Romans — Chapter 12
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1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,
5so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.
6We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;
7if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
11Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
13Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
20On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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.
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service.
2And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.
4For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:
5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
6And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of our faith;
7or ministry, [let us give ourselves] to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching;
8or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, [let him do it] with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another;
11in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer;
13communicating to the necessities of the saints; given to hospitality.
14Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.
15Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.
16Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men.
18If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.
19Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.
20But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service.
2Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
3For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.
4For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function,
5so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.
6And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.
7If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach;
8if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
9Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.
10Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.
11Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.
12Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.
13Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.
18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.
19Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
2Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
3For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
4For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function,
5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
6Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;
7or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;
8or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another;
11not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.
15Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
16Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.
17Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.
18If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.
19Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
20Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Summary
Paul urges believers, in view of God's mercy, to offer their bodies as a living and holy sacrifice as their true act of worship, refusing to be shaped by the world but instead transformed through the renewal of their minds so they can discern God's good and perfect will (vv. 1-2). He calls each person to think of themselves with sober judgment rather than pride, according to the measure of faith God has given (v. 3), comparing the church to a body with many members and different functions, so that believers who are many form one body in Christ, belonging to one another (vv. 4-5). He lists gifts that differ by God's grace — prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving generously, leading diligently, and showing mercy cheerfully — and urges each person to exercise their gift accordingly (vv. 6-8). Paul then gives a rapid string of instructions for genuine love: hate evil, cling to good, show family-like affection and honor to one another, stay fervent in spirit while serving the Lord, remain joyful in hope and patient in suffering, keep praying, share with those in need, and welcome strangers (vv. 9-13). He calls believers to bless those who persecute them rather than curse them, to rejoice and weep together with others, to live in harmony without pride, and to associate with the humble rather than thinking too highly of themselves (vv. 14-16). The chapter closes with instructions never to repay evil for evil but to seek what is honorable, to live at peace with everyone as far as possible, to leave room for God's justice rather than taking revenge, to meet an enemy's needs rather than retaliate, and ultimately to overcome evil with good rather than being overcome by it (vv. 17-21).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the living sacrifice, mind renewal, spiritual gifts, and the practical commands for Christian living.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- Crossway: crossway.org On the whole letter: why Romans has carried the weight it has in church history.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Romans -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Present Your Body as a Living Sacrifice (v.1) — Paul calls believers to offer their whole selves to God as an ongoing act of worship, in view of His mercy. What part of your daily life have you been keeping off the altar?
- Transformed by a Renewed Mind (v.2) — Paul contrasts conforming to the world's pattern with being transformed through a mind made new. What is actually shaping your thinking day to day — Scripture, or the constant messaging around you?
- Sober, Honest Self-Assessment (v.3) — Paul warns against thinking too highly of yourself, urging instead a clear-eyed view in line with the faith God has given you. Where are you more likely to overestimate yourself than underestimate?
- Love Without Hypocrisy (v.9) — Paul commands genuine love that actively hates evil and clings to what's good, not performance. Is your love for others sincere, or does it shift depending on who's watching?
- Leaving Vengeance to God (v.19) — Paul tells believers not to repay evil for evil but to leave room for God's justice. Is there a wrong you're still holding onto that you need to release into God's hands?
- Overcoming Evil With Good (v.21) — Paul closes with a strategy of deliberate, active goodness rather than retaliation or withdrawal. Who has wronged you in a way that calls for this kind of intentional good response?