Teachers: this lesson's objective is to allow Paul to teach us that people who climb on the altar do not seek revenge. Because we experience God's mercy, Christians are a people devoted to the peace made possible by mercy. Since God does not respond to us with justice, we do not respond to others with justice. To prepare yourself mentally and spiritually for this lesson, (1) Focus on Paul's emphasis and perspective in Romans 12:17-20. (2) Refresh your understanding by reading 2 Timothy 2:24-26 [Remember Paul wrote this statement as he approached his death. He was concerned about the continuation of his ministry after his death]. (3) Remember Jesus' example given the last day of his earthly life.
The principle of "pay back" is internationally understood. It is an ancient principle acknowledged in Deuteronomy 19:15-21. It is the principle of "getting revenge." "If you cause me problems, I will find occasion to cause you problems." "If you cause me suffering, I will find occasion to make you suffer."
Everyone knows the principle of revenge [the principle of "getting even," or the principle of justice]. In any society, people who recognize the standards endorsed by a law code function on concepts of justice. Few in any society function on concepts of mercy. In America, Christians are thoroughly influenced by American culture. Often we fail to be "the community of believers who function on mercy."
"Pay back" or "revenge" gives life to threats. People who endure suffering caused by the intentional evil acts of others often make threats. The threats are made because the sufferer wants revenge. A distinctive characteristic of Jesus occurred when he was unjustly executed. Jesus had the power to make threats happen. Yet, when he suffered as he died, he made no threats (1 Peter 2:23).
Remember Jesus' silence as he endured gross injustice during his night trial (Matthew 26:57-64). Jesus was silent before unjust accusations. He spoke only once. An official oath was administered, and he was ordered to speak. Mercy controlled the life and sacrifice of our Lord. Even in the most trying moment, mercy [not justice] ruled his conduct.
Genuine love destroyed the emotions and mentality that wanted revenge. Realizing their dependence on God's mercy, Christians in Rome were to destroy the hostility that existed among themselves. They were to replace that animosity with genuine love for each other. The combination of dependence on God's mercy and genuine love for each other would produce another result. Awareness of God's mercy combined with mutual love destroyed desires for revenge on enemies. Becoming people who lived in peace with each other also made them people who wanted to live in peace with all people.
In context, Paul did not give them an easy instruction. In their situation's context, Paul's instruction was quite difficult. However, Paul's instruction addressed the problems. The combination of mercy and love could change behaviors in urgently needed ways.
Past events and soon to be events could create desires for revenge. For Jewish Christians, Claudius' order to leave Rome was more than a minor inconvenience. Given their national history, given Rome's control of Palestine, given Israel's loss of independence to the Roman empire, Rome was deeply resented by most Jewish people. When Claudius forced Jews (including Jewish Christians) to leave Rome, his act certainly did not improve their attitude.
Being a "community of believers who functioned on mercy" was as demanding for them as it is for us.
Nero became Roman emperor after Claudius. During his first five years, Nero ruled well. His mother's involvement and interference motivated Nero to murder her in A.D. 59. Through carelessness and extravagance, he exhausted government funds. To replenish those funds, he used violence and oppression. Additionally, he was suspected of setting a massive fire in Rome. The fire destroyed buildings that prevented Nero from building a palace he wanted. To shift blame and suspicion from himself, Nero accused Christians of causing the fire. The fact that Christians could be blamed serves as evidence in two situations. (1) Christians were unpopular in Rome. (2) Existence likely was difficult for Christians in Rome.
Though Christians in Rome lived under difficult conditions, they were not to fight evil by using evil. They could not achieve God's purposes by fighting evil with evil. They would achieve God's purposes through merciful behavior that responded to evil by doing good.
As they lived in an environment of abuse and suspicion, Paul urged these Christians to conduct themselves by accepting three principles. (1) Never pay back evil for evil. No evil act can be justification for Christians using evil to respond to evil.
Any person's [man, woman, or teen] natural reaction is to fight evil and injustice in any possible manner. Our society [and most societies] accepts victimization by evil as justification for revenge. Merciful responses to evil's victimization is not respected in most societies. Justice is strength. Mercy is weakness. God's view and human views rarely agree. God sees human events in two contexts: (1) the context of what He did and does through mercy and (2) the context of eternity. Too rarely are humans aware of the direct benefits of God's mercy. Humans tend to see everything in the context of "now."
Understanding that they should not use evil to oppose evil was not enough. (2) Not only did they refuse to use evil, but they also respected right. Only one Christian response was appropriate to those who caused suffering through evil acts. Respect what was right. Paul said, "Do not just use your perspective to determine what is right. Respect what everyone recognizes to be right." They must not lose their commitment to what was right because they lived in an evil environment. They respected what was right even if it seemed that evil prevailed.
Often Christians believe great spiritual accomplishments are achieved when they refuse to oppose evil by using evil. From God's view, refusing to fight evil with evil is good, but it only fulfills half of God's desire. God wants Christians to go further, just as He does. God wants Christians to do what is right, respect what is right, even as evil victimizes him or her.
