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Pentecost Season · Mary's Visitation · Year A

Romans 12:9-16b

Love

May 31, 2026

The Works of Mercy, Pieter Brueghel the Younger
The Works of Mercy, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, c. 1616-1620Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
One village street with all of it happening at once: bread handed down from a doorway, the thirsty given drink, the naked clothed, a prisoner visited through a grating, and the dead carried out at the back.Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.Pieter Brueghel the YoungerBrueghel the Younger, who put the works of mercy into an ordinary street rather than an allegory.Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, AntwerpThe Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelLuke 1:39-57Lk 1:39-57
EpistleRom. 12:9-16bRom 12:9-16b
Old Testament1 Sam. 2:1-101 Sm 2:1-10
PsalterPs. 113Ps 113

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 12:9-16b

Commentary

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

A Luther Seminary commentary on Paul's rapid exhortations for the shape of Christian love.

Romans 12Rom 12 Enduring Word · David Guzik

A verse by verse evangelical commentary on the chapter and its marks of genuine love.

Romans 12 resourcesRom 12 resources Precept Austin

A deep study page gathering word studies, cross references, and many expositors on Romans 12.

Classic commentaries on Romans 12Classic commentaries on Rom 12 BibleHub

A classic aggregator stacking historic verse by verse commentary on Romans 12.

Romans 12, Barnes' NotesRom 12, Barnes' Notes StudyLight

Albert Barnes' notes on the whole of Romans 12, verse by verse.

Background & Word Study

Overview: Romans (Part 2)Overview: Rom (Part 2) BibleProject

An animated overview covering the second half of Romans, including chapter 12.

Romans 12:9 interlinearRom 12:9 interlinear BibleHub

The Greek text of Romans 12:9 word by word with parsing and Strong's numbers.

The Church Fathers

Romans 12, patristic commentaryRom 12, patristic commentary Catena

A verse linked catena gathering patristic comment on Romans 12.

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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