Romans 12:17-Repay no one evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
‘Think, Think, Think.” Paul says to bless those who persecute you; Jesus said forgive 70 times 70, turn the other cheek, judge not, etc.. Scripture tells us that vengeance belongs to God.
So many times, David’s life was in jeopardy by Saul yet David never repaid him with evil—even when opportunity placed Saul in the perfect place for revenge.
1 Pet 2:23 says of Jesus: “When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even”. LNT
I put the definition of “revenge” below. This is not a place where we are to go. This is God’s. If we “get even” we are repaying evil with evil. We are trespassing into God’s territory and that is not a good thing to do.
We must forgive, turn it over to God to deal with, pray for the offender and quiet the disturbance within ourselves. I have also been taught through my recovery program to look at myself, to see why I am offended…what is my root, how am I perceiving the offense—through what “truth”, God’s or some learned childhood misconception.
For me to get offended, it takes a lot of work. It’s easier just not to get offended, or to remove myself from the situation, take it to God, turn it over and leave it with Him.
Revenge; Revenger reMD-venj A, reMD-venj AeTr: The same Hebrew and Greek words are used to express the idea of “to avenge” and “to revenge” ( „QÁNF,or derivative; eÁkdikeÂw‰ or derivative). In English these words are synonymous in that they are both used to express the infliction of punishment upon the wrongdoer, but “to take revenge” may also imply a spiteful, wrong or malignant spirit. In the latter case, RV preserves “revenge” (compare Jer 20:10; Ezk 25:15; 25:17 is an anthropomorphism), but, wherever it is synonymous with “avenge,” this word is used (compare Num 31:2,3; Ps 79:10; Nah 1:2; Jth 13:20; Rom 13:4; 2 Cor 7:11; 10:6 RV; AV has “revenge” in all these cases). In Dt 32:42, AV “revenge” is a wrong translation. Read with RV “from the head of the leaders of the enemy” or RV margin “the hairy head of the enemy.” A. L. Breslich
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