11 in the diligence not slothful; in the spirit fervent; the Lord serving;
this one was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit, was speaking and teaching exactly the things about the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John;
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labour of the love, that ye shewed to His name, having ministered to the saints and ministering; and we desire each one of you the same diligence to shew, unto the full assurance of the hope unto the end,
Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,
The servants! obey the masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to the Christ; not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of the Christ, doing the will of God out of soul, with good-will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men, having known that whatever good thing each one may do, this he shall receive from the Lord, whether servant or freeman.
and because of the abounding of the lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold;
Salute you doth Epaphras, who `is' of you, a servant of Christ, always striving for you in the prayers, that ye may stand perfect and made full in all the will of God, for I do testify to him, that he hath much zeal for you, and those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.
`But I have against thee: That thy first love thou didst leave!
Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another, that ye may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man;
Servants -- to their own masters `are' to be subject, in all things to be well-pleasing, not gainsaying, not purloining, but showing all good stedfastness, that the teaching of God our Saviour they may adorn in all things.
and at the same time also, they learn `to be' idle, going about the houses; and not only idle, but also tattlers and busybodies, speaking the things they ought not;
And we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother disorderly walking, and not after the deliverance that ye received from us, for yourselves have known how it behoveth `you' to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you; nor for nought did we eat bread of any one, but in labour and in travail, night and day working, not to be chargeable to any of you; not because we have not authority, but that ourselves a pattern we might give to you, to imitate us; for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat, for we hear of certain walking among you disorderly, nothing working, but over working, and such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness working, their own bread they may eat;
and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we did command you, that ye may walk becomingly unto those without, and may have lack of nothing.
And he saith, `Remiss -- ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah;
The servants! obey in all things those who are masters according to the flesh, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God; and all, whatever ye may do -- out of soul work -- as to the Lord, and not to men, having known that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance -- for the Lord Christ ye serve;
for he who `is' in the Lord -- having been called a servant -- is the Lord's freedman: in like manner also he the freeman, having been called, is servant of Christ:
and ye yourselves know that to my necessities, and to those who were with me, minister did these hands; all things I did shew you, that, thus labouring, it behoveth `us' to partake with the ailing, to be mindful also of the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against `me';
`And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter!
All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.
The slothful hath said, `A lion `is' in the way, A lion `is' in the broad places.' The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed. The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth. Wiser `is' the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven `men' returning a reason.
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart. And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down. And I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction, A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down. And thy poverty hath come `as' a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!
He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he `is' to a destroyer.
As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So `is' the slothful to those sending him.
Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise; Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler, She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food. Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 12
Commentary on Romans 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The apostle, having at large cleared and confirmed the prime fundamental doctrines of Christianity, comes in the next place to press the principal duties. We mistake our religion if we look upon it only as a system of notions and a guide to speculation. No, it is a practical religion, that tends to the right ordering of the conversation. It is designed not only to inform our judgments, but to reform our hearts and lives. From the method of the apostle's writing in this, as in some other of the epistles (as from the management of the principal ministers of state in Christ's kingdom) the stewards of the mysteries of God may take direction how to divide the word of truth: not to press duty abstracted from privilege, nor privilege abstracted from duty; but let both go together, with a complicated design, they will greatly promote and befriend each other. The duties are drawn from the privileges, by way of inference. The foundation of Christian practice must be laid in Christian knowledge and faith. We must first understand how we receive Christ Jesus the Lord, and then we shall know the better how to walk in him. There is a great deal of duty prescribed in this chapter. The exhortations are short and pithy, briefly summing up what is good, and what the Lord our God in Christ requires of us. It is an abridgment of the Christian directory, an excellent collection of rules for the right ordering of the conversation, as becomes the gospel. It is joined to the foregoing discourse by the word "therefore.' It is the practical application of doctrinal truths that is the life of preaching. He had been discoursing at large of justification by faith, and of the riches of free grace, and the pledges and assurances we have of the glory that is to be revealed. Hence carnal libertines would be apt to infer."Therefore we may live as we list, and walk in the way of our hearts and the sight of our eyes.' Now this does not follow; the faith that justifies is a faith that "works by love.' And there is no other way to heaven but the way of holiness and obedience. Therefore what God hath joined together let no man put asunder. The particular exhortations of this chapter are reducible to the three principal heads of Christian duty: our duty to God t ourselves, and to our brother. The grace of God teaches us, in general, to live "godly, soberly, and righteously;' and to deny all that which is contrary hereunto. Now this chapter will give us to understand what godliness, sobriety, and righteousness, are though somewhat intermixed.
Rom 12:1-21
We may observe here, according to the scheme mentioned in the contents, the apostle's exhortations,