Romans 12:20: Burning Coals?

The image of pouring burning coals on another's head--even though we realize that it is a figure of speech--conjures up negative connotations. It sounds like vengeance or retribution. Surely that is not the result to be achieved by acts of kindness. Could Paul be saying that doing good to one's enemies is an indirect way of punishing them?

These negative assessments disappear rather quickly when we see this passage in its larger context (both in Rom 12 and in Prov 25:21-22, from where it is cited) and properly grasp the meaning of this figure of speech in its ancient Near Eastern setting.

The entire context argues against the possibility of interpreting this figure in a negative sense. As a whole, Romans 12 begins the final section of the epistle in which Paul, on the basis of his theology of justification by faith and the empowering of Christian life by the Spirit, works out some of the practical implications of this theology for everyday Christian existence. He begins by speaking of the transformation of life in such a way that God's good will is accomplished in and through Christians (Rom 12:1-2). He continues by showing that as Christians we do not stand alone in this task, but are one body, gifted by God's grace to empower each other in mutual loving service (Rom 12:3-13). Then he focuses on Christians' existence in the larger world, a world which, for the early believers, was often hostile toward the followers of Christ (Rom 12:14-21).

In such a world, it would have been very natural and easy to build resentment, to lash out, to resort to even violent means in order to protect oneself against hostility and persecution. But Paul knew, on the basis of Jesus' "suffering servant" messiahship, that the way of bitterness, resentment and violence was not to be the way of Jesus' followers in this world. God's love, demonstrated in Jesus' death on the cross and poured into believers' hearts (Rom 5:5), was stronger than hate. He had experienced its grasp on his life while he was a persecutor of Christians (see Phil 3:4-12).

The proper response to those who persecute is to bless, not curse, them (Rom 12:14). The evil done to you should not be repaid by evil (Rom 12:17). In situations of conflict, Christians ought to be about the search for peace (Rom 12:18). Where the world's values would call for retribution and vengeance when evil is done to us, we are, on the contrary, to respond in love and kindness, going as far as giving food and drink to enemies who are hungry and thirsty (Rom 12:19-20). Why? Because God is the one who judges and holds evildoers responsible in the final judgment (Rom 12:19). When we respond to evil in the radically unexpected form of goodness, we are in effect pouring "burning coals" on the head of the perpetrator of evil (Rom 12:20). Paul drives home this radical Christian response to evil, urging that we refuse to "overcome by evil," but instead "overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:21).

Romans 12:21, in confirmation of the entire context of the passage, demonstrates that the figure of "pouring burning coals" is to be understood as an act of goodness, as something which "overcomes evil with good." This meaning of the figure is confirmed even by the context in Proverbs 25:21-22, which closes with the words "and the Lord will reward you." And in the Old Testament, God's rewards are always seen as response to human acts of kindness.

This analysis of the context shows that the image of burning coals must have a positive meaning. It does not tell us precisely what that meaning is, what "pouring burning coals" on an enemy's head is to accomplish. To that question we now turn.

Romans 12:2 implies that the "burning coals" image refers to an "overcoming" of evil. How is the evil of the enemy overcome? Help in answering this question comes from both biblical (internal) and nonbiblical (external) sources. In the narrative of the prophet Isaiah's call (Is 6), the recognition of his sinfulness receives a divine response of purging and purification. A burning coal is taken from the altar and applied to his mouth, with the assurance that "your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven" (Is 6:7 RSV). This connection between burning coals and repentance and cleansing is also present (though not as directly) in Malachi's picture of God as one who is "like a refiner's fire" (Mal 3:2). As fire refines silver and gold to purify it, so God will "purify the sons of Levi . . . till they present right offerings to the LORD" (Mal 3:3 RSV). The point of this passage is that Israel's sin and disobedience shall be separated out through the refining process of God's judgment.

A possible cultural background, outside the Bible, for the connection between burning coals/fire and the purging of sin/evil is to be seen in the ancient Egyptian custom in which a penitent demonstrated his repentance of a wrong committed by carrying a dish of burning coals on his head. Some commentators see this as the immediate background of the proverb which Paul cites (Prov 25:21-22).

In light of the above discussion, the purpose of "pouring burning coals" seems to be that, by means of responding to evil with good, the doer of the evil may be brought to repentance. It is the enemy's benefit which is intended. When the adversary is treated with kindness, when good is returned for evil, then evil may be overcome; the antagonist may be transformed by a renewal of mind, a change of orientation from darkness to light.