is in our current text (12:9) as something about which we must not be "hypocritical".
- 2) The next two references are in 13:10 where "The Love" is the fulfillment of the principle of "Law" because it "does not work evil to a neighbor".
- 3) And 14:15 applies "the standard of Love" (kata plus an Accusative) to a specific behavior toward a "brother".
- c. Love as a "verb" in Romans reinforces this pattern of the roots of "human" behavior (8:28; and 13:8 and 9) and of the roots of "divine" treatment of men (8:37; 9:13, and 25).
- d. From these references in Romans, we can see that "Love" is, most fundamentally, an attribute, and a root of action toward others, that corresponds to what we call "a value-system". A "system" of organized "values" in an ascending/descending "order" of relative importance.
- 1) In this "system" of "values", "The Love of The God" is demonstrably "focused" upon His willingness to make the greatest sacrifice known in the universe (The Cross) for the sake of men even though they are "sinners" in opposition to God.
- 2) From this we see that the "order" of God's "system" invariably puts "others" ahead of the one "loving" in terms of the "cost" of seeking their highest interests. If, as Paul says, "God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all", then the essence of this "attribute" is personal loss, without regard for the greatness of it, for the sake of another's gain.
- 3. Additionally, we need to also understand that "The Love" is not restricted to God and/or His saints, but is something that all men possess and exercise.
- a. There are multiple texts in the New Testament in which ungodly men are characterized as having an "agape" that is contrary to the "agape" of God (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32; 11:43; John 3:19; 12:43; and, most particularly 1 John 2:15, are samples of this twisted "system of values").
- b. The point is this: "agape" is the essential root of "value" in regard to all things and all men, as well as God. As this essential root, there is no greater issue in regard to the roots of all behavior and attitudes.
- B. The requirement: without hypocrisy.
- 1. This term is used in six texts of the New Testament (Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5; James 3:17; and 1 Peter 1:22).
- a. Three of these are in regard to "Love" (Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Peter 1:22).
- b. Two are in regard to "Faith" (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5).
- c. One is in regard to "Wisdom" (James 3:17).
- 2. This term is formed by the prefix "a", which is a negative particle (much like our "un" as in "unlikable", or our "dis" as in "dislike"), an "infix" (upo), and the main noun "judge". Altogether the etymology is "without being under the concept of a judge" that led, eventually, to the idea of "being without the kind of hypocrisy that makes a person 'judge' another while doing the very thing being condemned; as in Romans 2:1. Thus, the idea is to "fake behavior in order to deceive others as to the real attitude of the heart". It can be "fake speech" (as in John's "let us not love in word only, but in deed and in truth": 1 John 3:18), or "fake behavior" (as in Paul's "though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing": 1 Corinthians 13:3). In any case, what is presented as "Love" is not.
- 3. Thus, what Paul is calling for is "genuineness in Love". This would mean that one does not claim more "Love" than is really existing (nor, alternatively, claiming less).