Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 4 Study # 7
June 7, 2019
Humble, Texas
(052)
1769 Translation:
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:
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. The Second "Application" of Unhypocritical Love: One's "Attitude" Toward Others Continued.
- A. Prior Studies of Unhypocritical Love.
- 1. The major thesis: Let love be without hypocrisy: 12:9a.
- 2. The first sub-thesis: Let this be true in respect to the saints: 12:9b-13.
- B. Current Studies: The second sub-thesis: Let this be true in respect to the "enemies": 12:14-21.
- 1. "At Issue": Unhypocritical Love, being rooted in a strong antagonism toward "the evil" (in oneself) and in a "welded unity" (of oneself) with "the good".
- 2. Paul's opening command.
- a. Bless those who are persecuting you (Present Active Participle).
- 1) The issue of "persecuting".
- a) Paul used the word so translated five times in Romans and only in this instance is it translated "persecute" in the NASB.
- b) In the other four instances, at "issue" is "a determined commitment to get something under one's control".
- i. 9:30 records Paul's first use in Romans and it has to do with the altogether amazing claim that "Gentiles" obtained a "righteousness" (which is by faith) in the eyes of God without any "determined commitment" to obtain it.
- ii. 9:31 records the also amazing claim that, in spite of a "very determined commitment" to obtain a righteous standing before God (though not by faith), Israel did not obtain such a standing.
- iii. 12:13 introduces the concept of "determined commitment" in respect to one's attitude toward "the love of hospitality" and, immediately, three words later takes that same word and introduces an "evil" situation ("...practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you). The words in emphasis are the same word in Paul's Greek. This gives us a good context to actually understand the depth of commitment involved in "pursuing"/"persecuting": it is intense.
- iv. 14:19 takes the same word and applies it to the claim of Paul that "we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another...". It is the same intense commitment that is involved.
- v. Thus, the issue of Paul's word choice is that of "determined effort" in the activities designed to bring about some desired result.
- c) In the writings of John and Acts, this idea of "determined effort" is maintained with this focus: those in authority in the culture are the ones pursuing this action (Luke 21:12). Thus, Paul is not addressing how one is to treat a criminal whose "pursuits" are against law abiding persons. He did not say "Bless those criminals who are persecuting you...". He was addressing, for the most part, the Roman authorities in Rome. This makes a difference in our understanding: Paul is not addressing "snotty neighbors" who attempt to make life miserable for us; nor is he addressing "all" of the ways people "pursue" others for gain.
- d) The writings of Paul and the other authors of New Testament revelation have a significant number of both "good" and "evil" "pursuits" (persecutions).
- 2) The issue of "blessing".
- a) Paul only used the verb translated "bless" this one time in Romans.
- b) In his other uses in other epistles he juxtaposed "blessing" with "reviling" (1 Corinthians 4: 12), "giving of thanks" (1 Corinthians 14:16), "being justified by faith" (Galatians 3:9), and "being given every spiritual blessing" (Ephesians 1:3).
- c) The author of Hebrews used this verb in conjunction with the over-arching promise of God to Abraham (6:14), which included the three great promises of "land", "seed" and a "great name" (Genesis 12:1-3). He also used this verb in regard to Melchizedek's "blessing" of Abraham (7:1, 6-7). And he used it in reference to Isaac's "blessing" of Jacob and Esau (11:20) and of Jacob's "blessing" of the sons of Joseph (11:21).
- d) Peter used the verb in contrast to "doing evil" and "insulting" someone (1 Peter 3:9).
- e) The basic issue of "blessing" (as a verb) is "speaking a hope for good upon someone, or a verbal acknowledgement of some good upon oneself". The noun is used in 14 texts of the New Testament and Romans 16:18 is an illuminating sample of the use of the noun because it signals "flattering speech" as a way to get around people's suspicions and guardedness. In 2 Corinthians 9:5-6 it signals "an abundance of good provision". In Galatians 3:14 it is "the promise of the Spirit" as "the blessing of Abraham". In Ephesians 1:4 it is "election"; in 1:5 it is predestination unto adoption; in 1:7 it is "redemption" and "forgiveness"; and other significant "good things" provided by God in the rest of Ephesians 1.
- b. "...bless and curse not..."
- 1) The impact of "not": the negative is joined to a present tense of the verb "to curse". When this is the grammatical form, the impact is "stop doing what you are doing". The normal and typical reaction to government overreach is, apparently, "to curse". Paul is demanding that this "normal and typical" cease to be "normal and typical".
- 2) Bless and stop cursing.
- a) The immediate repetition of the command, "Bless", is emphatic. It signals the necessary reorientation of values so that people take a much higher place in the values which drive our behavior. This seems to be the essence of James' revelation of the contradiction involved in 3:9-12 where he posits "blessing the Lord and Father" and the "cursing of men who have been made in the likeness of God". This kind of contradiction does not exist in nature and should not exist in believers.
- b) The verb used in reference to "cursing" is only found in the New Testament in five texts.
- i. Matthew 25:41 makes "being cursed" the chief characteristic of those who are rejected by God and sent into "the eternal fire" that was prepared for the devil and his angels.
- ii. Mark 11:21 makes "being cursed" the chief characteristic of the tree which immediately withered once Jesus permanently denied its ability to bear fruit for the sake of men.
- iii. Luke 6:28 includes the exhortation to "bless those who curse you". This is an exact repetition of Paul's insistence in the verse before us.
- iv. Romans 12:14 is our current text and James 3:9 has already been referenced above.
- c) This focus by Paul upon the need to have a high priority on people (with little to no regard for their behavior) is, apparently, of great importance. The tension here is obvious: God, Himself, "blesses" some (Heaven) and "curses" others (Hell). If He does it, why are we restrained from doing it? At least partially, the answer is given at the Cross: the God Who made the unimaginable sacrifice to prevent "accursedness" is the only One Who is qualified to impose it.