Not Lagging in Diligence

NOT LAGGING IN DILIGENCE
Romans 12:11

TRANSLATIONS

"Not lagging behind in diligence" --- NASB

"Not lazy in your work" --- LB

"Never lacking in zeal" --- NIV

"Never slack in earnestness" --- Williams

"Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work" --- Phillips

"Not wanting in devotion" --- Goodspeed

"Be diligent, not lazy" --- McCord

"Don't burn out" --- Message

The KJV reads, "Not slothful in business." This translation is incorrect, and "without authority" (Lard, p. 390). It is "Wrong!!" (Wuest, p. 214). The Greek word "spoude occurs twelve times in the NT, and is translated in our AV (KJV) seven different ways!" (Expos. Greek, p. 692). Yet, the KJV correctly translates this Greek word "diligence" just three verses earlier (Rom. 12:8).

A form of this Greek word --- spoudazo --- is also incorrectly translated by the KJV as "study" in II Tim. 2:15.

WORD STUDY
The adjective okneros appears only three times in the NT documents. It occurs numerous times in the OT, but only in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. A few examples are: Prov. 6:6, 9; 20:4; 21:25; 31:27; Eccl. 10:18.
The word spoude appears twelve times in the NT. A few examples are: Rom. 12:8; II Peter 1:5; Jude 3.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Ecclesiastes 9:10 II Thessalonians 3:7f
COMMENTARY
This is "the prime grace of Christian diligence. He does not mean by 'business' a trade or profession, or daily occupation. But the word means 'zeal' or 'earnestness.' And what Paul says is just this --- 'In regard to your earnestness in all directions, see that you are not slothful'" (Maclaren, p. 268-69).
"We must not be sluggish in zeal. There is a certain intensity in the Christian life. There is no room for lethargy in it. The Christian may burn out, but he cannot rust out" (Barclay, p. 178).
"A lazy Christian is a contradiction of terms" (Coffman, p. 434).
"An idle man and a Christian are names which do not harmonize. He whose life is spent in ease and in doing nothing, should doubt altogether his religion" (Barnes, p. 281).
This word refers to "strenuous energy in the execution of anything. It denotes the Christian temper in respect to all duties" (Shedd, p. 367).
"After converts have experienced the initial glow and ardor of Christian life there is often danger of their slipping back into a deadening spiritual inertia. In brief, the thrust here is that the Lord's service calls for our best" (Expos. Comm., p. 133).

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