1. IX. The Demands of Grace (12:1-13:14)
    1. D. Subjection (12:19-13:7)
      1. 1. To God (12:19-12:21)

Calvin (4/30/02)

12:19
It is pride that leads us to seek revenge, a pride that sees no fault in ourselves, but can tolerate no fault in another. Furthermore, to take revenge into our own hands is to take from God what is His alone. When we leave things in God's hands, we can be assured that He will deal with them. When we take them into our own, we can be assured He will leave us to our mess. Footnote: An alternative is suggested that we are called here to yield to the wrathful. This is based on other places where the 'leave room' term is used. (Lk 14:9 - The one who invited you will tell you to give your place to the other man, leaving you to take the last place in disgrace. Eph 4:27 - Do not give the devil an opportunity.) Not only our hands must refrain from vengeance, but our heart as well. It is not always [perhaps not often] right to seek God's revenge upon another, for in doing this, we take from Him His rightful judgeship, and make Him out to be but the executer of our will. Connect it with the previous verse. Our proper action in this case is to pray that our adversary might repent, and so become our friend and brother. (Dt 32:35 - Vengeance and retribution are Mine. In time, they will slip up, for the day of their disaster is imminent, it hastens to overtake them.) All who oppress His people without cause are His declared enemies. They shall not go unpunished. Ours is to depend upon the Lord, and allow Him to be our judge and our deliverer. Again, this verse must be seen in conjunction with the previous verse. We are not being given permission to give up on our enemies immediately, and seek God's swift judgment upon them. No, we are told to pray for them, to seek out God to bring them to repentance. Yet, if they will not repent, God's justice will be upheld by Himself. We can be secure amidst our trials, knowing that He will be just. He cannot be otherwise.
12:20
More than simply holding ourselves back from doing evil, we are told to actively do good towards those who wrong us. To withhold kindness from such is to retaliate, and so we continue to take revenge for ourselves in that circumstance. Note that they are not enemies who have our hatred, they are enemies who hate us. If we are called to bless these enemies by our earthly acts, how can we think it right to attack them spiritually? Such actions in the face of attack cannot but have an impact on the mind of our enemy, whether for good or ill. Whether it bring remorse or simply a greater anger, it will certainly inflame some passion. Footnote: (Pr 25:21-22 - Give your enemy such as he needs. In doing so, you heap burning coals upon his head, for which the Lord will reward you.) The phrase appears to indicate the adding of an intolerable burden, for who can carry around burning coals? This is not a guarantee that the effect will be positive, for human nature is corrupt beyond predicting. Some have suggested that these burning coals must always signify judgment, as they do in other places, but the passage at hand cannot accept such a significance. (Ps 18:13 - The LORD thunders. He utters His voice: hailstones, and coals of fire.)
12:21
If we retaliate, we show ourselves overcome by the evil that opposes us. If we stand firm in treating our opposition well, we show the glorious victory of Christ in a most visible manner. When we attempt to overcome evil with evil, we may indeed outdo our enemy, but in doing so, we have joined him in his devil's work.
 
 
 

Matthew Henry (4/30/02)

