(1)Therefore, I encourage you, brothers, on account of the compassion of God, present your bodies a sacrifice, living holy, well-pleasing to God -- your reasonable service. (2) You are not to conform to this age, but you are to be transformed to renewal of mind into your approval which the will of God, the good and well-pleasing and perfect. (3) For I say through the grace which has been given to me to all that are among you not to have high thoughts beside what is necessary to think, but to think into sound mind to each as God divided a measure of faith. (4) For just as in one body we have many members, but not all members have the same function, (5) thus, the many one body we have in Christ, but just as into one another members. (6) But having differing gifts according to grace which are given to us, if too prophecy according to proportion of faith, (7) if too service, ministry; if too one who teaches, teach. (8) If too one who encourages, encourage; one who gives, in simplicity; one who rules over, in diligence; one who shows mercy, in cheerfulness.

Brothers in Christ, I encourage you to present your bodies to God; bodies that are pure and blameless and holy, as a sacrifice to God. Do this in response to His countless mercies in your lives as your service to Him. Do not be like this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind so that God’s will may be approved as evidenced by your actions. For I say to you, in view of the mercies shown to me, do not think more highly of yourself than you should. Rather, think in terms of the faith given to you by God and compare yourself with Christ; this will keep your arrogance in check. The human body has many parts, but not all parts have the same function. So also, the body of Christ has many members, and each of us has different functions. God’s grace was distributed to us in various ways, and the result was different spiritual gifts given to all. To those who have the gift of prophecy let him prophesy according to his faith; if service is your gift then serve; if teaching then teach; if encouragement then encourage others; if you have the means by which to give then give with an undivided heart with no ulterior motives; if you can lead others then do so effectively; if you have the gift of mercy then do it cheerfully.

In view of God’s infinite mercy, Christians are to live accordingly and use the gifts given to them in a way that causes the body of Christ to work at optimal level, thus, bringing glory to God.

I. With God’s mercies in view, Christians should honor Him with their bodies by presenting them to Him as a sacrifice that is pleasing to Him (12:1)

II. Since God has justified Christians in a way that brings glory to Himself we must now conform to His ways, in every way, so that God’s good and perfect will might be proven (12:2).

A. Man must put away pride, not thinking too highly of himself and putting aside all arrogance (12:3a)

B. Man must use his God-given ability to think with common sense and use his sound judgment afforded by the faith God has given him (12:3b).

In chapters 1-11 Paul lays out the theological framework for the church in Rome with regard to reconciliation. These first 11 chapters have made it clear, with reference to 1:17, that life is to be lived by faith through obedience to God. Commands are rare in the first 11 chapters, but now Paul shifts his focus from "indicatives" to "imperatives." There is a transforming power within the gospel message as Paul has pointed out in chapter six. Paul clearly shows how our union with Christ in His death and resurrection leads to our "walking in newness of life" (6:4) and demands that we "present ourselves to God as those who are alive from out of the dead" (6:13). It seems imperative to Paul, and justifiably so, to teach these general principles concerning the transforming power of the gospel.

In chapter 12 Paul turns to a more practical mode of teaching, and he emphasizes the importance for Christians to think properly. Paul teaches here with regard to the different functions within the body of believers and how each member of that body should work by using one’s gifts to build up the body of believers. The first two verses serve as an introduction to the rest of the main division (12:1-15:13), the theme of which they set forth (Cranfield, 595). A careful study of the first two verses in chapter 12 is vital to understanding everything that follows.

Verse one begins with an exhortation by Paul. He turns his thought process from focusing on the mercies of God and what He has done to that of encouraging the readers to do something with it. The "therefore" is an inferential conjunction used to give a deduction, conclusion, or summary to the preceding discussion (Wallace, 673). It is a transition particle indicating that what is going to be said follows from what has already been said. It shows that what Paul is speaking of here has a constant flow, and each phrase connects with each other. Here Paul is telling Christians that being obedient to what God has called them to do is a logical conclusion to what God has already done in their lives. Cranfield says,

The ou{n appears to go back, not just to the previous context in Romans 11:33-36, but all the way back to the whole argument of the epistle up to this point. The words that follow are to be considered universal for Christians as evidenced by the a}delfoi ("brothers") to whom Paul is speaking. Lest anyone think that Paul was only speaking to those in the Roman church, "brothers" are those who know the Lord Jesus Christ, and this would refer to all of us who make that claim.

