Romans 12:9

[In the last section we were told that spiritual and remarkable gifts are to be exercised in humility. This section deals with the ordinary and natural gifts, and is therefore addressed to the whole church. It shows that these ordinary, natural gifts or faculties are to be employed in harmony with the other Christian graces and virtues, the principal or basic one of which is LOVE. Therefore we may roughly subdivide the section as follows: 1. The faith-life showing love to the friendly or Christian (Romans 12:9-16). 2. The faith-life showing love to the unfriendly or unchristian-- Romans 12:17-21] Let love be without hypocrisy. [The apostle opens this section with a call for pure, genuine love, for it is the common or fundamental element of all the virtues of which he is about to write. This love must be unfeigned (2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:18). The heart must really feel that measure of affection to which the conduct bears testimony. The Christian must not bear himself "like Judas to Christ, or Joab to Abner: a kiss and a stab"--Johnson.] Abhor [literally, "abhorring"] that which is evil; cleave [literally, "cleaving"] to that which is good. [The participles relate grammatically to "love" as their subject, and explain the two main ways in which an unfeigned love is required to operate. Love is not up to the required standard unless it abhors evil and cleaves to (literally, glues itself to) that which is good. "What a lofty tone of moral principle and feeling is here inculcated! It is not, Abstain from the one and do the other; nor, Turn away from the one and draw to the other; but, Abhor the one and cling with deepest sympathy to the other" (Brown). Objectively it must hate evil even in the character of a loved one, and not fall into Eli's sin (1 Samuel 3:13); and it must cling to the good, even in an enemy, and rejoice to increase it. Otherwise love is mere selfishness. "There are," says Lard, "many Christians, and among them many preachers, who oppose evil, it is true, but they do it so faintly as virtually to countenance it. They will not publicly endorse evil; but they will rather go quietly home, or get out of its way, and leave it to riot unrebuked. They do not abhor it.... These men are not obeying Paul." Subjectively the Christian's love will make him abhor in himself all retaliatory and revengeful promptings, all injurious and malicious mental suggestions against his enemy, and will hug to his heart every kind and generous and benevolent impulse, whether entertained toward an enemy or a friend. This general love toward all is next specialized, and love toward members in the church is thus described.]