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Romans 12:1. παρακαλῶ οὖν: the reference is to all that has been said since Romans 1:16, but especially to what more closely precedes. Cf. Ephesians 4:1, 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Corinthians 4:16. The οὖν connects the two parts of the epistle, not formally but really, and shows the dependence of the “practical” upon the “doctrinal”. It is the new world of realities to which the soul is introduced by the Christian revelation on which Christian morality depends. It is relative to that world, and would become unreal along with it. διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν: for the substantive see 2 Corinthians 1:3 (= רַחֲמִים, which has no singular). διὰ in such expressions (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 10:1) indicates that in which the motive is found: Winer, p. 477. The mercies are those which God has shown in the work of redemption through Christ, παραστῆσαι is not per se sacrificial: in chap. Romans 6:13; Romans 6:16; Romans 6:19 it is used of putting the body at the disposal of God or of sin: see also 2 Corinthians 4:14; 2 Corinthians 11:2, Colossians 1:22; Colossians 1:28, Ephesians 5:27. τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν is not exactly the same as ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς, yet no stress is to be laid on the words as though Paul were requiring the sanctification of the body as opposed to the spirit: the body is in view here as the instrument by which all human service is rendered to God, and the service which it does render, in the manner supposed, is not a bodily but a spiritual service. θυσίαν ζῶσαν: “living,” as opposed to the slain animals offered by the Jews. This seems to be the only case in which the new life as a whole is spoken of by Paul as a sacrifice—a thank offering—to God. A more limited use of the idea of θυσίᾳ is seen in Php 2:17; Php 4:18; cf. also Hebrews 13:15 f., 1 Peter 2:5. ἁγίαν: contrast Romans 1:24. εὐάρεστον according to all analogy (see concordance) should go with τῷ θεῷ, and this is secured by the order of the words in A[23] vulg. τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν: in apposition not to τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν but to the presenting of the body as a living sacrifice. For other examples see Winer, 669. λατρεία (Romans 9:4, Hebrews 9:1; Hebrews 9:6, John 16:2) is cultus, ritual service, worship; and such a presentation of the body, as the organ of all moral action, to God, is the only thing that can be characterised as λογικὴ λατρεία, spiritual worship. Any other worship, any retention of Jewish or pagan rites, anything coming under the description of opus operatum, is foreign to the Christian θυσίᾳ; it is λατρεία which is not λογική, not appropriate to a being whose essence is λόγος, i.e., reason or spirit.

[23] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

Romans 12:1 f. General exhortation to sanctification.

οὖν] drawing an inference, not from the whole dogmatic part of the epistle, beginning with Romans 1:16 (Calvin, Bengel, and many others, including Reiche, Köllner, de Wette, Philippi, Hofmann),—as also in Ephesians 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1, the οὖν which introduces the practical portion is not to be taken so vaguely,—but from Romans 11:35-36, where the riches of God were described as, and shown to be, imparted apart from merit. This connection is, on account of διὰ τῶν οἰκτίρμ. τ. Θεοῦ, more readily suggested and simpler than that with Romans 11:32 (Rückert, Fritzsche, and several others).

διὰ τῶν οἰκτ. τ. Θεοῦ] by means of the compassion of God, reminding you of it. Just so διά in Romans 15:30, 1 Corinthians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 10:1. The exhortation, pointing to the compassion of God, contains the motive of thankfulness for compliance with it. “Qui misericordia Dei recte movetur, in omnem Dei voluntatem ingreditur,” Bengel.

On οἰκτιρμοί, see Tittmann, Synon. p. 68 ff. On the singular, comp. Pind. Pyth. i. 85; Sir 5:6; Bar 2:27; 1Ma 3:44. The plural conforms, indeed, to רחמים, but is conceived according to the Greek plural usage of abstract nouns (see Kühner, II. 1, p. 15 f.; Maetzner, ad Lycurg. p. 144 f.): the compassions, i.e. the stirrings and manifestations of compassion.

παραστῆσαι] selected as the set expression for the presenting of sacrificial animals at the altar; Xen. Anab. vi. 1. 22; Lucian, de sacrif. 13; and see Wetstein and Loesner, p. 262. Paul is glancing at the thank-offering (διὰ τ. οἰκτιρμ. τ. Θ.), and raises the notion of sacrifice to the highest moral idea of self-surrender to God; comp. Umbreit, p. 343 ff.

τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν] not, on account of the figure of sacrifice, instead of ὑμᾶς αὐτούς (so usually; still also Philippi), as if σῶμα might denote the entire person, consisting of body and soul (but comp. on Romans 6:12). On the contrary, the apostle means quite strictly: your bodies, reserving the sanctification of the νοῦς for Romans 12:2, so that the two verses together contain the sanctification of the whole man distributed into its parts,—that of the outer man (set forth as the offering of a sacrifice), and that of the inner (as a renewing transformation). Fritzsche also takes the correct view; comp. Hofmann. Other peculiar references of τ. σώμ. ὑμ. (Köllner: “the sensuous nature of man, which draws him to sin;” Olshausen: “in order to extend the idea of Christian sanctification down even to the lowest potency of human nature”) are not indicated by the text. The following τ. λογικ. λατρ. is not opposed to our view; for, in truth, bodily self-sacrifice is also an ethical act, 1 Corinthians 6:20. Comp. on the subject-matter, Romans 6:13; Romans 6:19.

θυσίαν ζῶσαν] as a sacrifice which lives. For the moral self-offering of the body is the antitypical πλήρωσις of the ritual sacrificial-service, in which the sacrifice dies; whereas that ethical sacrifice is no doubt also connected with dying, as to sin namely, in the sense of Romans 6:2, Romans 7:4 ff., Colossians 2:20; Colossians 3:5, Galatians 2:19, but it is precisely out of this death that the being alive here meant proceeds, which has vanquished death (Galatians 2:20, et al.). Such a sacrifice is also, in the eminent sense of antitypical fulfilment, ἁγία (as pure and belonging to God in an ethical relation) and ΕὐΆΡΕΣΤΟς Τῷ ΘΕῷ (comp. Ephesians 5:2). That Τ. ΘΕῷ is not, with Estius, Bengel, and Koppe, to be connected with ΠΑΡΑΣΤ., is shown by its very position, as well as by the superfluous character of a Τ. ΘΕῷ with ΠΑΡΑΣΤ.

Passages from Porphyry, Hierocles, Philo, Josephus, and the Rabbins, in which likewise moral devotion to God is set forth as self-sacrifice, see in Wetstein and Koppe. On the asyndeton, as strengthening the force of the predicative notion, in ἁγ., εὐάρ. τ. Θ., comp. Nägelsbach, z. Ilias, p. 50, ed. 3.

τὴν λογ. λατρ. ὑμ.] accusative of epexegesis,—an appositional definition, and that, indeed, not to the mere θυσίαν (to the notion of which the wider notion of ΛΑΤΡΕΊΑΝ does not correspond), but to the whole ΠΑΡΑΣΤῆΣΑΙ Κ.Τ.Λ., containing, respecting this whole act of presenting offering, the judgment, what it ought to be; see Winer, p. 496 [E. T. 669]; Kühner, II. 1, p. 243 f. Luther aptly remarks: “the which is your reasonable service.” Comp. Lobeck, Paralip. p. 519; Nägelsbach, z. Il. iii. 51; Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 134.

λατρεία] service of worship, as in John 16:2. See on that passage. Comp. Romans 9:4. λογικός, rational (1 Peter 2:2; Plato, Locr. p. 99 E, 102 E; Polyb. xxv. 9. 2), is not in contrast to ζῶα ἄλογα (Theodoret, Grotius, Koppe, and many others), which at most would only be to be assumed if ΛΑΤΡΕΊΑ were equivalent to ΘΥΣΊΑ, but generally to the ceremonial character of the Jewish and heathen worship,—designating the ΛΑΤΡΕΊΑ here meant as a spiritual service, fulfilling itself in moral rational activity,—of which nature the opus operatum of the Jewish and heathen cultus was not. The Test. XII. Patr. p. 547 calls the sacrifice of the angels λογικὴν κ. ἀναίμακτον προσφοράν. On the idea, comp. John 4:24; Romans 1:9; Php 3:3; 1 Peter 2:5; Athenag. Leg. 13. Melanchthon: “Cultus mentis, in quo mens fide aut coram intuetur Deum, et vere sentit timorem et laetitiam in Deo.” The opposite is the character of mechanical action, the ἄλογος τριβὴ καὶ ἐμπειρία (Plat. Gorg. p. 501 A).

