9 Let love be genuine;
hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another
with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not
lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in
hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to
the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who
persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those
who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one
another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be
wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take
thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible,
so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved,
never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No,
“if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them
something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their
heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In 12:9-21, Paul
discusses the theme of genuine love, both within the church and toward those
outside the church. Too many congregations have established a self-centered
pattern in relation to each other and to the world. They have learned to look
after themselves. Paul offers a vision that should stir its heart and maybe
even the imagination of the world in which we live. Let us consider the
context. Presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, allowing the transformation
of your mind, and aligning your life with the good, and therefore right,
friendly, and wholesome, will of God, will lead Paul to reflect upon
interpersonal relationships within and outside the body of Christ. The same
“body” that is at war in Romans 7-8 is now at peace in relationships, not
because one focuses on individuality, but because one focuses on their
connection to community. In fact, returning to Romans 7 is helpful because the
struggle there focuses on the ego, that is, the struggle “I” have. In this
passage, one gets far more of a sense of individuals at peace because they have
connected as part of the body of Christ, and therefore has genuine love as a
guide. As part of the body, they have put the conflict described earlier behind
them. One can now experience the peace that passes understanding and allow this
peace to maintain, guard, and protect their lives. The concern in this passage
is that the law of the Spirit of life governs the behavior of the community. In
a sense, this section takes the individual so seriously because it places the
individual in the context of community. Thus, we will need to avoid an
individualistic interpretation of this segment.[1]
Paul now provides tangible instructions for how to be a unified body in the
present age. Paul is moving from a discussion of spiritual gifts to a
discussion of Christian character inspired by love. Love is the necessary component if the fullness of the
spiritual gifts that activates and exercises the Christian community is to
become reality. We find here a collection of wisdom sentences, similar
to the wisdom we find in a book like Proverbs. We might consider them counsels
for Christian living. It will not have a tight and ordered structure. However,
we can think of verse 9 as the general principle of the section of authentic love
that will show itself in hating evil and valuing the good. In a sense, if we
properly grasp love, the other behaviors that Paul considers a matter of wisdom
will naturally follow.
Verses 10-13 mention ten counsels that sum up ways the
congregation can demonstrate genuine love. Mutuality of love and showing honor
is important within the Christian community, as is zeal, passion, and serving
the Lord. The hope they have should bring rejoicing. The community needs to
face suffering with patience. They need to persist in prayer. Hospitality toward
each other as a community is important for a community that views itself as
strangers in a foreign land.
Verses 14-21 seem to shift focus to the obligation
the community toward those who are not part of their community. We become aware
quickly that those outside the community to which Paul is writing are hostile
toward the Body of Christ. Again, we have simple wisdom sentences, reminders of
basic truths they already know. They are to speak well of and pray for those
who persecute them, advice contrary to much of the Old Testament call for
curses upon the enemy. In fact, such advice is hardly the way of the world that
might think of such advice as foolish, futile, and the path of failure. They are
to Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. They are to live in harmony with one another. They are
to avoid the arrogance that causes them to separate themselves from the lowly. I
would suggest that how any of us treats those who might have lower social and
cultural standing reflects who we truly are. We ought not to defer to another because
of race, religion, gender, class, fame, wealth or position. We have no right to
judge others based on such divisions created by various cultures. The cultural
and political institutions, creations of human beings, have no right to
diminish the value of another or bring more admiration to another. I share a
brief story. William Booth
To
conclude, the wisdom Paul offers to the Christian community affects both
members of the community and those outside the community. It begins with
authentic love. Christians owe to each other and to the world this kind of
love. If we broaden our thinking to the context of the argument Paul has made
in Romans, Christians have received the gift of grace and reconciliation in
Christ and therefore are to reflect this peace with God (Romans 5:1) in their
relationships with each other and with the world.[4]
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