The New Testament

The New Testament › Romans

Romans 12

1So I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—your reasonable worship. 2And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may discern what God's will is—what is good and pleasing and perfect.

3For through the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith God has apportioned. 4For just as we have many members in one body, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7if service, in serving; the one who teaches, in teaching; 8the one who encourages, in encouragement; the one who shares, with generosity; the one who leads, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9Let love be without pretense. Abhor evil; cling to good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; take the lead in honoring one another. 11Do not be sluggish in diligence; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord as slaves. 12Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. 13Share in the needs of the holy ones; pursue hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16Have the same regard for one another. Do not set your minds on lofty things, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own eyes. 17Repay no one evil for evil. Give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all people. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with all people. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Translation notes 4

12:1–2 — Bodies and worship. “Brothers” addresses the community, including women. The plural bodies are presented as a singular sacrifice. “Reasonable worship” can also be understood as “spiritual worship”; the appeal joins bodily life and renewed thinking rather than excluding either. “This age” is not simply the physical world.

12:3–8 — Thinking and gifts. Greek repeats related thinking words in verse 3. “Measure of faith” can concern the faith apportioned to each or a shared standard of faith; “in proportion to faith” in verse 6 has similar interpretive breadth. “Let us use them” supplies the implied exhortation. “The one who leads” may also describe one who provides care or patronage.

12:9–16 — Love and service. “Fervent” evokes heat or boiling; “spirit” can refer to the human spirit or God's Spirit. The slave-service verb is retained in verse 11. In verse 14 the base does not include “you” after “persecute.” “The lowly” in verse 16 can mean lowly people or humble tasks.

12:19–21 — Wrath and burning coals. The quotation points to God's wrath, though “God's” is not explicit in the preceding phrase. The coals image is retained from Proverbs 25:21–22; interpretations include shame leading to repentance and coming judgment. The text commands feeding the enemy and overcoming evil with good, without explaining the image's mechanism.