Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 4 Study # 9
June 21, 2020
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: The major issue of Paul's instruction regarding how to respond to evil men is "the way we think".
Introduction: As we have considered Paul's instructions regarding our participation in "the sacrificed life" in the light of "transformation by the renewing of our minds", we have seen that
the major issue is "an unhypocritical love" (value system). And in that light, he gave us practical instructions about living in this world with both "the evil and the good" (fellow believers and enemies who seek our hurt).
Now we have come to Romans 12:16 where we find an emphatic command to "think" along a settled line of instructions. So that is where we will spend our time in this study.
- I. The Emphasis of Romans 12:16.
- A. The NASB reveals a part of this emphasis by twice referring to "the mind".
- 1. The first of these two is the phrase "Be of the same mind...", which is a translation of a phrase that literally says, "Thinking the same way toward one another".
- 2. The second of these two is the phrase, "...do not be haughty in mind...", which is a translation of another phrase which literally says, "...not thinking the high things...".
- B. But, there is a third reference to "the mind" that is translated "wise in your own estimation", but the Greek text says, "...stop becoming of a superior mind that arises from comparing oneself [to others]".
- II. The Details of This Text.
- A. Almost universally, the translators opted for the use of three participles as imperatives, even though A.T. Robertson said this should not be done if there was a controlling verb involved.
- B. There is a "controlling verb", but it follows the three participles, making them Paul's focus.
- 1. The controlling verb is a present tense imperative preceded by the negative particle me.
- a. That present tense imperative is the verb ginomai, a verb used in 636 texts of the New Testament, 252 of which are in Luke/Acts, and 31 of which are in Romans.
- 1) ginomai typically means "to come into being" as in Romans 3:19 where Paul refers to the fact that "all the world 'may come' [into the condition of being] accountable to God".
- 2) That this verb is a present tense imperative makes it the "controlling verb" with three participles adding methodological instructions.
- b. That this verb is a present tense preceded by the negative particle means that Paul is assuming that a "becoming" is occurring and he insists that it be blocked: Stop becoming...
- 2. Paul's insistence that the Roman believers "Stop" doing something they are already doing means that there is a degenerative way of "thinking" already in place and must be uprooted.
- a. This degenerative way of thinking is described as "thinking oneself to be wise" as 11:25 describes the attitude.
- 1) Paul only refers to this concept twice, but in both cases he indicates "how" that way of thinking develops: para heautois.
- a) The idea is that the flawed approach is to mentally lay others alongside oneself and find oneself superior (a direct contradiction of 1 Corinthians 4:7 where not only are the differences generated by God, they are also "received", not self-developed: For who makes you different? And what do you have that you did not receive?).
- b) This flawed approach ignores the issue of Romans 12:6: God has given each of us "gifts that differ according to grace given".
- 2) This is a return to 12:3 where the issue is, again, "thinking" a certain way.
- b. This degenerative way of thinking is prevented by the three participles which precede this main verb.
- 1) The first participle is a present tense use of a verb that means "to be of a settled frame of mind" as 8:5 indicates: "thinking" certain thoughts as truth.
- a. This first participle is directed: "thinking the same way"; a consistent mindset.
- b. The direction is "unto one another", or "with one another in view".
- 2) The second participle is the same as the first: "thinking certain thoughts as truth".
- a. However, with this repetitious use of the verb is a prohibition, "Not".
- b. The prohibition is directed toward "the high things".
- i. This reference to "high things" is first found in 11:20 where the "high things" involve the status that Gentiles have by faith because Jews have been "broken off of the tree because of unbelief".
- i) At issue is both the "status" (being a part of the rich root of the olive tree) and the "methodology" ("faith" is not something that can be claimed as a merited capacity).
- ii) Thus, Paul's "high things" involve the "highest" condition in which a man can be placed (partaker of God's rich blessings), and the "highest" achievement a man can achieve (pleasing God by "faith").
- ii. Thus, Paul is refusing to allow the believers in Rome to continue to make distinctions between the various members of the body that make certain ones "better" than other ones and make the possession of those "better ones" a matter of personal effort.
- c. Thus, Paul is insisting that the Romans stop "thinking" improperly about what they consider superior achievements.
- 3) The third participle is one which means "to be led into a way of thinking" as Galatians 2:13 (Paul's only other use of this verb in the New Testament) indicates and as 2 Peter 3:17 (the only other use of this verb in the New Testament) reaffirms.
- a. In this phrase we have both the verb ("to be led into a way of thinking") and a strong adversative (BUT) in respect to the misguided "high things".
- b. In this case, the "way of thinking" is that "the lowly" are considered to be in the best state by God (James 4:6 is a powerful "classic" statement of God's attitude toward "the lowly" in that He gives them grace and not their opposite).