Why would they adopt these concepts, attitudes, and behavior? Why would refusing to do evil and respecting what was right become important? They were responding to God's mercy. Their existence formed around God's mercy. God's mercy gave them Jesus' blood, the resurrection, forgiveness through Jesus' atonement and redemption, existence as God's children, and an inheritance after death. Using a word in Paul's letter to Christians at Rome, God's mercy gave them salvation. Realizing their unworthiness of God's mercy caused them to become a people of mercy. Merciful people never use evil to respond to evil. Merciful people respect right. Who defines evil and right? The merciful God defines evil and right.
Responding to evil as Paul instructed is possible when a Christian is aware of and understands God's mercy. Only when a Christian realizes God's incomprehensible mercy will he or she respond to evil with mercy. When we realize God responded to our evil and the world's evil with mercy, we will be motivated to respond to evil with mercy.
These principles produce a third commitment. (3) They are committed to live at peace with everyone, not just each other. They could not be at peace with everyone because some people would not live at peace with them. When peace did not exist, the absence of peace would not be their fault. They did what they could to make peace possible.
Paul wanted Christians in Rome to commit to lives of peace in a hostile environment. They were to seek to be at peace with everyone, even their most devout enemies.
God's mercy motivated them to mature in their faith. They did not need to seek revenge. They needed to trust God. Let God's wrath care for vengeance. (1) God's mercy wanted to save those who did evil just as God's mercy wanted to save them. If God's mercy could save evil doers by leading them to Christ, so be it. When evil doers became brothers and sisters in Christ, the problem could be solved. (2) There is no injustice, no mistake, and no wrong motives when God's wrath takes vengeance. In revenge, humans frequently resort to using evil to oppose evil. God never opposes evil by doing evil. While God's retribution is certain for those who refuse His merciful forgiveness, God's vengeance is a just response of God's righteousness.
Returning good for evil is a faith matter. Refusing to fight evil with evil is a faith matter. The Christian trusts God to take perfect vengeance, to administer perfect justice. The Christian does not want anyone to receive God's justice. The Christian wants everyone to experience God's mercy (as he or she has). The Christian can respond to evil with mercy instead of vengeance because he or she trusts God.
Faith in God's mercy produced faith in God's vengeance. Those who lived in God's mercy wanted no one to experience God's wrath. They trusted God's mercy, and it changed their lives. They trusted God's vengeance, and it changed their lives.
The Christian is merciful because God is adequate. God's mercy is adequate to forgive and save. God's vengeance is adequate to hold evil accountable and administer final retribution.
How did it change their lives? The God of mercy made them a people of mercy. They did not exist to defeat their enemies. They did not exist to make their enemies suffer for injustices. They existed to love each other and to be kind to their enemies. When they saw an enemy struggling with a basic life need, they addressed the need. They would give water and food to a thirsty, hungry enemy.
When a Christian understands his or her God-given mission does not include the destruction of his, her, or God's enemies, he or she radically changes life's focus and direction.
Why? Such action was right, and they respected right. What better way existed to declare that prevailing concepts of Christians were wrong? Few believed the words of Christians. Yet, the most avowed enemy could not ignore consistent lifestyles devoted to peace and good. The way they treated those who abused them was far more eloquent than anything they said.
It is extremely important to understand, by God's standards, it is right to return good for evil. Responding to evil by doing good as we exist in evil environments powerfully demonstrates the contrast between a community of believers owned by God and secular culture. Providing a powerful contrast was the purpose for Christians returning good for evil as they lived in Rome's evil environments.
QUESTIONS
Those Christians lived in a pagan environment that often caused them actual suffering [not mere inconvenience] in daily existence. Examples: Claudius' expulsion and Nero's accusations against Christians.
American Christians live in a secular culture that influences every aspect of life. In our life environment, we often encounter evil and hostility in daily existence. In America, it is almost "reflex reaction" to (1) address unjust occurrences by seeking justice or (2) seek to "make someone pay for what happened to me." Just as first century Christians living in Rome, we find it neither easy nor natural to respond to evil with mercy.
People everywhere desire "instant rectification." They want the evil to stop "now." In every age, people characteristically like "to take matters in their own hands" when opportunity presents itself. "Trusting God to take care of it" could mean waiting until eternity. It could also mean the evil doer is forgiven by God's mercy (if he or she believes in Christ, repents, and makes Christ Lord). Regarding evil inflicted on us, we want to take care of the situation now. It is difficult to trust such matters to God.
We find it difficult for the same reasons. We want evil addressed now. We want retribution to evil doers, not mercy. We want to address the evil rather than trusting God to address the evil.
(a) Even though our evil hurt God, His mercy forgave us. Mercy rescued us from sin and God's angry vengeance. We should have been punished for our evil. Because God gave [and gives] us mercy, we seek to be merciful to those who do evil to us.
(b) Each of us can be at peace with God because His mercy forgives and sustains us. If we are not at peace with God, it is our fault. God wants to be at peace with us, and He has done everything in His power to make peace possible. Because He is our Father, we also want to be at peace with everyone. If peace does not exist, it will not be our fault. God's mercy teaches us how to be a people of peace.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 3, Lesson 4