Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, σκοπεῖν τοὺς τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα παρὰ τὴν διδαχὴν ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐμάθετε ποιοῦντας, καὶ ἐκκλίνατε ἀπ’ αὐτῶν· (Romans 16:17)
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and stumbling blocks contrary to the teaching you learned, and turn away from them.
Guarding the Church through Grammatical Clarity
Romans 16:17 is a pastoral appeal from Paul — not to embrace division, but to watch for it and reject it when it arises. The Greek text gives this warning with striking grammatical urgency: imperatives in the present tense, participles that define behavior, and a call to doctrinal discernment. The syntax supports the call to spiritual vigilance.
1. Pleading with the Church: Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί
- Παρακαλῶ – Present Active Indicative, 1st Person Singular of παρακαλέω, “I exhort,” “I urge”
- ὑμᾶς – Accusative 2nd Person Plural, “you all” (direct object)
- ἀδελφοί – “brothers,” a term of intimate address
The use of παρακαλῶ is warm yet authoritative — a pastoral appeal with moral weight, not just a suggestion.
2. Present Active Infinitive: σκοπεῖν
- σκοπεῖν – Present Active Infinitive of σκοπέω, “to watch,” “to keep an eye on,” “to mark”
In construction with παρακαλῶ, it functions as the content of the exhortation:
“I urge you to watch out for…”
The present tense suggests ongoing action — not a one-time inspection, but continuous alertness.
3. The Participial Description: τοὺς … ποιοῦντας
The object of σκοπεῖν is defined by a participial clause:
- τοὺς … ποιοῦντας – “those who are making” (present active participle, accusative masculine plural)
- τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα – “divisions and stumbling blocks”
- παρὰ τὴν διδαχὴν – “contrary to the teaching”
- ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐμάθετε – relative clause: “which you learned”
This identifies false teachers or divisive members by their actions:
“those causing divisions and offenses against the teaching you received”
The participle ποιοῦντας (doing/making) is present active — indicating ongoing disruptive behavior.
Relative Clause of Contrast: ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐμάθετε
- ἐμάθετε – Aorist Active Indicative, 2nd Person Plural of μανθάνω, “you learned”
Paul grounds his warning in the apostolic tradition the Romans already know. The contrast is clear:
Stick with what you learned — reject what contradicts it.
Imperative of Separation: καὶ ἐκκλίνατε ἀπ’ αὐτῶν
- ἐκκλίνατε – Aorist Active Imperative, 2nd Person Plural of ἐκκλίνω, “to turn away from,” “to avoid”
- ἀπ’ αὐτῶν – “from them” (those making divisions)
The aorist imperative implies a definite, decisive action. Once they are identified, do not engage — disengage. Paul’s command is not to argue with them but to separate from them.
Discipleship in Grammar
Romans 16:17 uses:
- Present tense verbs (σκοπεῖν, ποιοῦντας) for continuous danger
- Aorist forms (ἐμάθετε, ἐκκλίνατε) for decisive actions and memory
- Purposefully placed participles to identify the agents of danger
Paul’s grammar models spiritual discernment — not passive listening but active observation and decisive separation.
Watch, Identify, Avoid
This short verse becomes a spiritual discipline:
Watch those who divide. Remember what you were taught. Turn from the ones who stray.
The grammar tells us that vigilance is not paranoia — it is faithfulness to the teaching that was once received.
And that is how grammar guards the gospel.