12:19
Because this particular exhortation targets the one hot with anger, it is introduced with the gentlest of terms. The breath of love cools the heat of anger. Private revenge is forbidden the believer. This does not in any way bind the hands of the magistrate to set and enforce law, but it does bind the hand of anger. For such acts of anger presume the role of judge, a role we are incompetent to fill in such a state. Only insomuch as the proper offices of the law operate improperly - acting out of the heat of anger, rather than the cool concern for the public welfare - do those offices come under this restriction. (Mt 5:38-40 - You have been taught to seek retribution in kind, but I say do not even resist the evil person, but turn your right cheek to him if he has struck your left. And if one should sue you for the shirt on your back, give him also your coat.) Even the desire for vengeance, even to seek out such retribution as the law would provide is not for us. We cannot give in to our anger, for that is to give in to the devil (Eph 4:26-27 - Do not sin in your anger, don't hold on to it. Don't give the devil that opportunity.) On the other hand, we must yield to the anger of our enemy, don't escalate the issue, but respond with the love of God. (Ecc 10:4 - If the ruler's anger is against you, do not abandon your stand, for composure puts aside great offenses.) Don't meditate on revenge, but on how best to accept the offense without sinning. Give the strong stream its course, for opposition will but make it swell the more. Also, we must leave such matters of vengeance up to God, for they are His to deal with. (Dt 32:35 - Vengeance is Mine. They will fall in time, for their ruin draws near to them quickly.) God is Judge, and His judgments are right and true. He has given a portion of this power to the magistrates. (Ge 9:6 - Who sheds a man's blood, shall have his own shed, for God made man in His image. Ro 13:4 - The magistrate is a minister of God for your good. If you do evil, fear this, for he is not given the sword in vain. No, he is an avenging minister of God upon any who do evil.) If vengeance is God's, it clearly is not ours, and we dare not take from Him what He does not freely give. Nor, do we need to. God will surely fulfill His office. (Ps 38:14-15 - I am as a deaf man, with no argument to make. For my hope is in You, Lord. You will answer, my God.) "If God hears what need is there for me to hear?" Our command is to love our enemy, and do such good as we can for him. (Mt 5:44 - I tell you to love your enemy, and pray for your persecutor.)
12:20
With whatever means we have, we are to show our enemy kindness, and thereby testify to the power of forgiveness. (Pr 25:21-22 - If your enemy hungers, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. By this, you heap coals upon his head, and the Lord will reward you.) Note that this confirms that what Jesus taught was already told on Scripture. In spite of his treatment of us, we are constrained to treat him with love, with all the care we would show our own child. Be reconciled, even if he will not be. Such treatment may bring him to repentance. (1Sa 24:16 - Is this the voice of my son, David? 1Sa 26:21 - I have sinned. David, return. I will not harm you for you have considered my life precious. I have been a fool.) On the other hand, it may simply increase his condemnation, making his actions all the more inexcusable. This cannot be our intention in showing kindness, but it may well be the result.
12:21
We cannot allow evil to provoke us into abandoning our peace or our love. If we cannot bear our injuries, then we are conquered. Patience in the face of wrong will overcome, either by changing the wrongdoer, or by maintaining your own peace.
 
 
 

Adam Clarke (5/1/02)

12:19
Because God has declared that He works all things for the good of those who serve Him, what cause have we to take revenge? It is being worked to our good. We must be as our Lord; come to save, not to destroy. If we take matters into our own hands, we are usurping both civil authorities, and God Himself. Leave it to God, and those whom He has appointed. He will determine how He will repay such violations of His Law, and who are we to be offended, should He allow time for repentance? The Roman church at that time was certainly familiar with unjustified punishments, having been banned from Rome by Claudius (Ac 18:2 - Paul met Aquila, who had just come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because of Claudius' command that all the Jews depart Rome.) It was doubtless from this couple that Paul had become so familiar with the Roman church. By the time he wrote this letter, they had returned to Rome (Ro 16:3 - Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ.) This seems to indicate that the decree of Claudius had been repealed either by himself, or by his death.
12:20
Mercy and kindness we are not to withhold from any man. God continued to keep us fed, clothed, and breathing when we were His enemies. We must do likewise. As God's kindness towards us melted the hardness of our hearts towards Him, so might our actions do to those who attack us. (Pr 25:21-22 - Feed your enemy, and assuage his thirst. Thus you will pile hot coals on his head, and for your kindness, the Lord will reward you.) When metals are purified, coals are placed on top of the metal, as well as below, thus melting the whole, and allowing the pure metal to drip out, free of dross and impurity. Thus, this heaping of coals is intended as an act of kindness, not of evil.
12:21
If we repay evil in kind, we are overcome, and have the same character as our enemy. By reacting in kindness, we take all motive away from our attacker. If we avenge ourselves, we take our enemy's evil into our own heart. Note the skill of Paul's delivery; first showing our poor estate, then God's rich provision for us, and that followed by instruction on how we are to use what God has so graciously provided. The gospel is not left as a philosophical consideration, but is connected to daily life. Godly teaching, godly doctrine, cannot help but lead to holy living. Any doctrine that does not excite us to conform to God's will is either ungodly doctrine, misunderstood, or misused. "He that knows God best, loves and resembles Him most."
 
