Hateful & Spiteful

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"For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another." (Titus 3:3)

"Hateful" is from the Greek word stygētos. It is an adjective and thus speaks of the condition of the sinner. The sinner, in his state of sin and rebellion against God, is odious and detestable to God, the sinner's way of life and mode of thinking being repugnant to God and worthy of divine rebuke and castigation.

As such the sinner really has no right to look at others as being odious and detestable, yet, we often find that those who are most odious to God are the ones who treat others with contempt and spite. So, Paul follows the adjective with a description of their activity, "hating one another."

We are naturally men of spite. We reproach and we hold others daily in contempt and feel justified in doing so! We are living and walking lies, full of hypocrisy and deceit, as fallen depraved sinners.

What is "spite"?

Merriam-Webster defines it as "petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart."

Then it gives the prepositional phrase "in spite of" the following signification:

"...in defiance or contempt of : without being prevented by (as in) "succeeded in spite of their opposition"

Sinners live their lives each day and hour in defiance and contempt of the Almighty. The ignore him. They put him out of their thoughts and minds. They say, "we desire not the knowledge of his ways." They say to God, "leave us alone, what need have we of thee?"

So wrote David:

"Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless." (Psalm 10:14)

God sees all the hatefulness of men towards their fellow men. He despises it. He has promised to punish those who are in character "hateful" and who practice "hating one another," who practice showing contempt and petty ill will towards others, and who enjoy rediculing and "putting down" others. It is all a vain attempt of evil pride to seek one's exaltation at the expense of putting others down.

In the parables and prophecies of Christ we read:

"And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them." (Matt. 22:6)

"For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on..." (Luke 18:32)

"Spitefully," says Strong, means "...to act insolently and shamefully towards one, to treat shamefully" and "of one who injures another by speaking evil of him."

Our Savior received the full brunt of the insolence, spitefulness, and hatred of those he came to save. What love is this! He could, in great love, pray "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Sinner, despite (pun intended) your insolence towards God and your fellow men, despite your hateful character, he still calls to you to return to him, to receive from him a "new heart," one that loves God, righteousness, and your fellow man, a heart that is humble. How long will you neglect his call? He only offers to free you from your life of hatefulness, wrath, and a life lacking real peace and joy. Will you hear him today, repent of your sins, ask him to take away the "hard heart" from you? Will you fully trust Christ as your only remedy for the malady of your evil heart? He stands ready to receive you and to forgive you all your sins.