Chapter # 12 Paragraph # 4 Study # 10
June 28, 2020
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: The second major imperative under the theme of "persecutors" is "give God the place of wrath".
Introduction: Under the thesis of an "unhypocritical love" wherein there is a potent antagonism toward seeking to be elevated in the sight of men and an equally potent commitment to the pursuit of good, Paul presents two major arenas: dealing with "brothers"; and dealing with "persecutors". In regard to "dealing with brethren" there are nine areas of consideration: brotherly love; honor; diligence; Spirit; Lord; Hope; tribulation; prayer; and need.
In regard to "dealing with persecutors", there are two major imperatives: bless and do not curse. And under those two imperatives, there are two "controlling imperatives", one of which has three attending participles and the other has four.
The first of those imperatives has to do with "ceasing to think of oneself as superior to others" with three "how to?" attending, explanatory participles, all of which have to do with "thinking". The second of those imperatives has to do with putting God into the "place" of "Avenger" and it is attended by four "how to?" participles which reveal the four major ways to restrain oneself from vengeance.
It is to this second "controlling imperative" that we turn this evening.
- I. The "Controlling Imperative".
- A. Like the first controlling imperative (dealing with thinking about oneself in respect to others), this second one is found at the end of the expressions of "how to?" participles.
- 1. The first was preceded by three mis-translated participles in 12:16.
- 2. This second one is preceded by four mis-translated participles in 12:17-19a.
- B. This second controlling imperative is, according to 12:19b, "give place unto wrath".
- 1. The first issue is "meaning".
- a. The quote from Deuteronomy 32 makes it clear that "the Lord" is claiming the prerogative of vengeance.
- b. Paul's "give place" signals "a place where "avenging" is accomplished.
- c. At issue in both "vengeance" and "wrath" is one principle: lawful retribution.
- 1) In Romans 2:5, Paul refers to "the day of wrath" and calls it "the revelation of the righteous judgment of God".
- 2) In Romans 4:15, Paul says pointedly that "the Law brings about wrath".
- 3) And in Romans 13:4-5, Paul describes civil authority as "God's avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil".
- d. Thus, Paul's imperative, "give place unto wrath" is a command to let God take His seat in the place of wrath instead of oneself, who "gives" up that "place" to God.
- 2. The second issue is "method".
- a. There are four preceding participles connected to this issue of letting God be the One Who dispenses "retribution for evil done".
- b. These four participles all indicate active practices which put God in "the place of wrath".
- 1) The first is "giving from" (apodidontes).
- a) The "from" indicates "oneself" and signals a "giving" that arises out of one's own resources.
- b) The "giving" is the same verb as in the main verb in 12:19's "give place to the wrath".
- c) This "giving from" is "to no one": it is a restriction.
- d) The occasion of the "giving from/to" is after "evil" (intentional harm) has been inflicted and "evil" is being pondered as "payback".
- e) Thus, the first "methodological" participle indicates a deliberate refusal to "take one's own revenge" (which is the concept of the fourth attending participle in 12:19.
- 2) The second is translated in the NASB "respect what is right".
- a) The word translated "respect" is only found in three texts of the New Testament (Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; and 1 Timothy 5:8).
- i. It is a composite word made of the preposition "before" ("pro") and the verb "think" ("noeo" (the activity that arises from "nous", the "mind")).
- ii. While continuing Paul's focus upon the way men "think" in light of his "transformation by the renewing of the mind (nous), Paul adds the idea of coming to a mental conclusion before the present time so that it is now a settled way of thinking.
- b) The "what is right" (kalos) is directly connected to the basic commitment of unhypocritical love to what is "good" (agathos) in Romans 7:12-19 where "right" (kalos) is presented as the moral necessity that arises out of "good" (agathos).
- c) This "what is right" is "qualified" by "in the sight of all men".
- i. This means "consensus-good" within the culture(s) of men, understanding that not all "consensus-good" is actually "good" (as abortion is viewed today).
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ii. The point: not deciding to deride or violate what the culture views as "good" with the caveat above involved (illustration from 1 Corinthians 11:6).
- d) Thus, the second "methodological" participle indicates a commitment to not being deliberately offensive to the culture in so far as possible (which is the concept of the third attending participle in 12:18).
- 3) The third is "being at peace with all men as much as possible".
- a) As pointed out above, this is essentially the same as the second participle.
- b) Thus, we have ABb.
- 4) And the fourth is "not taking one's own revenge".
- a) As pointed out in the above material about the first participle, this is a repetition of the essence of that first participle.
- b) Thus we have ABba as a form of emphasis where Paul is insisting that the "method" for "giving God the place of 'Executor of Wrath'" is accomplished by ABba.
