| Douay RheimsDouay-Rheims Bible -- The New Testament was published at Rheims (1582), the Old Testament at Douay (1609). The Douay Rheims served as the main English bible for the Catholic world for centuries. Bishop Challoner updated it extensively mid-18th century. Biblical scholar Rev. George Haydock compiled a Catholic commentary mid-19th century. This text set is from an approved 1914 U.S. printing. | Haydock CommentaryHaydock Catholic Bible Commentary - based on the Douay-Rheims Bible; originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). |
| 1 I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service. | With this chapter S. Paul begins his second part, in which he gives us most excellent lessons of morality, after which every Christian should aim to form his life, and thus resemble Jesus Christ and his saints. A. — That you present your bodies a living sacrifice. And how must this be done? says S. Chrys. hom. xx. Let the eye abstain from sinful looks and glances, and it is a sacrifice; the tongue from speaking ill, and it is a sacrifice, &c. — Your reasonable service, or worship,[1] from you; nothing being more reasonable, than for men to serve God with their souls and bodies, &c. Wi.
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| 2 And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. | Take care, lest you imitate the practices of worldlings. Let your heart, your ambition, carry you to heaven: ever despise those things which the world admires, that every one may see by your actions that you are not of the society of worldlings, and have neither regard nor friendship for them. Calmet. — Transform yourselves into new men, by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern on all occasions, what is most perfect, most pleasing and acceptable to God. V.
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| 3 For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. | To be wise unto sobriety. Not pretending to be more wise, or more knowing than you are. — As God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. The sense by what follows is, that every one make the best use, for the glory of God, and the good of his neighbour, of the gifts and graces which he hath received together with the faith of Christ; i.e. of prophecy, or the gift of interpreting past prophecies, or of foretelling things to come, of exhorting, of ministering as to those functions which belong to the ministers of the gospel, &c. Wi.
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| 4 For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office: | |
| 5 So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. | |
| 6 And having different gifts, according to the grace that is given us, either prophecy, to be used according to the rule of faith; | |
| 7 Or ministry, in ministering; or he that teacheth, in doctrine; | |
| 8 He that exhorteth, in exhorting; he that giveth, with simplicity; he that ruleth, with carefulness; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. | |
| 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good. | The apostle does not here prohibit that defence, by which a person, either by word or action, preserves himself from injury. This he could not condemn, since he had so often recourse to it himself, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: and in the second to Timothy, he writes: "In my first defence no one was with me." Be he only forbids that revenge which a person takes of his neighbour, by private means, without having recourse to legal authority. Estius.
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| 10 Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood, with honour preventing one another. | |
| 11 In carefulness not slothful. In spirit fervent. Serving the Lord. | |
| 12 Rejoicing in hope. Patient in tribulation. Instant in prayer. | |
| 13 Communicating to the necessities of the saints. Pursuing hospitality. | Communicating [2] to the necessities of the saints. Making them partakers of what you have, by relieving them. Wi.
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| 14 Bless them that persecute you: bless, and curse not. | |
| 15 Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. | |
| 16 Being of one mind one towards another. Not minding high things, but consenting to the humble. Be not wise in your own conceits. | Condescending to the humble, in the spirit of charity and sweetness. See Luke ii. 48. Wi.
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| 17 To no man rendering evil for evil. Providing good things, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. | |
| 18 If it be possible, as much as is in you, have peace with all men. | If it be possible, . . . have peace with all. That is, if it can be without prejudice to truth or justice, &c. And even when others wrong you, seek not to revenge yourselves, but leave your cause to God. Do good offices even to those that do evil to you. Wi.
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| 19 Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. | Give place to wrath. That we do, says S. Chrys. when we leave all to God, and endeavour to return good for evil. Wi.
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| 20 But if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink. For, doing this, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. | Thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. This figurative way of speaking is differently expounded. Some say, inasmuch as by this means thou shalt make him liable to greater punishments from God. Others, as S. Jer. and S. Aug. by coals of fire, understand kindnesses and benefits, which shall touch the heart, and inflame the affections even of thy enemies, which shall make them sorry for what they have done, and become thy friends. Wi.
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| 21 Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good. | This is the apostle's conclusion of the foregoing instructions. Be not overcome by the malice of thy enemy, so as to wish to revenge thyself, without leaving all to the just judgment of God; but overcome his malice by thy kindness. This is complied with, when upon occasion of injuries received we always make a return of kindness, and in proportion as the malice of our enemies increases, our spirit of benevolence should also increase. Estius.
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