Romans 12:14 (WEB)

Passage

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.

Nearby Context

Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;

Romans 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bless", "persecute", and "curse". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bless" and "persecute", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "contributing to the needs of the saints..." into verse 15's "Rejoice with those who rejoice Weep with...", so "bless" and "persecute" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bless" and "persecute" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.