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Romans 12

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A Living Sacrifice 1–2

1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ​
2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ​

Gifts of Grace 3–8

3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ​
4
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ​
6
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; ​
7
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. ​

Practical Christian Living 9–13

9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. ​
10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; ​
12
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. ​

Conduct Toward Outsiders and Enemies 14–21

14
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. ​
15
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. ​
16
Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. ​
18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. ​
19
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. ​
20
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. ​
21
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 12

Verse 1

a living sacrifice — 'Present' (paristemi) is the verb of Rom 6:13, 'yield yourselves unto God'; the offering is the 'bodies' themselves, in the language of the altar (thusia, sacrifice). 'Reasonable' (logikos) occurs elsewhere only in 1 Pet 2:2, 'the sincere milk of the word'; 'service' is latreia, worship (Heb 9:1). The appeal rests on 'the mercies' (oiktirmos) of chs. 1–11.

Verse 2

be ye transformed — Metamorphoo is the verb of the transfiguration (Matt 17:2) and of 2 Cor 3:18, 'changed into the same image from glory to glory'. Its counterpart suschematizo, 'conformed', stands also in 1 Pet 1:14. 'World' is aion, the present age; the change comes by 'the renewing' (anakainosis) of the mind, as in Titus 3:5, 'renewing of the Holy Ghost.'

Verse 3

think soberly — Three words of the mind in one sentence: huperphroneo, to think above (its only use in the New Testament), phroneo, to think, and sophroneo, to think soundly, the verb of 'sober' in 2 Cor 5:13. The measure is not self-estimate but 'the measure of faith' (metron pisteos) that God has dealt to every man.

Verse 5

members one of another — 'Body' and 'members' (melos, a limb) carry the figure of 1 Cor 12:12, 'as the body is one, and hath many members'. Believers are 'one body in Christ'; each limb belongs to the rest, so that 'whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it' (1 Cor 12:26). Eph 4:25 has 'members one of another' too.

Verse 6

the proportion of faith — Analogia, a ratio or proportion, occurs only here. The gifts (charismata, gifts of grace) differ 'according to the grace that is given', and prophecy is exercised within the measure of v.3. Peter gives the rule for every gift: 'As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another' (1 Pet 4:10).

Verse 8

with simplicity — Haplotes is singleness of heart, sincerity; compare 2 Cor 9:7, 'not grudgingly, or of necessity'. 'Giveth' is metadidomi, to share over, as in Luke 3:11, 'let him impart to him that hath none'. 'Ruleth' (proistemi) is to stand before, and 'cheerfulness' (hilarotes) occurs only here.

Verse 9

without dissimulation — Anupokritos, unhypocritical, is used also of faith (1 Tim 1:5; 2 Tim 1:5), of wisdom (James 3:17) and of the love of the brethren (1 Pet 1:22). 'Abhor' (apostugeo, to detest utterly) occurs only here; 'cleave' (kollao) means to be glued, as in 1 Cor 6:17, 'joined unto the Lord'. Compare Ps 97:10, 'Ye that love the LORD, hate evil.'

Verse 11

fervent in spirit — Zeo, to boil or glow, occurs only here and in Acts 18:25, of Apollos, 'fervent in the spirit'. 'Slothful' is okneros, the word of Matt 25:26, 'wicked and slothful servant', and 'business' is spoude, eagerness. The zeal has one object, 'serving the Lord' (douleuo, to serve as a bondservant).

Verse 13

given to hospitality — 'Given' is dioko, to pursue, the same verb as 'persecute' in v.14. Philoxenia, love of strangers, occurs only here and in Heb 13:2, 'Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.' 'Distributing' is koinoneo, to share, and 'necessity' (chreia) is need.

Verse 14

Bless them which persecute you — Eulogeo, to speak well of, is the verb of Christ's command in Luke 6:28, 'Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you' (cf. Matt 5:44). 'Curse' (kataraomai) is its opposite. Paul had kept it: 'being persecuted, we suffer it' (1 Cor 4:12), with the same verb dioko.

Verse 15

weep with them that weep — The verbs are chairo, to be glad, and klaio, to weep aloud. The pattern is the body's, 1 Cor 12:26: 'one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.' Christ shows it at Bethany: Mary and the Jews were weeping, 'he groaned in the spirit' (John 11:33), and 'Jesus wept' (John 11:35).

Verse 17

Provide things honest — Pronoeo, to think beforehand, with kalos, fair and honourable. Paul uses it again in 2 Cor 8:21, 'Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.' The first clause, 'Recompense to no man evil for evil', is echoed in 1 Thess 5:15 and 1 Pet 3:9.

Verse 18

live peaceably with all men — Eireneuo, to be at peace, occurs also in Mark 9:50, 2 Cor 13:11 and 1 Thess 5:13. The two limits are written in: 'if it be possible' (dunatos) and 'as much as lieth in you'. Heb 12:14 sets the same goal: 'Follow peace with all men, and holiness.'

Verse 19

give place unto wrath — 'Avenge' (ekdikeo) and 'vengeance' (ekdikesis) share a root. The reason given is the quotation, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord', from Deut 32:35, 'To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence', cited again in Heb 10:30. Judgment is left with God, who is named as the one who repays.

Verse 20

coals of fire — Paul quotes Prov 25:21–22; 'feed' (psomizo) is to supply with morsels. The proverb continues, 'the LORD shall reward thee.' When Israel's king asked Elisha whether to smite captive Syrian soldiers, the answer was 'set bread and water before them'; after that 'the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel' (2 Kings 6:22–23).

Verse 21

overcome evil with good — Nikao is used twice, first passive, then active: not to be conquered, but to conquer. The verses before show the means: no recompense (v.17), peace (v.18), no avenging (v.19), bread for the hungry (v.20). Peter gives the same: 'Not rendering evil for evil… but contrariwise blessing' (1 Pet 3:9).