Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 2 · Chapter 12 · Section 3 · Subsection 18
18. Quest. Of certaine externall offices of louelove, as in giuing honour one to an other, &c.
v. 10. In giuing honour, goe one before an other. 1. The Apostle taketh away the impediments of brotherly louelove: which is much hindred, when due reuerence and honour is not giuen vntounto those to whome it belongeth: when men see they are neglected and contemned, it breaketh off louelove: as in the Apostles time the Grecians murmured against the Hebrewes, when they saw their widows neglected in the daily ministring, Act. 6.1. whereas on the contrarie, nihil tam facit amicos, &c. nothing so much maketh friends, as when one seeketh in giuing honour to preuent an other, Chrysost. 2. Honour is nothing els but a reuerent opinion (testified by decent outward signes) which we hauehave of ones vertue, dignitie, or desert: so honour consisteth first of an inward, modest, and lowly opinion, which one hath of himselfe, preferring an other before him: Philip. 2.3. In meekenes of minde eueryevery one esteeme other better then himselfe: then this honour must be testified, by outward signes, as the reuerent gesture of the bodie, and by outward helpe, and reliefe, which the Apostle calleth honour, 1. Tim. 5.17. and this honour is due vntounto men for three respects, of their place and dignitie, their vertue and excellent gifts, and their merit and desert. 3. Now we must one preuent an other, in giuing of honour: we must not expect to be saluted first, and then to resalute againe: and this honour here spoken of, must not onelyonly be giuen by inferiours to superiours, but the superiours also must hauehave … respect vntounto the inferiours: and thus animo, in mind, one may preuent an other in giuing of honour, though he can not alwaies performe it opere, in outward act, because of his place, Tolet. 4. Now there are three sorts of men, that faile in this dutie; first they which are rude and rusticall, and know not how to giuegive vntounto eueryevery one his due; then the ambitious, that onelyonly feeke their owne honour; thirdly, such as by their euill manners doe disgrace themselues, and shew themselues vnworthie of all honour. 5. Here there are two extreames to be auoided, the one is of foreign. ambition, in hunting after honour, as Absolon did by his dissembled courtesie: the other is foreign, the declining of all kind of honour, which is nothing els but rusticitie and rudenes, such as was in Diogenes that Cynick: for if all seeking of honour were vnlawfull, then neither by honest actions would men regard to be honoured; which kind of desire of honour the Apostle commendeth, 1. Thess. 4.12. foreign, to contend as it were for honour to be quiet, and to doe their owne busines: Pareus.
v. 11. Not slouthfull to doe seruice, &c. 1. Chrysostome, whome Theophylact followeth, doe referre this to the particular precept of louelove; that we should be readie, not to louelove in the inward affection onelyonly, but to stretch forth manus adiutrices, our helping hands: so also Gualter thinketh that here an other impediment of louelove is remooued, which is to seeke excuses and delaies, dilectio non admittit moram, louelove admitteth no delaies: likewise Pellican and Calvin, that we should praeterita vtilitate nostra, &c. neglecting our owne profit, lend our helpe vntounto our brethren. 2. some yet more particularly restraine it to the former precept of yeelding honour one to an other, Oecumen. so also Lyranus, we should not be slothfull, praestando humilitatem, in shewing humilitie to our neighbours: likewise Erasmus doth interpret it, sedulitatem exhibendi officij, diligence in performing of our dutie. 3. Origen vnderstandeth it of our louelove and dutie toward God; we must not be slothfoll, least any of vsus should heare from the Lord, serve male & piger, O thou euill seruant, and slow: so also Theodoret, Ambrose. 4. But it is better referred generally to the sedulitie and industrie, which eueryevery one should shew in his vocation and calling, both toward God, and our neighbour: so Haymo, velox ad omne opus bonum, swift to eueryevery good worke: this sense follow Martyr: here is forbidden, tarditas inadeundis muneribus, slacknes in doing our dutie: so also Osiander, Pareus.