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The Letters · New Testament

Romans 12

Romans 12: bodies presented, gifts differing, and love without dissimulation

General context

The chapter turns to request: "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." Readers are told not to be conformed to this world but transformed "by the renewing of your mind", so as to prove God's will. No one is to think of himself "more highly than he ought to think", but soberly, "according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith". The picture is a body: many members in one body with different offices, so "we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another". Gifts are listed with the manner proper to each, prophecy "according to the proportion of faith", ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving "with simplicity", ruling "with diligence", showing mercy "with cheerfulness". Then a run of short instructions: "Let love be without dissimulation", abhor evil, cleave to good, be kindly affectioned, prefer one another in honour, be fervent in spirit, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, continue in prayer, distribute to the necessity of saints, be given to hospitality. Persecutors are to be blessed and not cursed. Readers rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, keep the same mind, avoid being wise in their own conceits, repay no evil for evil, and "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Vengeance is left to God, the enemy is fed, and the last line is "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

Cited passages: Romans 12:1, Romans 12:2, Romans 12:3, Romans 12:4, Romans 12:5, Romans 12:6, Romans 12:7, Romans 12:8, Romans 12:9, Romans 12:10, Romans 12:11, Romans 12:12, Romans 12:13, Romans 12:14, Romans 12:15, Romans 12:16, Romans 12:17, Romans 12:18, Romans 12:19, Romans 12:20, Romans 12:21

Romans 12 (KJV)

1I 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.

2And 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.

3For 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.

4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8Or 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.

9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

16Be 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.

17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20Therefore 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.

21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

No person, place or event appears in this chapter; it is instruction addressed to "brethren". One quotation is marked, "for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord", where Deuteronomy 32:35 reads "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence". Verse 20 follows Proverbs 25:21 and 25:22 without a formula: the proverb says "If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink", and ends "and the Lord shall reward thee", which the letter does not print. The gifts are listed without naming who in Rome held any of them, and no meeting, office-holder or ritual is described. The measure of faith is said to be dealt out by God rather than claimed, and the chapter gives no procedure for settling who has which gift.

Cited passages: Romans 12:1, Romans 12:3, Romans 12:6, Romans 12:7, Romans 12:8, Romans 12:19, Romans 12:20, Deuteronomy 32:35, Proverbs 25:21, Proverbs 25:22

Literary context

After eleven chapters of argument the mode changes to appeal, and the hinge word is "therefore". The body image organises the first section, with difference of office made the reason for unity rather than an obstacle to it. From verse 11 the clauses lose their main verbs and become a list of phrases, "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" and "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer", until the commands resume. Pairs then take over: bless and curse not, rejoice and weep, high things and low estate, evil for evil. Evil frames the whole second half, from "Abhor that which is evil" to the last sentence, where the same word appears twice on opposite sides of one instruction.

Cited passages: Romans 12:1, Romans 12:4, Romans 12:5, Romans 12:9, Romans 12:11, Romans 12:12, Romans 12:14, Romans 12:15, Romans 12:16, Romans 12:17, Romans 12:21

Key moments

  1. Present your bodies (Romans 12:1). The appeal asks for bodies given as a living sacrifice.
  2. Renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2). Transformation is set against conformity to the world.
  3. Think soberly (Romans 12:3). Self-estimate is tied to the measure of faith God has dealt.
  4. One body in Christ (Romans 12:5). Many members with different offices are called one body.
  5. Love without dissimulation (Romans 12:9). A long list of short instructions begins.
  6. Vengeance is mine (Romans 12:19). Repayment is handed over to God with a written line.
  7. Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). The chapter closes on one instruction using the word twice.

For reflection

Verse 18 attaches two limits to living at peace, that it be possible and that it lie in you. What do those two conditions change about an instruction that would otherwise be absolute?

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