Romans 12:8

or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality [Exhortation is addressed to the feeling as teaching is to the understanding. It is used to stir or excite people, whether of the church or not, to do their duty. As endowed or spiritually gifted Christians of that day spoke with tongues (1 Cor 12 and 14), both the teacher and the exhorter would be properly classed as among the workers of miracles. After mentioning the exhorter, Paul drops the word "or" (eite), and thus seems to make a distinction between the workers of miracles whom he has been admonishing, and the class of workers who follow, who evidently had no miraculous power whatever. "Liberality" (haplotes) signifies "the disposition not to turn back on oneself; and it is obvious that from this first meaning there may follow either that of generosity, when a man gives without letting himself be arrested by any selfish calculation; or that of simplicity, when he gives without his left hand knowing what his right hand does--that is to say, without any vain going back on himself, and without any air of haughtiness" (Godet). The word may be correctly translated objectively "liberality" (2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 9:11; 2 Corinthians 9:13; James 1:5); but, used subjectively and more naturally, it signifies singleness of purpose, simplicity, sincerity (Matthew 6:22; Luke 11:34; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22). The latter meaning is clearly indicated here by the context,* for Paul is rebuking ostentation (comp. Matthew 6:1-4) and enforcing humility, sober self-thought, subjective investigation, simplicity. The giving was to be with honesty of aim, without ulterior or personal or selfish motive]; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. [Whether they ruled as elders and deacons in the church, or as parents at home (1 Timothy 3:3-5; 1 Timothy 3:12), they were to do so with a spirit of zealous attention to the work entrusted to them, not with a vainglorious desire to lord it, or to exalt or enrich themselves (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Timothy 3:12; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4). Showing mercy is probably best defined at Matthew 25:35-36. Paul here directs that these acts be performed with cheerfulness. The context shows that he means inward joy, not outward simulation of it; for the whole passage is subjective, not objective. (Comp. 2 Corinthians 9:7) Cheer, like love, must be without hypocrisy, for the one showing mercy has the better end of the blessing (Acts 20:35). The purpose of the entire passage is to enforce the spirit of contented humility upon Christians in all their actions, lest those having superior gifts be thereby betrayed into pride and self-exaltation, and those having inferior gifts be seduced by envy to fall into bitterness of spirit or idleness. "In the school of Christ," says Leighton, "the first lesson of all is, self-denial and humility; yea, it is written above the door, as the rule of entry or admission, 'Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.'"]

* We are decidedly averse to criticizing or correcting the text of the English Revised Version, not wishing to breed suspicious unrest in the minds of its readers. But we can not but feel that occasionally the translators yield to the strong temptation to choose the English word which can be understood at once without the aid of the commentator, whether it conveys the shade of meaning desired by the Scripture writer or not. (Compare note on "spiritual," Romans 12:1.) In such cases we have pointed out the looseness of the translators. "Give much!" is the urgent cry of this age, and it is thoroughly Scriptural; but the Spirit, speaking through Paul, also said, "Give in simplicity"--i. e., in meekness--and the command must not be lost sight of, simply to effect an easy translation. Perhaps this age needs the latter command more than the former; for, as Caryl observes, "you must rather bring your graces to the touchstone, to try their truth, than to the balance, to weigh their measure."