Picking the flow up with verse 9 of Romans 12, where one of my study Bibles labels this next few passages "Mark of a True Christian." I do so wish that translators would not stick labels on scripture or people for that matter.
Romans 12:9-13 "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope[G1680]; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality." (KJV)
Romans 12:9-13 "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope[G1680], be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." (ESV)
Romans 12:9-13 "Love without any hidden agenda. Utterly detest evil; be glued to good. Take tender care of one another with fondness and affection; esteem one another's unique value. Do not allow any hesitation to interrupt the rhythm of your zeal; capture the moment; maintain the boiling-point intensity of spirit devotion to the LORD. Delight yourself in the pleasure of [1, G1680]expectation; prayer prevails victoriously under pressure. ([1, G1680] elpis, to anticipate, usually with pleasure.) Purpose with resolve to treat strangers as Saints; pursue and embrace them with fondness as friends on equal terms of fellowship. Make yourself useful in the most practical way possible." (The Mirror)
Romans 12:14-21 "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (KJV)
Romans 12:14-21 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (ESV)
Romans 12:14-21 "Continue to speak well even if someone wants to take advantage of you; bless and do not blame when you feel exploited. Do not merely act the role in someone else's gladness or grief; feel with them in genuine joy and compassion. Esteem everyone with the same respect; no one is more important than the other. Associate yourself rather with the lowly than with the lofty. Do not distance yourself from others in your own mind. ( "Take a real interest in others, ordinary people." ) Two wrongs do not make a right. Never retaliate; instead, cultivate the attitude to [1, G4306]anticipate only beauty and value in every person you encounter. ([1, G4306 from G3539] pronoew, to know in advance.) You have within you what it takes to be everyone's friend, regardless of how they treat you. (Look at Romans 1:16-17. Also Matthew 5:44-45.) Do not bother yourself to get even, dear one. Do not let anger or irritation distract you; [1, G1556] that which we have in common with one another (righteousness) must set the pace. Scripture confirms that the LORD himself is the [1, G1557,vindication, wrath, from G1556] revealer of righteousness. ([1, G1556, from G1558 to carry justice] ekdikeo, is from ek, a preposition denoting origin, and dikeo, two parties finding likeness in one another. That which originates in righteousness sets the pace in every relationship.) "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink." These acts of kindness will certainly rid your enemy of the dross in his mind and win him as a friend. (A refiner would melt metal in a crucible and intensify the process by heaping coals of fire on it [Proverbs 25:21-22]. This is good strategy; be sensitive to the needs of your enemies. GOD sees gold in every person. Hostility cannot hide our true value. He won us while we were hostile towards him [Look at Romans 5:8 and 10]. His kindness led us to repentance [Romans 2:4].) Do not let evil be an excuse for you to feel defeated, rather seize the opportunity to turn the situation into a victory for good." (The Mirror)
Now chapter 12 does end at verse 21 but does carry over into chapter 13 to verse7 but I will cut it shrt just here.
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