Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
The church is made up of many different people. Every one of us has our own duty within the church and every one of us is important. I have often been told of the importance of the pinky toe. Strangely enough this very small part of the human body has a big job. Without the pinky toe it is near impossible to walk. It supplies your foot with the balance it needs to support the rest of your body. I think of the ring finger that seems to serve no other purpose than to hold a ring, but without that ring finger typing this up would take a lot longer. There are plenty of other parts of the body that SEEM insignificant, yet are quite important in the whole scheme of things. So what if you are a janitor or if you're just a "seat warmer" in the congregation, people notice you and when you are not there it is like missing your pinky toe, the balance is off.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Love is agape, a giving love, a deep, abiding love. We need to love without hypocrisy, or unfeigned. Hypocrisy is defined as falseness. Do you act in love? Or are you just appearing to act in love? You might be surprised, but it's actually quite easy to tell when someone is doing/saying something from a pure heart and a pure conscience as opposed to someone who is just saying "what they're supposed to." Then it says abhor that which is evil. To abhor is to utterly detest something, in this case that which is evil. I will reference the Greek for the definition of evil 04190 4190 poneros pon-ay-ros' from a derivative of 4192; hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from 2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from 4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e. diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners:--bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness). See also 4191. see GREEK for 4192 see GREEK for 2556 see GREEK for 4550 see GREEK for 4191. Then it says Cleave to that which is good. I just love the Greek when it says it means "to glue" or "to stick". I feel like combining them and saying to stick like glue to that which is good. After a bit of digging I think I found the most proper definition of good as what is right or proper. So stick like glue to what is right (or how about the opposite of evil).
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love (or, in the love of the brethren) ; in honour preferring one another;
To be kindly affectioned is to cherishing one another as Christians (siblings in Christ). In honor (respect) preferring (to lead the way for others) one another. There are two ways you can lead someone, in word only, or in word and in deed. Showing another person respect will leave them more likely to follow the path you are trying to lead them on. Like my mom always says, "You'll win more flies with honey than with vinegar."
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Rejoicing is to be calmly happy or well-off. To hope is to anticipate, usually with pleasure. So rejoicing in hope is to be calmly happy in anticipation (of something good). I love how it says continuing, you can't continue something you haven't started. To continue instant in something is to be constantly diligent (care and perseverence in carrying out tasks), in this case it is prayer.
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Share with others (distribute) to the necesssity (need) of saints (other Christians). Given to hospitality is to pursue kindness in welcoming guests or strangers. This is where it makes me think of where we are told to entertain strangers, because in so doing we are entertaining angels without knowing it.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Speak well of them which oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs. If someone wants to speak evil of you or wish you harm, you are to ask God to bless them. Sure this is hard to do, but it is God's will for us as Christians to speak well of others. Don't you be the persecuter and don't wish bad on other people, you be the one seeking God's blessing for the people that find life so hard to deal with that they have to bring trouble upon you.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
As a preacher once told me to rejoice is to "joy again." So you are joining your joy with the joy of those that are rejoicing. I know when I have good news to share I want to pick up the phone or turn on the computer and let someone know about it. That way I can have someone rejoicing with me. We are also to weep (wail aloud) with those who are weeping. Again, when there is something that just hangs so heavily on my heart that I can't help but let out deep sobs, I want someone there to cry with me. It's the concept of a yoke, two sharing one burden makes the burden feel lighter.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Recompense means to repay, so we are not to repay evil (defined above) for evil. In fact, according to verse 14 we are to repay evil with good. Provide is defined in the Greek as 04306 4306 pronoeo pron-o-eh'-o from 4253 and 3539; to consider in advance, i.e. look out for
beforehand (actively, by way of maintenance for others; middle voice by way of circumspection for oneself):--provide (for). see GREEK for 4253. So we are to consider beforehand what would be honest in the sight of all men. That which is honest is full of integrity. Consider what is honest and if you are going to say or do something that is dishonest, then you are wrong. A wise man once said, "A half truth is a whole lie." So once again we need to think before we act. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. This always a good rule of thumb to remember before doing or saying anything.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Just remember that when this verse says "as much as lieth in you" it really means you should be operating under the power of God. If you are operating in God's power then anything is possible and you can live peacably with everyone. To live peacably, is not only keeping away from doing what would cause strife, but also to help others come to peace in their relationships. You need to be a peace maker and the only way you can make peace is if it is dwelling in you. You get peace from God, you use it in your interactions with other people and you help others to make peace in their relationships. How close is your walk with God? I believe it can be gauged by how actively you seek to have peaceful relationships in your life and how often you help others to bring peace to their relationships.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Has someone done you wrong? What is God's answer? Avenge means to vindicate, retaliate, punish. Here it is saying we are not to retaliate when someone has wronged us, but rather we are to put wrath in it's rightful place. Wrath is defined as violent passion (ire, or (justifiable)
abhorrence). Sure when someone has "done us wrong" we feel that we can justify getting so angry that we lash out, but there should be no such thing to a Christian. Wrath's rightful place is in God's hands. Only God can mete out proper punishment, so don't try to take his place (it doesn't work, look at Satan), just trust him to be faithful.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
An enemy is defined as one who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; a foe. If someone is opposing you then you are not to fight them, you are to reach out to them, meet their needs, assist them in any way possible. I know a lot of people find joy in the end of this verse like, "oooh, if I treat them well that will get 'em." You should not care about the end result, but care about what God wants you to do. He wants you to treat everyone with love, even your enemies (and everyone has got at least one). Look at Christ's own example as he was mocked and slandered, he didn't fight it, didn't try to prove his innocence, he kept his mouth shut until he was on the cross when he said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Don't let evil get the victory, overcome it with good. It really helps, at least in your own heart, to speak blessings to those that curse you. It helps to reach out with good (Scripture) to someone who is being a stinker.
I have really realized in my own life that if I want to keep from letting bitterness settle in I need to get chugging on doing something positive. It has gone a long way to really changing the core of who I am. It can do the same for you. Please just reach out a receive a blessing from God. If you are blessing others, God will bless you. If you are following God's will, he will bless you. It doesn't take much effort to say a kind word or to do something nice for someone else, it just takes a person willing to make the right decision.
God's richest blessings to you all. Jo
