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Epiphany · The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Romans 12:16-21

Love

January 25, 2026

The Good Samaritan, Aimé Morot
The Good Samaritan, Aimé Morot, 1880Petit Palais, Paris
Morot puts the whole weight on the animal: the Samaritan is half-hidden, struggling to keep an unconscious man upright, and the horse carries the composition.Romans 12 is a list of instructions about love that is not pretended, and the painting is the part of the parable that is actual lifting.Petit Palais, ParisBuilt for the 1900 World's Fair and kept as the city of Paris's own fine art museum, free to enter.Petit Palais, Paris
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMatt. 8:1-13Mt 8:1-13
EpistleRom. 1:8-17Rom 1:8-17Alt. EpistleRom. 12:16-21Rom 12:16-21
Old Testament2 Kings 5:1-15a2 Kgs 5:1-15a
PsalterPs. 110:1-4Ps 110:1-4

Overview & Insights

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Romans 12:9–21 continues the theme of being a living sacrifice (12:1–2) by loving others. Romans 12:9 and 12:21 form an inclusio for the intervening verses: to love is to avoid evil and cling to good. Although a sequential outline is difficult to identify in 12:9–21, a topical outline does emerge: 1. Love God (12:11–12) 2. Love one’s fellow Christians (12:10, 13, 15, 16) 3. Love one’s enemies (12:14, 17–21)

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Take it further: Romans 12:16-21

Commentary

Commentary on Romans 12:9-21Commentary on Rom 12:9-21 Working Preacher

Lectionary commentary keyed to the exact verse range of this pericope.

Commentary on Romans 12 by Matthew HenryCommentary on Rom 12 by Mt Henry Blue Letter Bible

Classic exposition covering the closing exhortations of the chapter.

Background & Word Study

Romans 12:18-21 CommentaryRom 12:18-21 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse-specific word study on overcoming evil with good.

Romans 12:19 CommentariesRom 12:19 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregates classic commentators on the vengeance-belongs-to-God verse.

The Church Fathers

Romans 12:19 Patristic CommentaryRom 12:19 Patristic Commentary Catena Bible

Fathers on leaving vengeance to God, within this exact verse range.

Homily 12 on RomansHomily 12 on Rom NewAdvent (Chrysostom)

Chrysostom's homily addressing the practical exhortations of Romans 12.

Sermons & Reflections

Romans 12:3-21, God Likes it When We Get AlongRom 12:3-21, God Likes it When We Get Along Enduring Word

A sermon specifically preached on this closing section of Romans 12.

Art & Music

Art in the Christian Tradition Vanderbilt

A curated image index for this reading across the history of Christian art.

Questions preachers ask

How are Christians to treat enemies?

Paul calls the church to live in harmony, to bless and not curse, to leave vengeance to God, and to conquer evil by returning good, feeding even the hungry enemy.

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