02.22. III. The Yielded Life in Fellowship (12: 9-16a).

III. The Yielded Life in Fellowship (Rom 12:9-16 a).

1. Let love be without dissimulation (Rom 12:9). The Revision reads, without hypocrisy, and others translate, Let love be unfeigned. Love is not love unless it be real. This exhortation comes first in the paragraph on Christian communion, for love is the basis of all real fellowship in the body of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is, first of all, love (Gal 5:22).

2. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good (Rom 12:9). The love of evil and the love of good are mutually exclusive passions. Therefore, ye that love Jehovah, hate evil (Psa 97:10). If ye would learn to do well, then ye must cease to do evil (Isa 1:16-17). Good and evil are two masters which no man can serve together (Mat 6:24). Let us not fail to observe the connection in which we find this exhortation; it is preceded and followed by words about love. Our love for one another, then, is not to blind us to the evil that we may see in one another. We are to abhor the evil, even while loving the person in whom we may find the evil. And in such a case we shall be the more faithful in seeking to deliver the person from the evil that entangles him and help him to cleave to that which is good.

3. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love (Rom 12:10). Weymouth reads here, As for brotherly love, be affectionate to one another. It is not enough to love: we ought to demonstrate the love we have toward one another. Demonstrativeness is hateful when true affection is absent; but where love abides it ought to manifest itself.

4. In honor preferring one another (Rom 12:10). This is true humility, or meekness, always the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23). In Eph 5:18-21 the Spirit-filled church is seen, with the members submitting themselves one to another in the fear of Christ (R. V.). William Wye Smith’s Scotch New Testament has it: And be-na ye fou’ wi’ wine, in whilk is riot; but be ye fou’ o’ the Spirit, speakin’ amang yersels in psalms and hymns, and godly sangs, liltin’ and makin’ music i’ yere hearts till the Lord, at a’ times giean thanks for a’ things, i’ the name o’ oor Lord Jesus Christ, till yere God and Eaither. Pittin’ yersels aneath ane anither, in the fear o’ Christ. There is no power in the universe that can produce a picture like that but the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

5. Not slothful in business (Rom 12:11). A wrong translation! The Revisers render the phrase, In diligence not slothful. So also, Young, the Englishman’s Greek New Testament, Grant, and many other translators. Darby reads, As to diligent zealousness, not slothful. Weymouth’s rendering is, Do not be indolent when zeal is required. This is somewhat paraphrastic, but it probably hits upon the true meaning of the passage.

6. Fervent in spirit (Rom 12:11). Lukewarmness has no place in the Christian life (Rev 3:15-16). It is the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much (Jas 5:16).

7. Serving the Lord (Rom 12:11). This is the climax of all that precedes in the entire chapter. Moffatt puts the whole of the nth verse thus: Never let your zeal flag; maintain the spiritual glow; serve the Lord.

8. Rejoicing in hope (Rom 12:12). Rejoicing in the hope is how it is written in the Greek. What is referred to is the hope of the gospel (Col 1:23), the blessed hope of our Lord’s return (Tit 2:11-13).

9. Patient in tribulation (Rom 12:12). This we had in the 5th chapter, with the basis for it. The Christian is able to glory in tribulation: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

10. Continuing instant in prayer (Rom 12:12). For instant, read steadfastly (R. V.). This entire verse also ought to be read together. Conybeare and Howson translate it: In your hope be joyful; in your sufferings be steadfast; in your prayers be unwearied.

11. Distributing to the necessity of saints (Rom 12:13). Distributing is better than the Revisers’ communicating; but the 1911 Bible is better than either: contributing to the necessities of the saints. We are to share what we have with one another and thus relieve each other’s needs (Heb 13:16).

12. Given to hospitality (Rom 12:13). The Greek is pursuing hospitality—running after it. We have here not the usual word for given, and it is not elsewhere in the New Testament so translated. We have the same English expression, given to hospitality, in 1Ti 3:2, but in the original it is merely hospitable—philoxenon, literally, fond of guests. But in the passage now before us in Rom 12:13 it is hospitality pursuing—philo xenian diokentes, literally, running after a fondness for guests—addicted to hospitality as to a strong habit. It is a fine old habit, all the sweeter as it becomes rarer. Let us be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Heb 13:2; Gen 18:3; Gen 19:2).

13. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not (Rom 12:14). This is the principle of Mat 5:44; Luk 6:28; 1Co 4:12. Unnatural, and impossible, except by the power of the Holy Spirit; but this is the way of blessedness.

14. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep (Rom 12:15). This is true sympathy, or fellow-feeling. It is often more natural to weep with weeping ones than to rejoice with rejoicing ones, for this latter form of sympathy is frequently hindered by envy; but in the church which is His body, the organism consisting of His born-again ones, the indwelling Holy Spirit, when unhindered, always produces sympathy among the members of the body; and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it (1Co 12:26).

15. Be of the same mind one toward another (Rom 12:16). The thought is closely connected with that which precedes it. Weymouth translates: Have full sympathy with one another. Darby: Have the same respect one for another. Moffatt: Keep in harmony with one another.

16. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate (Rom 12:16). “Condescend is rejected by Stifler as an unfortunate word:

Condescension has no place in the church. Some render, ‘be carried away with’ the lowly—give yourself to them. The world neglects and despises them; Christ loves them and died for them. There is often more genuine worth and manhood in the alleys than in the avenues; and Christian love goes where love is most needed. It is ‘carried away’ in the service of need. Christ in help to one lowly woman was so ‘carried away’ that He had no desire to eat (John 4:31-32). The 1911 Bible reads: Set not your mind on high things, but go along with the lowly. Wakefield has it: Set not your mind on high things, but be guided by humility.