Romans 12:1. I beseech you therefore, brethren — Paul uses to suit his exhortations to the doctrines he has been delivering. So here the general exhortation to universal holiness, grounded on, and inferred from, the whole of the preceding part of the epistle, is contained in the first and second verses. Particular advices and precepts follow from the third verse to the end of the epistle. By the mercies — Δια των οικτιρμων, the bowels of mercies, or tender mercies of God — The whole sentiment is derived from chap. 1.-5.; the expression itself is particularly opposed to the wrath of God, Romans 1:18. It has a reference here to the entire gospel, to the whole economy of grace or mercy, delivering us from the wrath of God, and exciting us to all duty. “The love,” says Macknight, “which God hath expressed in our redemption by Christ, and in making us [true] members of his church, is the most winning of all considerations to engage us to obey God; especially as his commands are calculated to make us capable of the blessings he proposes to bestow on us in the next life. We should therefore habitually recollect this powerful motive, and particularly when any difficult duty is to be performed.” That — Instead of the animal victims, whose slaughtered bodies you have been accustomed to offer, either to the true God, or to idols, you would now present — As it were, at his spiritual altar; your own bodies — That is, yourselves, as he expresses himself, Romans 6:13, a part being put for the whole; and the rather, as in the ancient sacrifices of beasts, to which he alludes, the body was the whole. These also are particularly named, in opposition to the abominable abuse of their bodies, of which the heathen were guilty, mentioned Romans 1:24. And several other expressions follow, which have likewise a direct reference to other expressions in the same chapter. To this we may add, that having taught, Romans 7:5; Romans 7:18; Romans 7:23, that the body, with its lusts, is the source and seat of sin, he exhorted the Romans, very properly, to present their bodies to God a sacrifice, by putting the lusts and appetites thereof to death. It may be proper to observe, also, that the word παραστησαι, here rendered to present, is the word by which the bringing of an animal to the altar to be sacrificed was expressed. A sacrifice — Dedicated to God entirely and irrevocably; (for in the ancient sacrifices, the animals were wholly given, and were not taken back again;) made dead to the world and sin, being slain by the commandment, (Romans 7:9,) or by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and is quick and powerful to effect this death, (Hebrews 4:12,) and living by that life which is mentioned Romans 1:17; Romans 6:4, &c.; that is, by faith in the gospel, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus; and thus made a living sacrifice indeed; holy — A sacrifice such as the holy law requires, and the Holy Spirit produces. This is spoken in allusion to the sacrifices under the law being required to be without blemish. Acceptable — A sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. The sum is, Let your whole souls, with all their faculties, and your bodies, with all their members, being sanctified and animated by divine grace, be dedicated to, and employed in the service of him to whom you are under such immense obligations. Which is your reasonable service — Such a sacrifice is reasonable, not merely because, as Beza observes, it is the sacrifice of a rational creature; whereas the sacrifices of birds and beasts, &c, were sacrifices, αλογων ζωων, of irrational animals; but because the whole worship and service is highly, nay, infinitely reasonable, being the worship and service of faith, love, and obedience, the objects of which are divine truth and love, and wise, just, holy, and kind commands: or, in other words, affections and dispositions, words and actions, suited to the divine perfections, and the relations subsisting between us and God, as our Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, Saviour, friend, and father in Christ Jesus. And as the sacrifice is thus reasonable, it is equally reasonable that we should offer it, being under indispensable, yea, infinite obligations so to do. So that in offering this sacrifice, and in all things, a Christian acts by the highest reason, from the mercy of God inferring his own duty.

Romans 12:1. The Apostle has now finished his proofs and explications relating to the justification, calling, and election of the believing Gentiles, or to their being admitted into the kingdom and covenant of God, and interested in all the privileges and honours of his children and peculiar people,—in all the blessings and hopes of the Gospel. This our happy state he has well established by solid and substantial arguments, and guarded it against every attack of the unbelieving Jew. He has demonstrated that it stands right in the nature of things; Romans 1-3 : That it is set upon the same footing with Abraham's title to the blessings of the covenant; Romans 4 : That it gives us a title to privileges and blessings as great as any of the Jews could glory in, by virtue of that covenant; ch. Romans 5:1-12. He goes still higher, and shews, that our being interested in the gift and grace of God in Christ Jesus, is perfectly agreeable to the grace which he has confessedly bestowed upon all mankind in Christ Jesus, in delivering them from that death which came upon them by Adam's offence; ch. Rom 5:12 to the end. He has clearly explained, both with regard to Gentiles and Jews, the nature of the Gospel constitution,in respect to its obligations to virtue and holiness; and the advantages that it gives for encouragingour obedience, and supporting us under the severest trials; Romans 6-8. Farther; as the Jews' pretences, that God was bound by express promise to continue them, and such as come into their peculiarity, to be his only people for ever, were directly inconsistent with the calling and election of the Gentiles, upon the foot of faith alone. The Apostle demonstrates, that the rejection of the Jews is consistent with the truth of God's word,and with his righteousness. He shews the true cause and reason of their rejection; and concludes with an admirable discourse upon the extent and duration of it, which he closes with adoration of the divine wisdom in its various dispensations; Romans 9-11 —Thus having cleared this important subject with surprising judgment, and the nicest art and skill in writing, he now proceeds, after his usual method in his Epistles, and the apostolic manner of preaching, to inculcate various Christian duties; and to exhort to that temper of mind and conduct of life, which are agreeable to Gospel privileges and profession.

