Romans 12:17–21

Context

The passage falls within the hortatory section of Romans, the letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome. Having expounded the gospel and salvation in chapters 1–11, Paul turns in chapter 12 to how those who have received that grace ought to live. These verses conclude the section that begins at 12:9, "Let love be without dissimulation." Verse 19 quotes Deuteronomy 32:35, and verse 20 quotes Proverbs 25:21–22. Chapter 13, which immediately follows, deals with governing authorities; Romans 13:4 describes the ruler as God's minister who executes wrath upon those who do evil.

Interpretation

• As a prohibition of private retaliation: Most commentaries read the passage as instructing those who have been wronged not to take revenge themselves but to leave judgment and retribution to God. They understand it as continuous with Jesus' teaching on love for enemies in the Sermon on the Mount.
• "Coals of fire" as repentance: On this reading, an enemy who is treated with kindness feels shame and has a change of heart. This interpretation has long been widely accepted.
• "Coals of fire" as judgment: On this reading, an enemy who receives kindness yet does not turn will incur a heavier judgment. Critics object that this does not fit verse 21, "overcome evil with good."
• As connected with a penitential rite: Some scholars link the Proverbs text to records indicating that in ancient Egypt a person carried a vessel of burning coals on the head as a sign of penitence. Whether the evidence for this is sufficient, however, remains debated among scholars.

Debates and Issues

• Personal retaliation and state punishment: The peace churches of the Anabaptist tradition cite this passage, along with the Sermon on the Mount, as a basis for nonviolence and nonresistance. Mainstream Protestant traditions such as the Lutheran and Reformed churches distinguish between the personal, private retaliation forbidden in chapter 12 and public punishment, which according to chapter 13 God has entrusted to the state. This distinction resurfaces in debates over war and capital punishment.
• Translation: Translated literally, the original text of verse 19 reads "give place to wrath," without specifying whose wrath is meant. The Korean Revised Version rendered it "leave it to wrath," while the New Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Standard Version add "of God," making explicit that God's wrath is meant.
• Citation out of context: Critics note that the passage has been used to demand silence and forgiveness from victims. In cases such as sexual violence in the church in particular, they contend that it must not be used to obscure justice or the restoration of victims.

In the Korean Church

The passage is often used as a sermon text on forgiveness and love for enemies. Verse 21, "overcome evil with good," is also widely used as a motto and memory verse. When illustrating love for enemies, preachers often cite the example of Pastor Son Yang-won, who adopted as his son the man who had killed his two sons.

Related Passages

• Matthew 5:38–42
• Luke 6:27–36
• 1 Peter 2:23
• Romans 13:3–4
• Proverbs 25:21–22