Bible Questions Answered:
“.....Pastor, what does the verse in
Romans 12:20 mean?”
Henrietta/ Toronto, Canada (Ontario)
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Romans 12:14-21 KJV (Jesus)
14 Bless them which persecute you:
bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do
rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward
another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.
Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for
evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as
lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
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.
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.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.
Jesus, here was
teaching that God is love, and that as His followers, that love is
also to be seen in our lives.
I John 4:8,16
KJV
8 He that loveth not knoweth not
God; for God is love.
16 And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in
love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Vengeance
(Retaliation), Belongs To God, Alone.
Deuteronomy
32:34,35 NLT
34 “The Lord says, ‘Am I not
storing up these things, sealing them away in my treasury?
35 I will take revenge; I will pay
them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster
will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’
Psalm 11:6 KJV
Upon the wicked He shall rain
snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be
the portion of their cup.
Psalm 140:7-10
KJV
7 O God the Lord, the strength of my
salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of
the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt
themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that
compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them:
let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up
again.
Romans 2:4-8 NLT
4 Don’t you
see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does
this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is
intended to turn you from your sin?
5 But because
you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up
terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when
God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 He will judge
everyone according to what they have done.
7 He will give
eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory
and honor and immortality that God offers.
8 But He will
pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who
refuse to obey the Truth and instead live lives of wickedness.
Romans 12:19,20
KJV
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.
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.
II Thessalonians
1:6 NLT
In His justice He will pay back
those who persecute you.
When we as God's
people do good to our enemies, we heap coals of fire on their
heads.
Proverbs
25:21,22 KJV
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give
him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22 For thou shalt heap
coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.
Proverbs
25:21,22 NLT
21 If your enemies are hungry, give
them food to eat If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
22 You will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will
reward you.
Mofat: “In
this way you make him feel a burning sense of shame.”
By our doing good
as our Savior command of us, prayerfully our good works, will
cause the enemies of Christ to suffer pains of guilt and remorse,
leading to repentance.
The truth is, if
our “enemy,” asks of us food, or drink....actually he is in much
more need than just that! An enemy of God, or His people, needs to
find the source of Living Bread, and Living Waters!”
Isaiah 55:1-3
KJV
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth
not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is
good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto
Me: hear, and your soul shall live..."
Concerning an
enemy... Barth “treat him as someone in need.”
The Word:
Isaiah 58:6-11
NLT
6 “No, this is the kind of fasting
I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of
those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the
chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need
them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come
like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you
forward, and the glory of The Lord will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, The Lord will
answer.‘Yes, I am here,’ He will quickly reply. “Remove the
heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading
vicious rumors!
10 Feed the hungry, and help those
in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the
darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 The Lord will guide you
continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your
strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an
ever-flowing spring.
Matthew 5:38-48
KJV
38 Ye have heard that it hath been
said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye
resist not evil (person): but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right
cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at
the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee
to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love
you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren
only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6:27-38 KJV
27 But I say unto you which hear,
Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on
the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy
cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that
asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not
again.
31 And as ye would that men should
do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love
you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which
do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the
same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye
hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to
sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do
good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be
great, and ye shall be the children of The Highest: for He is kind
unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your
Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be
judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye
shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto
you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running
over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that
ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Acts 20:35 KJV
I have shewed you all things, how
that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the
words of The Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than
to receive.
I Thessalonians
5:15 KJV
See that none render evil for evil
unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men.
