Romans 12

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A Living Sacrifice

1 1I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, 2to present your bodies 3as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b]
2 4Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by 5the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may 6discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d]

Gifts of Grace

3 For 7by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you 8not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, 9each according to 10the measure of faith that God has assigned.
4 For 11as in one body we have many members,[e] and the members do not all have the same function,
5 so we, 12though many, 13are one body in Christ, and individually 14members one of another.
6 15Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if 16prophecy, 17in proportion to our faith;
7 if 18service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;
8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; 19the one who leads,[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with 20cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 21Let love be genuine. 22Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
10 23Love one another with brotherly affection. 24Outdo one another in showing honor.
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, 25be fervent in spirit,[g]26 serve the Lord.
12 27Rejoice in hope, 28be patient in tribulation, 29be constant in prayer.
13 30Contribute to the needs of the saints and 31seek to show hospitality.
14 32Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 33Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 34Live in harmony with one another. 35Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[h]36Never be wise in your own sight.
17 37Repay no one evil for evil, but 38give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, 39live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, 40never avenge yourselves, but leave it[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, 41"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
20 To the contrary, 42"if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Cross References 42

  • 1. 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 10:1; Ephesians 4:1
  • 2. Romans 6:13, 16, 19; [Psalms 50:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 6:20]; See 1 Peter 2:5
  • 3. Hebrews 10:20
  • 4. 1 Peter 1:14; [1 John 2:15]
  • 5. Titus 3:5; [Psalms 51:10; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10]
  • 6. Ephesians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3
  • 7. See Romans 1:5
  • 8. ver. 16; Romans 11:20
  • 9. 1 Corinthians 7:17
  • 10. Ephesians 4:7
  • 11. 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 4:4, 16
  • 12. 1 Corinthians 10:17, 33
  • 13. 1 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:13; See John 17:11
  • 14. Ephesians 4:25; [1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 12:27]
  • 15. 1 Corinthians 12:4; 1 Peter 4:10, 11; [1 Corinthians 7:7; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11]
  • 16. 1 Corinthians 12:10; See Acts 13:1
  • 17. [2 Timothy 2:15]
  • 18. See Acts 6:1
  • 19. 1 Timothy 5:17; [1 Corinthians 12:28]
  • 20. 2 Corinthians 9:7
  • 21. 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22
  • 22. Psalms 97:10; Psalms 101:3; Amos 5:15; [1 Thessalonians 5:21, 22]
  • 23. See Hebrews 13:1
  • 24. Romans 13:7; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 2:17
  • 25. Acts 18:25
  • 26. Acts 20:19
  • 27. See Romans 5:2
  • 28. See Hebrews 10:36
  • 29. See Acts 1:14
  • 30. Romans 15:25; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 15; 2 Corinthians 9:1, 12; Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:16; [1 Timothy 6:18]
  • 31. See Matthew 25:35
  • 32. See Matthew 5:44; 1 Peter 3:9
  • 33. 1 Corinthians 12:26; [Job 30:25; Hebrews 13:3]
  • 34. Romans 15:5; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 2:2; Philippians 4:2; 1 Peter 3:8
  • 35. ver. 3; Psalms 131:1; Jeremiah 45:5
  • 36. Romans 11:25; Proverbs 3:7
  • 37. Proverbs 20:22; Matthew 5:39; [Romans 14:19]
  • 38. 2 Corinthians 8:21; [Romans 14:16]
  • 39. See Mark 9:50
  • 40. Proverbs 20:22; Matthew 5:39; [Romans 14:19]
  • 41. Hebrews 10:30; Cited from Deuteronomy 32:35; [Psalms 94:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:6]
  • 42. Cited from Proverbs 25:21, 22; [Exodus 23:4, 5; 2 Kings 6:22; Luke 6:27]

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Or brothers and sisters
  • [b]. Or your rational service
  • [c]. Greek age
  • [d]. Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
  • [e]. Greek parts; also verse 5
  • [f]. Or gives aid
  • [g]. Or fervent in the Spirit
  • [h]. Or give yourselves to humble tasks
  • [i]. Greek give place

Romans 12 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.