Romans 12.17a-Paul Commands Romans To Continue To Never Pay Back Evil For Evil To Anyone
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday November 17, 2009
Romans: Romans 12:17a-Paul Commands Romans To Continue To Never Pay Back Evil For Evil To Anyone
Lesson # 424
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 12:17.
This evening we will study Romans 12:17, which contains a prohibition and a command and addresses the conduct of Paul’s Christian readers in Rome in relation to the unsaved.
In the prohibition, Paul commands the Roman believers to continue making it their habit of never repaying evil in exchange for evil to anyone.
In the command, the apostle wants his readers to continue to make it their habit of taking into careful consideration words and actions which are considered by all men to be virtuous for the purpose of manifesting these virtuous words and actions through their conduct with the caveat that they are according to the Father’s will.
Romans 12:17, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”
Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Romans 12:19, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord.”
Romans 12:20, “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Let’s look at verse 17 in detail.
Romans 12:17, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”
“Never pay back” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the emphatic negative adjective medeis (mhdeiv$) (may-dice), “never…to anyone” and the nominative masculine second person plural present active participle form of the verb apodidomi (a)podivdwmi) (ap-od-eed-o-mee), “pay back.”
In Romans 12:17, the verb apodidomi means “to repay” and is used with the expression medeni kakon anti kakou, “evil for evil to anyone.”
This verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the substantive use of the dative masculine singular form of the emphatic adjective medeis, “to anyone.”
The emphatic negative adjective medeis is in the emphatic position of this prohibition.
In Romans 12:17, the emphatic negative adjective medeis means “never to anyone.”
So the verb apodidomi and the emphatic negative adjective medeis form a prohibition in which Paul is forbidding his readers from retaliating against those who mistreat them or harm them in any way.
This prohibition expands upon the command issued by Paul in Romans 12:14 to bless those that persecute them and not to curse.
Romans 12:14, “All of you continue to make it your habit to bless those who persecute you. All of you continue to make it your habit to bless and do not curse.”
This prohibition in Romans 12:17 echoes the teaching of the Old Testament.
Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.”
Proverbs 17:13, “He who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.”
This prohibition in Romans 12:17 echoes Paul’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 5:15.
1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.”
It also echoes Peter’s teaching in 1 Peter 3:9.
1 Peter 3:8-9, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
This prohibition in Romans 12:17 echoes the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching (Matthew 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-35).
In Romans 12:17, the verb apodidomi functions as an imperatival participle, which indicates that Paul is commanding his readers that they must continue to never repay evil for evil to anyone.
This is a “customary present imperative,” which denotes that the Roman believers must continue to make it their habit to never repay evil for evil to anyone.
Paul’s statements in Romans 1:8 and 15:14-15 imply that they were obeying this prohibition.
Romans 12:17, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”
“Evil for evil” is composed of the accusative neuter singular form of the adjective kakos (kakov$) (kak-os), “evil” and the preposition anti (a)ntiv) (an-tee), “for” and the genitive neuter singular form of the adjective kakos (kakov$) (kak-os), “evil.”
In Romans 12:17, the adjective kakos is used to describe anything by way of thought, word and action that is produced by the old sin nature and is motivated by indoctrination from the cosmic system of Satan.
Therefore, it refers to any thought, word or action which is contrary to the perfect character and integrity of God.
The adjective kakos describes that which is done against the laws of God and in opposition to Him.
The first time kakos appears in Romans 12:17 it is used of the evil that might be contemplated by Paul’s readers against their enemies whereas the second time it appears the word refers to the evil exercised towards Paul’s readers by their enemies.
The second time that the word appears it is used as the object of the preposition anti, which denotes the concept of retribution.
The preposition indicates that Paul is forbidding his readers from practicing evil against their enemies “in exchange for” the evil practiced by their enemies against them or in other words he is forbidding the practice of revenge by his readers.
The practice of revenge is forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 24:29; 1 Thess. 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9).
The Lord Jesus Christ practiced not retaliating against His enemies (1 Peter 2:23) and rebuked His disciples for their desire to practice it since it was inconsistent with the character and nature of God (Luke 9:54-55).
The Word of God teaches that revenge motivation proceeds from a spiteful heart (Ezekiel 25:15-17; Amos 1:11-12).
Revenge was practiced by Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34:25), Samson (Judges 15:7-8; 16:28-30), Joab (2 Samuel 3:27), Absalom (2 Samuel 13:23-29), Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2), Ahab (1 Kings 22:27), Haman (Esther 3:8-15), the Edomites (Ezekiel 25:12), the Philistines (Ezekiel 25:15), Herodias (Mark 6:19-24), the chief priests (Acts 5:33) and the Jews (Acts 7:54-59; 23:12).
James and John asked the Lord Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down from heaven against a Samaritan village which did not welcome Him and they were rebuked by Him for it (Luke 9:54).
Obedience to this prohibition in Romans 12:17 demands that Paul’s readers be magnanimous and forgive their enemies as God forgave them through Christ.
Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”
“Gentle spirit” is the articular nominative neuter singular form of the adjective epieikes (e)pieike\$), which denotes one who is magnanimous in their behavior and is related to forgiveness.
The New Universal Unabridged Dictionary lists the following definitions for the adjective magnanimous: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous towards one’s enemies. (2) High-minded; noble: a magnanimous king (3) Proceeding from or revealing nobility of mind, character, etc: a magnanimous love of justice.
If we paraphrase this definition and apply it to the Christian, we would say that the he must be: (1) Generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness especially towards one’s enemies. (2) High-minded; noble (3) Possessing nobility of mind, character, having a magnanimous love of justice.
Our Lord’s magnanimous behavior was demonstrated during His First Advent by the manner in which He demonstrated the quality of being generous in forgiving insults and injury without being pettily resentful or vindictive.
Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive all of them, for they know not what they are doing.’”
Since the believer is the object of God’s forgiveness, he is obligated to forgive his fellow believer in the same manner as God in Christ has forgiven him (Ephesians 4:30-32; Colossians 3:12-13).