 
 

Barnes' Notes (5/1/02)

12:19
To be called 'beloved' is to be reminded of peace in itself. Civil infractions are avenged by the magistrate (Ro 13:4 - It is a minister of God for your good. But if you do evil, fear the magistrate, for he is not futile. He is God's appointed avenger, bringing wrath upon the evildoer.) Moral or spiritual infractions are avenged by God. This leaves us with nothing to avenge, unless we would create an infraction of our own by doing so. A spirit of revenge is not to be found in us, although the regular course of civil justice is open to us. We are allowed our civil rights. It would give evil the upper hand to require that a Christian thus abandon his rights. [And yet…] Clearly, God has appointed magistrates for the very purpose of defending the good, and punishing the evil. (1Pe 2:14 - Governors are sent by him to punish evil, and praise those who do right.) Neither Paul nor Jesus gave up their civil rights. (Jn 18:23 - If I have lied, bear witness to the lie. But if I have spoken truly, what cause have you to strike Me? Ac 16:37 - We have been publicly beaten without a trial, although we are Romans. Further, we have been imprisoned, and yet you would send us away secretly? No way! Let them come and bring us out personally! Lev 19:18 - You are not to take vengeance, nor to hold a grudge. You are to love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.) Personal vengeance and vendettas are ruled out. God is our LORD. Leave such matters to Him. If we will love our neighbor as ourselves, we will commit not only ourselves to God, but also the one who wrongs us. (Dt 32:35-36 - Vengeance and retribution are Mine. Their time will come, and come quickly. For the LORD vindicates His people. He has compassion for His servants, knowing their weakness.) If it is God's place to avenge, then it is most improper for us to interfere in that process unbidden. Our acts of anger infringe upon what is rightly God's, [and thereby break the 1st commandment.] If vengeance is truly called for, we may be assured that God will avenge. We are not even to patiently wait for that revenge, we are not to seek it, but to desire that God will do as He knows best, that justice will be served. (2Th 1:6-10 - It is only just that God repay those who afflict you with affliction, and give you relief along with us, when Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. They will deal out retribution to the ungodly and disobedient. Such as they will pay a penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and His glory, when He comes to be glorified in His saints. They will be a cause for all the saints to marvel. Rev 6:9-11 - When He broke the fifth seal, the souls of those slain because of God's word, because of their steadfast testimony, could be seen. They cried out for justice, saying, "How long, Lord, will you hold back from judging, and avenging our blood?" And each was given a white robe, and told to rest a while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants had been killed as well, and so made complete. Dt 32:40-43 - I lift My hand to heaven, and say, as I live forever, if I sharpen My sword, and My hand takes up justice, I will avenge My adversaries, and repay those who hate Me. I will soak My arrows in their blood, and devour their flesh with My sword. Rejoice, o nations, along with His people, for He will avenge His servants, and take vengeance upon His enemies. He will atone for His land and His people.)
12:20
(Pr 25:21-22 - Care for your enemy, and thus soften his heart. For this, the Lord will reward you. Mt 5:44 - Love your enemies, and pray for your persecutors.) Our failure to act in kind against them will be a source of pain to them, although that cannot be our goal. No, for vengeance cannot be our motive, and the pain our actions cause is of a type that may well lead to repentance. By doing good even to our enemies, we promote peace. A man will be brought to repentance not by punishment and vengeance, but by the goodness shown him in spite of himself. (Ro 2:4 - Do you undervalue God's kindness and patience? Don't you see that it is that very kindness of God that leads you to repentance?) Anger and power bring out resistance, but goodness is irresistible. If we will grasp this principle and live it out, the world will surely be at peace soon.
12:21
Against all opposition, maintain Christian principles, and thereby show the power of the Gospel. (Pr 16:22 - Understanding is life to its possessor, but the fool is disciplined by his own folly.) Display the power of kindness, and thus disarm a man of his rage, and return his sanity to him. This idea is unique to the gospel, and without this principle active in our lives we cannot hope to convert the nations.
 
 
 

Wycliffe (5/2/02)

12:19
Rather than taking things into your own hands, give God the chance to work His purpose.
12:20
We are not to treat our enemies any differently than we would our friends, as willing to provide for the need of one as for the other.
12:21
Christian life is a contest, a battle. Paul's call at the close of this chapter is for us to stop being overcome, and to become the overcomers.
 