Paul’s encouragement here is an exhortation with God’s mercies in view. The preposition dia is a preposition of manner here and should be translated as "by," making Paul’s exhortation one that reflects on what God has done. This pivotal thought process by Paul should speak volumes to Christians who wonder about the place of works in their lives. Good works are the natural manifestation of what God has done for us through His endless mercies. It is not about trying to obtain His mercy -- we already have it. But what is "mercy"? Is it something that God does when we are struggling by just "letting up" on us a bit? Not at all. Paul uses the word four times in his writings -- all in the plural form, "mercies." It is also used once in the epistle to the Hebrews in singular form. Only twice does Paul use this word in direct connection with a description of God, but on the other two uses they are in the context of mirroring what God has done. In Romans 12:1 this genitive of possession could be translated as, "mercies belonging to God..." In sum, the word has to do with compassion and grace -- the kind of compassion that only comes from God. It should be remembered what Paul previously said in Romans 5:8: "While we were still sinners Christ died for us." This is the essence of God’s mercies. It is only through God’s mercies that we can have fellowship with Him and offer our lives to Him as holy sacrifices.

In view of this Paul urges his audience to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. The verb here paristanai ("to present") is an infinitive having the tense of an imperative, and it is used here as a technical term of religious ritual with the meaning of "to offer" (as in a sacrifice). It is implied that this sacrifice should be to God because it is omitted in the Greek. However, the audience would have well known who their sacrifices were to be directed to (Cranfield, 598). The actual sacrifice is the body of the individual Christian. Animal sacrifices to God at the temple were not (and are not) needed now that Christ had offered the ultimate sacrifice of Himself on the cross. Now Paul urges the Christians to offer their bodies as a spiritual sacrifice (qusian) to God. In Paul’s words this sacrifice is to be zwsan ("alive") as opposed to dead. The literal rendering of the verse should therefore read, "I encourage you therefore, brothers, by the mercies belonging to God, to present your bodies a sacrifice, alive..."

Going further, Paul not only wants alive bodies presented to God, but he encourages "holy" and "well pleasing" bodies. Holiness is to be morally blameless while "well-pleasing" is used in the NT as being "acceptable" to God. The word is used ten times in the NT, and eight of those uses are for the purpose of God in our relationship to Him. In doing all of this we accomplish God’s will for our lives. People often ask and seek to know God’s will for their lives, and this verse plainly states that our responsibility as Christians is to offer ourselves to God, morally pure, as a sacrifice to Him for all He has done for us.

In verse two Paul keeps his train of thought flowing by using the conjunction kai which is usually translated "and." In doing so the relationship between verse one is readily seen. Some see verse two as being a subordinate to verse one, but it is better to understand them as coordinating, issuing two parallel but separate exhortations.

Paul uses an imperative here that is quite rare in the NT. The verb suschmativzesqe ("be not conformed") is used only two times in the NT, and it means to form or mold one’s behavior in accordance with a particular pattern or set of standards - to shape one’s behavior, to conform one’s life. The NIV and REB translate the verb "do not conform," while the NAS and KJV say, "do not be conformed." Either way, the message is clear. When Paul says not to conform to this world what he is doing is building on the theology of chapters 5-8 with a great emphasis placed on chapter 6. He exhorts his audience to separate themselves from the ways of the world so that those ways do not lure them into it. To quote from Moo:

Paul makes a second request in the form of an imperative by using the verb "be transformed" (metamorfou`sqe) in contrast to "be not conformed." This word is used only twice by Paul in the NT (only four times overall), and it is the same word the Gospel writers used to describe the transfiguration of Christ in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2. In the Gospels this transformation was visible, but Paul uses the word in the sense of an invisible but noticeable change in a person (Rom. 12:2 and 2 Cor. 3:18). This would imply one’s essence being changed and, consequently, also changing one’s outward demeanor.

Paul gives instructions on how to change, namely, to renew one’s mind (th`/ ajnakainwvsei tou` noo;"), literally "by the renewing of mind." This is the means by which the transformation takes place. What Paul appears to have in mind is a moral disposition, sensitiveness, and perceptiveness (Cranfield, 2:609). The word for "mind" here is noo;", and it has to do with the way a person reasons or makes sense of things. Since Christians have been renewed in their "newness of life" through Christ’s death and resurrection, Christians are to adjust their thinking and "re-program" how they think. For most this takes time, and though it can take place overnight, it usually will not. It’s called "growing in Christ," and it involves the concept of sanctification. Christians are to change their thinking, but this change is now possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. "The Christian is not thought of as merely a passive object of the Spirit’s action, but as a responsible sharer in it, yielding himself freely to the Spirit’s leading" (Cranfield, 2:609).

