Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 4 Study # 3
February 23, 2019
Humble, Texas
(044)
1769 Translation:
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:
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. The Second "Application" of Unhypocritical Love: One's "Attitude" Toward Others.
- A. There is an "under-umbrella" sitting under the "over-umbrella".
- 1. The "over-umbrella" is "Unhypocritical Love".
- 2. The "under-umbrella" is "Violently hating The Evil and Clinging to The Good".
- B. A note on the linguistic pattern: from 12:10 to 12:13a every "concept" is introduced by the use of a definite article in the dative case (with the attached noun also in the dative case).
- 1. The "Clinging"...
- a. Regarding fellow believers (adjective participle adjective). Two basic characteristics; one basic activity.
- 1) "In regard to the (concept of) brotherly love..." (12:10a) "tender in love for one another" (adjective).
- 2) "In regard to the (concept of) honor..." (12:10b) "setting others ahead of one's self" (participle).
- 3) "In regard to the (concept of) diligence..." (12:11a) "not carelessly lazy" (adjective).
- b. Regarding God (all Participles). All activities.
- 1) "In regard to the (concept of) Spirit..." (12:11b) "being zealous" (participle).
- 2) "In regard to the (concept of) Lord..." (12:11c) "serving" (participle).
- 3) "In regard to the (concept of) hope..." (12:12a) "rejoicing" (participle).
- c. Regarding difficult circumstances (all Participles).
- 1) "In regard to the (concept of) tribulation..." (12:12b) "bearing up under" (participle).
- 2) "In regard to the (concept of) prayer..." (12:12c) "constantly attending" (participle).
- 3) "In regard to the (concept of) need..." (12:13a) "taking up a share in" (participle). Then, as a kind of sub-set of this issue, there is an additional element -- the love of strangers, typically called 'hospitality' (a specific focus upon the need generated by travel into an area which has no friends or relatives in it) "pursuing" (participle).
- 2. The "Violently Hating"... (appropriate in that the issue is addressed in the context of evil treatment by others and that context lends itself to the self-justification that is to be "violently hated").
- a. In respect to reactions by others.
- 1) Imperatives: Bless those persecuting you; bless and do not curse.
- 2) Infinitives: To rejoice with those rejoicing; to weep with those weeping.
- 3) Participles: Thinking the same way about each other; not thinking "loftily", but ("thinking") toward those being carried away by "lowliness".
- 4) Imperative: Do not become "wise" by comparing yourself with others.
- 5) Participles: In nothing returning evil for evil. Foreseeing good in the sight of all men. Bringing peace with all men if the ability is out of you. Not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to the wrath; for it stands written, "Vindication is to Me, I will pay back (says the Lord).
- 6) Imperatives: [Give place to wrath]; Feed him who is your enemy who is hungry; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head. Do not be conquered by the evil but conquer the evil by the good. As a "conclusion" to this part of Paul's "How to live in respect to others", the fact that he insists upon "not being overcome by 'the evil' " and "overcoming 'the evil' by 'the good' " encourages the "violently hating/clinging" design of the paragraph.
- C. The specific details of the "clinging".
- 1. Regarding fellow believers. There is a "mini-chiasm" here of Adjective, Participle, Adjective. The "point" of a chiasm is the "center point" (in this case the "B" in the ABA structure). This means that the "issue" of "honor" is the critical issue, with "brotherly love" hanging off on the front end and "diligence" hanging off of the back end. But, for these notes, we will take them in the order in which they are given ... A, then B, then C.
- a. Regarding "A" (Brotherly Love).
- b. They are identified as "brothers" within the noun "love of brothers (filadelfia)".
- c. The characteristic desired: treating "one another" (the "one another" is in two of the three phrases that form this smaller unit within the paragraph (both in 12:10) and pops up again in 12:16 in the context of, not filadelfia, but verse 14's "those who persecute you" (tous diontas) as loved (fileo) offspring of the same father.
- 1) The major focus is upon "fileo" as it is the prefix on both "adelfos" and "storgos" in this first of three attitudes of "clinging" in respect to "one another".
- a) This "fileo" is commonly translated "love" without regard for the fact that there are multiple concepts in Greek that are "lumped together" under this one English word.
- b) Both of the words which have this prefix are used by Paul only once in Romans.
- c) The verb "fileo" is not used by Paul in Romans and is only used elsewhere in his letters in two places (1 Corinthians 16:22 and Titus 3:15). Additionally, Paul never uses the adjectives "filos" and "file" in his letters (often translated as if they were nouns).
- i. The first use in other letters (1 Corinthians 16:22) is rather crucial in that it is attached to "accursedness" if it does not exist in respect to "The Lord".
- ii. The second use (Titus 3:15) also makes a deliberate distinction among those to be "greeted".
- d) At least one source says "fileo" is never used in the imperative in instructions to believers. This at least implies that it cannot be "commanded" since it is a kind of "love" that is rooted in an emotional attachment that is rooted in something "automatic" (as the "love" that most mothers have for their newly born) and not in human volitional response.
- e) John's use of "agapao" and "fileo" in an important interplay in John 21:15-17 may well be the "key" to understanding for all of the references to this emotional attachment in the New Testament.
- c. These "brothers" are to be "treated" with "devotion" (NASB) or "kindly affection" (Authorized Version).
- 1) The adjective in this description of how "beloved brethren" are to be treated is only used once in the entire New Testament and is a composite word that puts "filos" on "storgos" as a prefix. The "storgos" is, according to the lexicographers, "natural relatives" and, assuming no particular conflicts in that category, introduces the basis for the emotional attachment of the "filos". Mostly people have emotional attachments to their "near relatives" that are naturally existing.
- 2) The idea is that, "in respect to brotherly affection", "fellow-believers" are to be treated as "natural kin" (combining both spiritual unity and physical unity as the basis for the "love").
- 2. Regarding honor (the key concept in the A B A structure).
- a. The persons are the same ("one another").
- b. The issue is distinct: setting one another ahead (as leaders/preeminent) in giving honor. This is deliberate self-demotion in the favor of "others".
- c. The term "honor" is used by Paul in 17 of the 40 times it is used in the New Testament.
- 1) In Romans, it signifies "a position of great value" (2:7 and 10), "a status above most others" (9:21 and 13:7).
- 2) Paul's focus in his other letters is upon "the price of a thing/the cost/the amount one would pay to obtain something" (1 Corinthians 6:20/7:23), "the treatment of someone/thing because of the value it possesses in the mind/heart of the one acting" (1 Corinthians 12:23-24).
- a) In Colossians 2:23 he uses the word in respect to certain "desired" characteristics which have no capacity to rein in fleshly indulgences [in other words, those who understand would not "pay" anything to possess those "desired characteristics" because they have no ability to accomplish their "apparent" objectives.]
- b) In 1 & 2 Timothy, Paul uses the word to indicate "the attitude one takes toward someone/thing that he/she considers 'pricey'". "Honor" is given to that which is considered to be of "high price".
- 3. Regarding diligence.
- a. No particular persons identified.
- b. At issue: not being "slothful" (procrastinating) when "diligence" is required. This is a return to the issue of "diligence" as referenced in 12:8 where the issue is "leaders" doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done (implying a task that is not seen as pleasant; men tend to "put off" the things that are unpleasant).