Heaping Coals of Fire
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Heaping Coals of Fire
Heaping Coals of Fire
What does Romans 12:20 mean?
20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Paul now adds to the difficulty of the previous verse. There he wrote that Christians must quit the work of seeking revenge against those who harm us. Why? As God's children, that's our Father's work, and He's better at it than we are. Instead of seeking petty revenge on our own terms, we should leave justice to the omnipotent God of the universe.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
One reasonable way to interpret Paul's command would be as an instruction to avoid and ignore those who harm us. If we can't get even, at least we can stay away from them. However, Paul now reveals that this is not the path of those who follow Christ. Instead, we are called to active, positive, and generous engagement with those who harm us. Rather than simply ignoring our enemies, we ought to seek to do good for them and to them.
This is not meant to be taken as a command to stay in a situation in which someone is actively physically harming us. Retreating from violence or avoiding a physical abuser is not being discouraged here, at all. If we can take steps to avoid future injury, that is the right and wise thing to do. God is not commanding us to welcome any kind of abuse.
Even though we're not being commanded to "embrace" abuse, this is still a hard teaching. In quoting Solomon's words from Proverbs 25:21–22, Paul's description of how to respond to evildoers is galling, even infuriating, at first. At the same time, there is a certain ruthlessness about it, spiritually speaking. We are called to bring down fiery conviction on our enemies by being relentlessly kind in seeing and meeting their basic needs. As we do, two things happen. One, we reflect God's own mercy to us who were once His enemies (Romans 5:10). Second, we show both that we do not deserve to be treated poorly and that we are stronger than those who harm us.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
The description of "heaping burning coals" is a reference to Proverbs 25:21–22. Kindness and forgiveness to those who abuse us, ideally, will make them ashamed of themselves, and hopefully bring them to repent. The strongest, most powerful response to persecution and hatred is to love your enemies.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.
Yes, in biblical times, people often carried coals on their heads, especially when borrowing from a neighbor to reignite their fire. This practice is referenced in Proverbs 25:22, where it symbolizes heaping kindness and doing more than is expected for an enemy, potentially leading to their repentance.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
• Borrowing for Fire:
In ancient cultures, keeping the hearth fire going was crucial for warmth and cooking. If a fire went out, people would borrow live coals from a neighbor, typically carrying them in a container on their head back to their home.
• Egyptian Ritual:
Some interpretations suggest that the phrase may also be related to an ancient Egyptian ritual where individuals would carry a basin of burning coals on their head as a sign of repentance. , according to a Quora post.
• Symbolism in Proverbs 25:22:
This verse states, "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." This phrase suggests that by being kind to an enemy, one would cause them to feel ashamed and hopefully lead to their repentance.
• Beyond the Literal:
The practice of carrying coals on one's head, while a literal act in biblical times, has evolved into a symbolic phrase that emphasizes acts of kindness, generosity, and forgiveness towards even those who have wronged us.