The remainder of verse 2, "that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," is an indication of purpose. It answers the "why?" of the Christian life. The verb here means to "prove" or "test," but Paul implies that the will of God be followed by obedient acceptance of it (Cranfield, 2:609). Moo says, "‘approving’ the will of God means to understand and agree with what God wants of us with a view to putting it into practice" (757). The renewed mind of the believer is now supposed to take the place of the old Mosaic law which has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Paul’s vision to which he calls us is of Christians whose minds are so thoroughly renewed that we know from within, almost instinctively, what we are to do to please God in any given situation.. We need "law"; but it would be to betray Paul’s call to us in these verses to substitute external commands for the continuing work of the mind-renewal that is at the heart of God’s New Covenant work (Moo, 758).

In verse 3 the conjunction gar ("for") must be considered before proceeding. Verses one and two are very important, but verse 3 expounds on those verses and must be looked at carefully. "For" here is a conjunction used to give an explanation, and this is precisely what Paul is doing here. It’s almost as if he is emphasizing the word me as if to glory all the more in the mercies granted unto him. He is speaking with a sense of awe at what God has done for him ("For through the grace given to me..."). No one knows grace better than Paul and its power over a sinful man so he is urging, as he did in verse 1, all who read this letter to focus in on God’s grace and mercy.

In view of God’s grace and mercy Paul commands that no one think too highly of himself. Arrogance and pride have no place among people who have been saved by God’s grace. In view of this Paul is showing how ridiculous it is to think too highly of oneself. The verb Paul uses, fronew ("think"), is a favorite of his given the times in which he uses it. The word play is a tough one to render into English, but Moo offers his literal translation: "that you not think beyond what is necessary to think but that you think with sober thinking..." (page 758). The verb itself connotes not so much the act of thinking in itself, as in the intellectual process, but the direction of one’s thinking, or the way in which a person views something (Moo, 760). A person was to have a healthy view of himself, and this view was to include what God had done for them in the person of Jesus Christ. To view oneself with a "sober mind" is to show how one’s mind has been "renewed" (verse 2).

The second part of verse 3 should be literally translated, "as God divided to each a measure of faith." The only way to test ourselves is to have an accurate objective standard by which to measure. Paul tells us here that God has given to each one of us a "measure of faith." What does this mean? There are a few different ways in which it can be translated, but the best rendering is that this "measure of faith" which Paul is speaking of is a faith that is given to each Christian as a standard to which Christians are to regard themselves. God has given to each Christian the same measure of faith, and it is the one common gift by which the many other spiritual gifts (vv. 6-8) stem. What is most important here is that God is the one who gives faith, and the faith He gives has as its object Jesus Christ and His saving work. Cranfield summarizes:

But even that faith is given to us. It is God who gives faith, and it is by His Son Jesus Christ that that faith is to be measured against. Just as Babe Ruth is the measure of the perfect baseball player, so the Christian is to be measured in comparison to Jesus Christ. Just as it would be ridiculous for a quadriplegic to boast of his playing ability in view of Babe Ruth’s ability to play ball, so too the Christian who boasts of anything he has short of crediting Christ would be foolish.

A Body With Many Parts (12:4a) Verse four begins with a conjunction used to give explanation (gar) "for" and a comparative conjunction kaqavper ("just as") which introduces an analogy, thus, clarifying another idea in the sentence. In this case Paul is comparing the body of believers in Christ with the human body. This expounds on what Paul said in verse 3 (cf. 1 Cor. 12), namely, that believers must not think more highly of themselves than they should. This is Paul’s rebuke of the arrogance of some who thought of themselves as being more important than others. Paul’s analogy is unmistakeable in that the literal body has many parts. Of course the brain and the heart are arguably the most important parts of the human body, but without eyesight, touch, and the like, the whole body suffers and breaks down. The human body may live on without these functions, but it is severely handicapped.

