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Romans Commentary Chapters 1-8  /  Romans 6:16-23 Being Slaves of Christ Leads to Life  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 3
Paul’s “abhor what is evil” is presented as stronger than hate (“utterly detest, loathe, abominate”); what sins have you learned to tolerate with mild dislike, and what practical steps would it look like to cultivate actual abhorrence without sliding into hatred of people?
Another way to ask: What sins have you gotten used to and only dislike a little instead of truly hating as evil? What would help you grow a stronger disgust for sin without hating the people caught in it?

Direct Answer The transcript teaches that Christians must not merely avoid sin but “utterly abhor” it, while still refusing to hate people—even persecutors. Practically, abhorrence grows as we treat sin as something to be loathed and, at the same time, keep obeying Jesus’ command to bless and do good to enemies.

Support from Transcript:

  • “Abhor what is evil”: Paul uses a word “even stronger… than hate,” defined as “utterly detest, loathe, abominate.”
  • The teacher clarifies the boundary: “Christians are not to hate others, even their persecutors” (Matt. 5:44).
  • Chrysostom: Paul “does not merely speak of refraining from evil, but of hating it… utterly abhoring it.”
  • The lesson links abhorrence to positive attachment: “For it is only through such abhorrence that we will be able to cling to what is good.”
  • A model for not hating people appears in Romans 12:14: “Bless those who persecute you… by praying for them and doing whatever good we can for them.”
Discussion Follow-ups What would change if you measured spiritual health not only by what you avoid, but by whether you “cling to what is good”? How can prayer for persecutors train the heart to hate sin without hating sinners?

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