the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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Christian Standard Bible ®
Romans 12:21
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Don't give in to evil. If you want to come out on top, conquer evil with all things good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil by good.
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with goodness.
Be not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with good.
Be not ouercome with euell, but ouercome thou euell with good.
be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.
Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome of evyll: But overcome evyll wt goodnes.
Don't be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome by the evil, but overcome, in the good, the evil.
Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Bee not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnesse.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
Let not evil overcome you, but overcome evil with good.
Be ye not overcome by evil; but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
Do not let sin have power over you. Let good have power over sin!
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not overcome by evil: but overcome evil by good.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Be not ouercome of euyll, but ouercome euyll with good.
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.
Nyle thou be ouercomun of yuel, but ouercome thou yuel bi good.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Proverbs 16:32, Luke 6:27-30, 1 Peter 3:9
Reciprocal: Genesis 50:21 - I will nourish Numbers 12:13 - General Numbers 16:47 - and ran 1 Samuel 24:17 - thou hast 1 Samuel 25:21 - he hath requited 1 Samuel 30:11 - gave him 2 Samuel 19:43 - the words 1 Kings 13:6 - besought 2 Kings 6:22 - set bread 2 Chronicles 28:10 - not with 2 Chronicles 28:15 - gave them Proverbs 25:21 - General Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Matthew 5:44 - General Matthew 18:15 - thou hast Matthew 18:22 - but Luke 9:56 - And Luke 22:51 - And he John 5:34 - that Romans 12:14 - General Ephesians 4:32 - forgiving
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Be not overcome of evil,.... Neither of the evil one, Satan, who is very busy to stir up the corruption of nature to an hatred of enemies, and to seek revenge; but give no place nor heed unto him, resist him, and he will flee from you, James 4:7; "put on the whole armour of God", Ephesians 6:11, whereby you may defend yourselves, that he cannot touch you: nor of the evil of sin that dwells in you; "for whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage", 2 Peter 2:19; nor of the evil of the man that has done you an injury, as you will be, if you return evil for evil, or take any steps and measures to avenge yourselves; for then not you, but he that has done you the wrong, will be the conqueror:
but overcome evil with good; overcome the evil man, and the evil he has done you, by doing good to him, by feeding him when hungry, by giving him drink when thirsty, by clothing him when naked, and by doing other offices of kindness and humanity to him; which is most likely to win upon him, and of an enemy to make him your friend: and if not, however it will show that you are conquerors, yea, "more than conquerors", Romans 8:37, through the grace and strength of him that has loved you, over Satan, over the corruptions of your own hearts, and over the malice and wickedness of your enemies.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Be not overcome of evil - Be not “vanquished” or “subdued” by injury received from others. Do not suffer your temper to be excited; your Christian principles to be abandoned; your mild, amiable, kind, and benevolent temper to be ruffled by any opposition or injury which you may experience. Maintain your Christian principles amidst all opposition, and thus show the power of the gospel. They are overcome by evil who suffer their temper to be excited, who become enraged and revengeful and who engage in contention with those who injure them; Proverbs 16:22.
But overcome evil with good - That is, subdue or vanquish evil by doing good to others. Show them the loveliness of a better spirit; the power of kindness and benevolence; the value of an amiable, Christian deportment. So doing, you may disarm them of their rage, and be the means of bringing them to better minds.
This is the noble and grand sentiment of the Christian religion. Nothing like this is to be found in the pagan classics; and nothing like it ever existed among pagan nations. Christianity alone has brought forth this lovely and mighty principle; and one design of it is to advance the welfare of man by promoting peace, harmony, and love. The idea of “overcoming evil with good” never occurred to people until the gospel was preached. It never has been acted on except under the influences of the gospel. On this principle God shows kindness; on this principle the Saviour came, and bled, and died; and on this principle all Christians should act in treating their enemies, and in bringing a world to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. If Christians will show benevolence, if they will send forth proofs of love to the ends of the earth, the evils of the world will be overcome. Nor can the nations be converted until Christians act on this great and most important principle of their religion, “on the largest scale possible,” to “overcome evil with good.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil — Do not, by giving place to evil, become precisely the same character which thou condemnest in another. Overcome evil with good - however frequently he may grieve and injure thee, always repay him with kindness; thy good-will, in the end, may overcome his evil.
1. THOMAS AQUINAS has properly said: Vincitur a malo qui vult peccare in alium, quia ille peccavit in ipsum. "He is overcome of evil who sins against another, because he sins against him." A moral enemy is more easily overcome by kindness than by hostility. Against the latter he arms himself; and all the evil passions of his heart concentrate themselves in opposition to him who is striving to retaliate, by violence, the injurious acts which he has received from him. But where the injured man is labouring to do him good for his evil - to repay his curses with blessings and prayers, his evil passions have no longer any motive, any incentive; his mind relaxes; the turbulence of his passions is calmed; reason and conscience are permitted to speak; he is disarmed, or, in other words, he finds that he has no use for his weapons; he beholds in the injured man a magnanimous friend whose mind is superior to all the insults and injuries which he has received, and who is determined never to permit the heavenly principle that influences his soul to bow itself before the miserable, mean, and wretched spirit of revenge. This amiable man views in his enemy a spirit which he beholds with horror, and he cannot consent to receive into his own bosom a disposition which he sees to be so destructive to another; and he knows that as soon as he begins to avenge himself, he places himself on a par with the unprincipled man whose conduct he has so much reason to blame, and whose spirit he has so much cause to abominate. He who avenges himself receives into his own heart all the evil and disgraceful passions by which his enemy is rendered both wretched and contemptible. There is the voice of eternal reason in "Avenge not yourselves: - overcome evil with good;" as well as the high authority and command of the living God.
2. The reader will, no doubt, have observed with pleasure the skill and address, as well as the Divine wisdom, with which the apostle has handled the important subjects which he has brought forth to view in the preceding chapters. Nothing can be more regular or judicious than his plan of proceeding. He first shows the miserable, wretched, fallen, degraded state of man; next, the merciful provision which God has made for his salvation, and lastly, the use which man should make of the mercies of his God. He shows us, in a most pointed manner, the connection that subsists between the doctrines of the Gospel and practical piety. From the beginning of the first to the end of the eleventh chapter he states and defends the grand truths of Christianity, and from the beginning of the twelfth to the end of the epistle he shows the practical use of these doctrines. This is a point which is rarely considered by professors; multitudes run to the Epistle to the Romans for texts to prop up their peculiar system of doctrine, but how few go to this sacred book for rules relative to holy life! They abound in quotations from the doctrinal parts, but seldom make that use of them which the apostle makes in this chapter. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, &c." Now we learn from the use which the apostle makes of his doctrines, that whatsoever teaching comes from God leads to a holy and useful life. And if we hold any doctrine that does not excite us to labour after the strictest conformity to the will of God in all our tempers, spirit, and actions, we may rest assured that either that doctrine is not of God, or we make an improper use of it. He that knows God best, loves and resembles him most.