 
 

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (5/2/02)

12:19
(Ro 12:14 - Bless your persecutors. Do not curse them.) We must be patient, and await God's decision, His working out of the issue which we feel has wronged us.
12:20
(Pr 25:21-22 - Provide for your enemies needs, and in so doing you will heap coals upon his head. For your provision, the Lord will reward you.) This is one of the foundational thoughts for the Sermon on the Mount. Whether these coals are coals of vengeance, or coals of repentance is subject to debate, although in recent history, the church has leaned towards understanding it to be the latter. Context seems to support this view as well.
12:21
To return evil for evil is to be conquered by evil. To refuse to do so is to be victorious over it. The mercy of God in us is the spring of our ability to obey His holy ordinances. (Ro 12:1 - By the mercies of God, present yourselves as holy, living sacrifices, acceptable to God. 1Pe 1:18-19 - You know that your redemption did not come through perishable things like gold, or silver, but with the precious blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus. Heb 9:26b - Now, once and only once, at the right time, He has been made manifest to do away with sin by His own self-sacrifice.) There remains no sacrifice we can make, except the living sacrifice of ourselves. We cannot conform to this world in any degree, for any such conformance saps our spiritual strength, and in the end, having tried to serve two masters, we find no benefit in either service. By the work of the Spirit we were first brought to understand what is good, and only by living in the Spirit, being daily renewed in our minds, can we continue to see the way we should live. Only by His guidance can we avoid the twin rocks of asceticism and syncretism. We are not called to self-sufficiency, but to interdependence upon God, and upon His body, the Church. The gifts He gives us are to be used on behalf of the whole body. The Church functioning in this fashion would certainly draw the admiration of the world surrounding it. (Ro 12:11 - Excel in diligence and be fervent in spirit in serving the Lord.) How would the world look if we would hold this as our object in life? We, the Church, have a long way to go to conform to the characteristics described in the latter half of this chapter, but how beautiful it will be when we do so conform!
 
 
 

New Thoughts (5/3/02-5/4/02)

Mr. Barnes tells us that we are allowed our civil rights, but I have to question that idea. He puts forth Jesus and Paul as examples, showing that they availed themselves of the laws of the land in the course of their lives. I notice though, that neither Jesus, nor Paul sought out these legal recourses, but only required that those charged with jurisprudence follow their own legal procedures.

I believe that we have, by and large, set aside all rights when we have come to Christ. Certainly with regard to our treatment of fellow believers, the instruction is clear: have nothing to do with the courts. But the reasons given for not doing so would seem to apply equally well to cases involving ourselves and those around us. We are told to do all that is within our power to be at peace with all men. We are told not to seek our own revenge, but to leave it in God's hands. How can this concord with a court case? What is the seeking of justice in lawsuit other than to seek revenge?

Clearly, if we find ourselves drawn into legal proceedings, we have a duty to bear such witness as we are called to give truthfully and completely. Where our participation is demanded by the system, we must submit, so long as that participation does not force direct violation of godly principles. But rights? What right has a slave? Ours only is to hear and to obey without question the voice of our Master.

The urge to seek revenge is no more than another face of pride. What reason do we have for seeking revenge, other than a slight upon our character, a wounding of our pride? And that pride which is so easily wounded is at a loss to see anything in ourselves that could possibly justify such an attack. Yet, we are all the quicker to attack exactly the same characteristics in others at the first opportunity. It is our own weakness that most offends us, but we cannot ever seem to see it until it is displayed for us in another's life. Oh, how we will condemn it then! Oh, how angered David was when his sin was described as being another's! Oh, how blind he was when it came to seeing himself as the perpetrator. We need to learn this lesson, and learn it well. Are we constantly offended by somebody? Do we find their behavior reprehensible? Given human nature, this is a clear call that we had best examine ourselves most carefully. Why else the warning to remove the log from our eyes, before we attempt to correct the splinter we see in our brother's eye?

