Romans 12:9-10

“ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. As to brotherly love, being full of tenderness one toward another; as to honor, each making others to pass before him. ”

In these two verses the apostle speaks of three dispositions, and first, Romans 12:9, of the fundamental feeling, the principle of all the activity about to be described, as well as of the two characteristics which alone guarantee its sincerity: love, in the general sense of the word. There follow in Romans 12:10 two immediate manifestations of love: brotherly love and mutual respect. Without dissimulation, literally, without mask. The heart ought to feel really the whole measure of affection which it testifies. There is also here something of the σωφρονεῖν, self-ruling, the controlling idea of the preceding passage, in opposition to the ὑπερφρονεῖν, self-exalting.

The two following verbs: abhor and cleave, are in the participle in Greek: abhorring, cleaving. These participles relate grammatically to the subject of the verb love, contained in the substantive love. It follows from this construction that the two participles: “abhorring, cleaving,” are intended to qualify the love unfeigned, by reminding us of the characteristics in virtue of which it deserves the title. This is not here a commonplace recommendation to detest evil and love good. Paul means that love is not pure except when it is the declared enemy of evil, even in the person of those whom we love, and that it applies all its energy to labor for their progress in goodness. Destitute of this moral rectitude, which is the spirit of holiness, love is only a form of selfishness.

Vv. 10. The two datives: τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ, τῇ τιμῇ, which we have translated by: “ as to brotherly love,” “ as to honor,” might be regarded as datives of means: by, or in virtue of. But it is more natural to take them as a sort of headings in the catalogue of Christian virtues. They are the well-known categories forming the believer's moral catechism. The article τῇ, (the) precisely characterizes those virtues as supposed present in the heart. The adjective and participle which follow, show how they are to be realized in the life. The word φιλόστοργος, full of tenderness, comes from the verb στέργω, which denotes the delicate attentions mutually rendered by those who cherish one another with natural affection, as parents and children, brothers and sisters, etc. The apostle, by using this term, wishes to give to the love of the members of the church to one another the tender character of a family affection.

The term τιμή denotes the feeling of respect which every believer feels for his brother, as one redeemed by Christ and a child of God, like himself.

The verb προηγεῖσθαι strictly signifies: “to put oneself at the head in order to guide.” Hence may be deduced the meanings: to give example (Meyer), or to anticipate, to be beforehand with kindness (Vulg., Luth., Osterv., Oltram., Seg.), or to surpass (Chrys.). But in all these meanings we should expect from the usage of the language to find the regimen in the genitive or dative rather than the accusative. Erasmus, Hofmann, etc., proceeding on the sense which the simple verb ἡγεῖσθαι often has: to esteem, regard (Php 2:3), translate: “each esteeming others better than himself.” This meaning is evidently forced; but it may be rendered more natural by taking ἡγεῖσθαι in its primitive signification of conducting: “Conducting others before you,” that is to say, making them pass in all circumstances before yourselves.

There follows a second group of three dispositions which are naturally connected with the preceding and with one another.