Mercies of God— He means all the blessings and privileges given us freely in the Gospel by the mercy of God. There seem to be two reasons why St. Paul's first exhortation to them is, to present their bodies undefiled to God. 1. Because he had before, especially in Romans 7:0, so much insisted on this, That the body was the great source whence sin arose. 2. Because the heathen world, and particularly the Romans, were guilty of those vile affections which he mentions, ch. Romans 1:24-27. The body is here, by a usual figure, put for the whole person, nor can the soul be now presented to God, otherwise than as dwelling in the body, or truly consecrated to him, unless the body be employed in his service. Nor, on the other hand, can the body be presented as a living sacrifice, otherwise than as acted and animated by the soul. The word παραστησαι . rendered present, properly signifies "placing the victim before the altar," It seems probable that the Apostle, in this first verse, had his thoughts principallyupon the Jewish, and in the second verse upon the Gentile Christians; for in Rom 12:1 he opposes moral duty to the offering up of sacrifices, which must be the sacrifices presented by the Jews in the temple, and calls moral duty a reasonable service, or rational worship, as it seems, in opposition to ritual. In Rom 12:2 he dehorts from conformity to the world, which generally means the heathen world; and persuades them to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, which is the phrase that he uses to Gentile converts, Ephesians 4:22-23.—These verses may be paraphrased thus: "Having cleared your title to the blessings and privileges of God's peculiar kingdom in this world, I now earnestly exhort you, Christian brethren, from a consideration of the goodness of God, in revealing his Gospel, and admitting you all to an equal interest in the grace therein declared and promised, that, as a holy priesthood, instead of brutal dead sacrifices, your consecrate and offer your bodies, a living sacrifice, by mortifying the deeds of the flesh; that being free from every blemish of sensual impurity, you may practise holiness, and the things that are pleasing to God, which is the most rational worship and service that you can perform, and infinitely preferable to the ritual observances of the law. And as you are now become a separate and peculiar people of God (Romans 12:2.), do not mix yourselves again with a profane, wicked, and ignorant world; do not conform to the vicious customs, taste, and examples thereof; but be changed through the power of divine grace into new creatures in Christ Jesus, by receiving better principles and habits of mind; that you may thereby be enabled to discover, relish, approve, and recommend to others, that course of life, which is good, just, and true; most pleasing and acceptable to God, and whereby ye shall be accomplished in every part of the divine life." We may just remark, that some commentators consider the three words good, acceptable, and perfect, as opposed to the Jewish ritual: this Christian sacrifice being more excellent in itself (Ezekiel 20:25.), more pleasing to God (Psalms 40:7-8.), and tending more to make us perfect, Hebrews 7:19. But perhaps they refer more generally to all the preceptive parts of Christianity, the excellency of which they will best understand, who endeavour to practise it most exactly. See Locke, and Elsner.

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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.

I beseech — Volumus et iubemus we wish and we order, became the pope’s style, A. D. 606.

By the mercies of God — His manifold mercies, δια των οικτιρμων . Per miserationes amplificationis causa. (Beza.) We that have received so many mercies, must not only servire Deo, sed et adulate, serve God but even worship him, saith Tertullian. Mercy calls for duty; deliverance commands obedience, and there is so milch disingenuity in the contrary, that holy Ezra thinks heaven and earth would be ashamed of it,Ezra 9:13-14; Ezra 9:13-14 . The cords of kindness are called "the cords of a man,"Hosea 11:4; Hosea 11:4 ; rational motives befitting the nature of a man. So that to sin against mercy is to sin against humanity; it is bestial, and fits a man for destruction, Romans 9:22 ; like as when medicine which should remove the disease, doth co-operate with it, then death comes with the more pain and speed. No excess more dangerous than that of bread: no judgment more terrible than that of mercy despised and abused. Abused mercy turns into fury. Patientia laesa fit furor.

That ye present — As they of old did their sacrifices at the altar. With the burnt offering, which signified the sacrificing of the flesh, was joined the sin offering, that is, Christ. Faith applies Christ to the believer, and the believer to Christ.

Your bodies — That is, your whole person. Cainistce sunt, saith Luther, offerentes non persoham, sed opus personae. They are Cainists that offer to God the work done, but do not offer themselves to God.