Different Functions (12:4b) The second part of verse four is Paul’s main point here expounding on his previous analogy of the body. Though we are all separate and given a measure of faith which is the same, we are different in the sense that we have different functions. The argument Paul makes in 1 Cor. 12 is much more developed and should be looked at here. All cannot be a foot, nor can all be a head. We work together, respecting each unique gift within the body of Christ just as the human body works with many different units with one goal and one task.

Many Members Within Christ’s Body (12:5a) "So also we who are many, are one in Christ..." Paul’s simple conclusion is that there are many members within Christ’s body, all working to the same end. Moo has observed that it is not clear whether Paul is speaking of the local church or the universal church. The omission of "apostles" from the list of gifts that follows might suggest that he has the local church only in view. But local church should be qualified in that it addresses the Christian community in Rome because chapter 16 makes it clear that the Christians in Rome, all of whom Paul addresses in the letter, met in several "house churches." Paul reminds that our "oneness in Christ" extends beyond those with whom we meet weekly for worship, embracing all who call on the name of the Lord (Moo, 763).

Members Working Together (12:5b) What does it mean to be "individually members of one another?" Simply put, it is the one body, seen as one by all, working all its members within itself to run properly. This is how the body of Christ is to function.

There are no verbs in verses 6b-8 with regard to the spiritual gifts in the Greek text, leaving one to wonder if the sentence is to be taken as indicative or imperative with the supplication of the implied imperative verb. The logical thought progression here in verse six, in relation to verse five, is obvious, but the syntactical progression is not so clear. Most commentators rightly assume an ellipsis in vv. 6b-8 that must be filled with an imperative verb (RSV & NAS) or with a whole string of imperative verbs as is found in the KJV & NIV. Paul has more in mind than just listing spiritual gifts. He is encouraging each member of the Christian community to use that gift in order to strengthen the body as a whole so that it might work more efficiently.

The Gift of Prophecy (12:6b) Paul looked very favorable upon this gift as is evidenced in 1 Cor. 14. This gift is not to be confused with the gift of predictive prophecy as found in the Old Testament, though it could have the element of prediction. The essence of this gift, however, is in proclaiming to the community of believers information that God has revealed to the prophet for the edification of the church. Today we have all of God’s revealed word in the Scriptures, and the office as it pertains to hearing God’s voice for the purpose of teaching a community of believers, has ceased. Today a prophet speaks God’s Word, and he speaks it from the Scriptures.

Being a prophet, "in accordance to the proportion of faith" means that the prophet is to make sure their utterances are in right proportion to their faith in Christ. The word for "proportion" here is ajnalogivan, and it is used only once in the NT. In Classical Greek the word is used as a mathematical term (Plato) where it implies a correct proportion or right relationship (BAGD). The "faith" which Paul refers to here refers to the basic Christian faith distributed to all Christians, and it is the same as the "measure of faith" as is found in verse 3 (Cranfield, 2:620).

The Gift of Serving (12:7a) The root of the word being used for "serving" here was originally used to denote "waiting at table." The word appears in the New Testament always in connection with the service of the Christian Church, except Luke 10:40, of Martha's serving; Heb. 1:14, of the ministry of angels, and 2 Cor. 3:7, of the ministry of Moses. Within this limit it is used: First, of service in general, including all forms of Christian ministration tending to the good of the Christian body (1 Cor. 12:5; Eph. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:11). Second, of the apostolic office and its administration; (a) generally (Acts 20:24; 2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Tim. 1:12); or (b) defined as a ministry of reconciliation, of the word, of the Spirit, of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:18; Acts 6:4; 2 Cor. 3:8-9).

It is not used of the specific office of a deacon; but the kindred word diakonos occurs in that sense (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8,12). As the word is employed in connection with both the higher and lower ministrations in the Church (Acts 6:1,4), it is difficult to fix its precise meaning here; yet as it is distinguished here from prophecy, exhortation, and teaching, it may refer to some more practical, and, possibly, minor form of ministry. Moule says: "Almost any work other than that of inspired utterance or miracle-working may be included in it here." So Godet: "An activity of a practical nature exerted in action, not in word." Some limit it to the office of deacon (Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament).