Mr. Clarke brings out a good point in this regard, as well. Scripture tells us that all things are working for the good of those who serve God. We consider ourselves His servants. We claim to be believers. If we truly believe Him, when He tells us that all that we are going through is working for our good, what possible cause can we have for taking revenge on anybody? Will we indeed avenge ourselves on one whose actions are being used for our good? Indeed, we haven't even got reason to complain, never mind seek corrective action! If it is indeed all for our good, what option do we have other than thankfulness? What rights do we need to be demanding, if it's all to our good already? Who needs rights, when their welfare is already the chief concern of their Lord?

God does not need us to uphold His justice. He is perfectly capable. Do we really presume to know better than He? Are we so confident in our Lord that we cannot even allow the Just One to deal justice justly? He has been just with us, yet He has been incredibly merciful in that justice, providing both opportunity and means for our repentance and salvation. In attempting to take justice into our own hands, we never do so with such merciful usage in mind. No, our concepts of justice end at punishment, seeing no hope for a turnaround in the one who has wronged us.

But vengeance is God's. It is His to determine whether such vengeance ought be taken, and it is His to determine how and when such vengeance as is due will be taken. If it is His office, His prerogative, then it cannot be ours. God is a jealous God. He does not share His glory, nor does He suffer it to be shared. The office of Justice is His, and for His glory is it used. We dare not so much as attempt to take of His glory, except as He has freely given. This office, He has not given, but has entrusted to His Son, and to His Son alone.

If this is not yet sufficient cause to avoid attempts at avenging ourselves, consider also that to take such vengeance, being shown to be so sinful, is to take our enemy's evil character upon ourselves. We cannot promote righteousness or justice by seeking vengeance on our own. How can sinful actions promote righteousness? How can it be other than sinful to attempt such a usurping of God's rightful office? Do not be overcome by evil. Don't respond in kind. Don't respond in anything but love, for anything other than that response is a breach of God's command for us, and simply allows sin to overwhelm us once more.

This is a battle we are in. Our enemy seeks to drive us from our position by any means possible, but, being the father of lies, deception is ever in his way. Thus, though the offense seems to be the front line of the battle, the actual battle line is in our reaction. If he can distract us from our own patience, perseverance, and self-control; if he can goad us into retaliation, he has won a small victory at our expense. Cease from this! Discipline yourself, that such temptations to react will no longer have their usual effect. It takes practice. It takes a constant reminder in our minds that this is not the way for us. It takes practice to learn to drive a standard without burning out the clutch. It will require practice for us to learn to walk in Christ in the face of opposition and attack, without responding in kind, and thus giving up the field of honor.

Paul has called us to be living sacrifices, because that is the only acceptable sacrifice that remains to us. We cannot make sacrifices of atonement, for Christ is our atonement. What He has done once and for all, is done. To attempt to redo it would be no better than attempting to take God's justice in our hands. It would be an affront to His glory and honor. When, however, we make of ourselves living sacrifices; when we totally devote ourselves to Him, to His decisions and His usage, we glorify Him to whom we are so dedicated. But such a living sacrifice must subject even his emotions to God. If our emotions are not in subjection to His will, neither will our will be in subjection. Indeed, we will be no living sacrifice at all.

The role of sound doctrine is to promote this subjection to God, to promote conformance to His will, and to excite us to our utmost effort in living in such conformance to His will. There are many today who find in doctrine a bad connotation, who find in theology nothing but dead words. But they are wrong. Bad doctrine is bad. Bad theology is bad. However, we are commanded by the Scriptures themselves to study, we are called to hold to sound doctrine, to seek to know our Lord. What is this but theology, the study of God? How are we to test the spirit of the prophet, if we know not the doctrines of our Lord? How are we to subject ourselves to His will, if we will not learn what His will is?

"He that knows God best, loves and resembles Him most," writes Mr. Clarke. Is this not the goal of our lives, to grow into the fullness of the image of Christ, God's image on earth? How will we know God, if we will not take time with Him, if we will not read what He has revealed of Himself? Paul told us in recent verses to seek to excel at giving honor to others. Think of it as a race, he says, which you wish to win. So it ought to be with us when it comes to knowing and resembling God. This is the only race we will ever enter that matters. We ought to be giving it our all. We ought to be doing all that is in our power to excel at knowing our God and Father, knowing our Lord and Master, knowing what He wills for us to do, and then doing so. For what He wills from us is no less than that which best resembles His own essential character, that by which we cannot help but resemble Him.