A living sacrifice — In the old law they had many kinds of sacrifices killed and offered. Now, saith Origen, instead of a ram we kill our ireful passions; instead of a goat our unclean affections; instead of flying fowls our idle thoughts, …

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Chapter XII

Contents

This chapter consists of two parts. The first, Romans 12:1-8, treats of piety towards god, and the proper estimation and use of the various gifts and offices employed or exercised in the church. The second, Romans 12:9-21, relates to love and its various manifestations towards different classes of men.

Romans 12:1-8

Analysis

As the apostle had concluded the doctrinal portion of the epistle with the preceding chapter, in accordance with his almost uniform practice, he deduces from his doctrines important practical lessons. The first deduction from the exhibition which he had made of the mercy of God in the redemption of men, is that they should devote themselves to him as a living sacrifice, and be conformed to his will and not to the manners of the world, Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2. The second is, that they should be humble, and not allow the diversity of their gifts to destroy the sense of their unity as one body in Christ, Romans 12:3-5. These various gifts were to be exercised, not for selfish purposes, but in a manner consistent with their nature and design; diligently, disinterestedly, and kindly, Romans 12:6-8.

Commentary

Romans 12:1

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, etc. As the sum of all that Paul had said of the justification, sanctification, and salvation of men is, that these results are to be attributed not to human merit nor to human efforts, but to the mercy of God, he brings the whole discussion to bear as a motive for devotion to God. Whatever gratitude the soul feels for pardon, purity, and the sure prospect of eternal life, is called forth to secure its consecration to that God who is the author of all these mercies.

That ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. All the expressions of this clause seem to have an obvious reference to the services of the Old Testament economy. Under that dispensation, animals free from blemish were presented and devoted to God; under the new dispensation a nobler and more spiritual service is to be rendered; not the oblation of animals, but the consecration of ourselves. The expression, your bodies, is perhaps nearly equivalent to yourselves; yet Paul probably used it with design, not only because it was appropriate to the figure, but because he wished to render the idea prominent, that the whole man, body as well as soul, was to be devoted to the service of God. “Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God, in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s,” 1 Corinthians 6:20. The apostle carries the figure out; the sacrifice is to be living, holy, and acceptable. The first of these epithets is generally considered as intended to express the contrast between the sacrifice here intended, and the victims which were placed lifeless upon the altar; thus believers, in 1 Peter 2:5, are called “living stones,” in opposition to the senseless materials employed in a literal building. We are to present θυσίαν ζῶσαν, a sacrifice that lives. “Abominabile est, cadaver offere.” — Bengel. The word living, however, may mean perpetual, lasting, never neglected; as in the phrases, “living bread,” John 6:51, ‘bread which never looses its power;’“living hope,” 1 Peter 1:3, ‘hope which never fails;’“living waters,” “a living way,” etc.; (see Wahl’s Lexicon, under the word ζάω.) The sacrifice then which we are to make is not a transient service, like the oblation of a victim, which was in a few moments consumed upon the altar, but it is a living or perpetual sacrifice never to be neglected or recalled. The epithet holy has probably direct reference to the frequent use of a nearly corresponding word (Mymit@f) in the Hebrew scriptures, which, when applied to sacrifices, is commonly rendered without blemish. The word holy is then in this case equivalent to immaculate, i.e. free from those defects which would cause an offering to be rejected. The term acceptable is here used in the same sense as the phrase, “for a sweet smelling savor,” Ephesians 5:2; Philippians 4:18; Leviticus 1:9, i.e. grateful, well-pleasing; a sacrifice in which God delights. Τῷ Θεῷ is to be connected with εὐάρεστον and not with παραστῆσαι.

Your reasonable service. There is doubt as to the grammatical construction of this clause. The most natural and simple explanation is to consider it in opposition with the preceding member of the sentence, as has been done by our translators, who supply the words which is. This consecration of ourselves to God, which the apostle requires, is a reasonable service. The word λοτρεία does not mean an offering, but worship. It is not the thing offered that is said to be reasonable in the sense of, endowed with reason, but the nature of the service. It is rendered by the mind. The word (λογικήν) rendered reasonable, is indeed variously explained. The simplest interpretation is that which takes the word in its natural sense, viz., pertaining to the mind; it is a mental or spiritual service, in opposition to ceremonial and external observations. Compare the phrase (λογικὸν γάλα) ‘milk suited, or pertaining to the mind,’ 1 Peter 2:2. Others understand these words as expressing the difference between the sacrifices under the Christian dispensation and those under the Old. Formerly animals destitute of reason (ἄλογα ζῶα) were offered unto God, but now men possessed of a rational soul. But this interpretation is neither so well suited to the meaning of the word, nor does it give a sense so consistent with the context; compare 1 Peter 2:5.

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