The Gift of Teaching (12:7b) Paul mentions this gift in two other lists of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:28, 29 & Eph. 4:11). In these two instances he lists it immediately after prophecy. In this instance, however, the office of "teacher" is designated as opposed to the gift of teaching. Dunn suggests that Paul viewed teaching as an activity regularly done by specific individuals; but the same is regularly true of prophecy. Prophecy and teaching are distinguishable even though they are the same in that they both are proclaiming God’s Word. "Prophecy" has revelatory nature to it in that God’s words are put into the mouths of the prophets, and they speak those words. "Teaching," on the other hand, has more to do with passing those words on as it relates to the truth of the Gospel. In keeping with his other exhortations, Paul encourages the use of this gift in faith.

The Gift of Exhortation (12:8a) One who exhorts could also be translated as one who "encourages" as the NIV renders it. Moo notes that the fact that the word comes directly after "teacher," probably denotes the activity of urging Christians to live out the truth found in the gospel (page 767). This also bodes well with Paul’s exhortation in 12:1. Cranfield believes that the distinction between exhortation and teaching is difficult to determine. His conclusion is that these two gifts overlap, but that there are some distinctions between the two. Whereas teaching had as its purpose to instruct, explain, and impart information, the immediate purpose of exhortation is to help Christians live out their obedience to the gospel. Those who have this gift are to fix their eyes not only on the gospel but also on the concrete situation of the hearers (Cranfield, 2:624).

The Gift of Giving (12:8b) Starting with this gift Paul changes his syntax once again with reasons that are unclear. At any rate, the "one who shares," as is plain from the Greek, is not only one who shares what is his own but also one who distributes things that are not his own (LXX, Job 31:17, Luke 3:11, and Eph. 4:28). This could mean that the gift is not only for those to whom God has blessed with great riches but also, as Calvin has said, an office in the church who is in charge of the distribution of the property of the Church. The more accepted definition here by most commentators is one who gives out of what is his own (Moo, Cranfield). With this in mind Paul tells those who have this gift to give with "simplicity." This word means "singleness," and it implies that one who gives should do so without any ulterior motives and to do so in a straight-forward manner.

The Gift of Leading (12:8c) The word used for "one who leads" here is proisthmi, and it carries the basic meaning of "one who stands before." Interestingly, it is never used of government leaders in the NT, but is used of headship (1Tim. 3:4,5,12) and in the church (1Tim. 5:17). In 1Cor. 12:28 Paul refers to the same gift by a different name kubernhsis which means to "guide." In Acts 27:11 and Revelation 18:17 it is used of a pilot, one who steers a ship. This leadership, in order to be effective, must be done with "diligence" (spoudh). Whether this gift is exercised by a pastor, deacon, or elder, it is to be carried out with carefulness, constancy, and consistency (MacArthur, 2:177).

The Gift of Mercy (12:8d) The final gift Paul lists is e)leaw ("one who shows mercy"). The word for mercy is used 34 times in the NT. This word is predominately used in reference to God and Jesus, but Paul uses it here for the first time in reference to a sinner as one who can show mercy. This gift, though it carries the connotation of almsgiving to the poor, is much more broad than that in this context because the connection of the word "mercy" with Jewish almsgiving is not widespread enough to justify this restriction (Moo, 769). As Moo has said, "we are to understand the ministry [of mercy] very generally and include within it any act of mercy toward others, such as visiting the sick, caring for the elderly or disabled, and providing for the poor. This also helps to distinguish the gift of mercy with the previous gift of giving. Paul adds to this his exhortation to avoid a grudging or downcast attitude. The gift should be exercised with cheerfulness.

Though Paul lists more spiritual gifts in other epistles the point is that God has endowed His children with various abilities. Each one of us is to use their spiritual gift(s) in a way that complements the other gifts that surround us, thus, bringing glory to God. In our churches today, teachers must teach, encouragers must encourage, and those with the gift of mercy must show mercy to those in need. When we work together we become a finely tuned and well-oiled body bringing glory to God in all we do. We must not only teach these gifts as Paul taught them, we must also help people to discover their gifts so as to utilize them in our often depleted and gift-ignorant churches.

Having a renewed mind in view of God’s great mercy is the first step in the process of growing in Christ. In turn, we can also help others to grow in Christ as we shape and perfect our God-given gifts and abilities. We serve an awesome God who has been so merciful and kind to us. Not only has He saved us from who we are, He has also blessed us beyond measure, giving us an opportunity to serve Him and bring greater blessings upon our own lives. Brothers, in view of God’s mercy be "transformed by the renewing of your minds." God’s eternal blessings stem from this, and not only bring joy in the lives of Christians while on the earth, but also glory to the God of heaven.