12:1 Therefore I strongly urge you, brothers and sisters by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a sacrifice – living, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable and spiritual service. 12:2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, 4 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test so as to approve what the will of God is – what is good and pleasing and perfect.
Unpacking the Text in its Original Language
Greek Text/Parsing
Parakalw: ou\n u:maV, adelfoiv, dia; tw:n oijktirmw:n tou: qeou: parasth:sai ta; swvmata
v.pai.1s conj p.ap2 n.vpm prep.g d.gpm n.gpm d.gsm n.gsm f.aa d.apn n.apn
uJmw:n qusivan
p.ap2 n.asf
suschmativzesqe tw:/ aijw:ni toutw/ ajlla;
v.ppm.2p d.dsm n.dsm p.dsm conj
dokimavzein uJma:V tiv to; qevlhma tou: qeou:, to; ajgaqo;n kai;
dokimavzein uJma:V tiv to; qevlhma tou: qeou:, to; ajgaqo;n kai;
fp.a d.ap2 p.nsn d.nsn n.nsn d.gsm n.gsm d.nsn a.nsn conj a.nsn conj a.nsn
Mechanical Outline
1. THEREFORE,
I strongly urge you, brothers (and sisters)
By the mercies of God
To Present
your bodies
As a sacrifice
Holy,
Acceptable
and pleasing to God
Which is your reasonable and spiritual service
2. AND
Do not be conformed
to the pattern of this world
BUT
Be be transformed
by the renewing of your mind
So that you may test so as to approve
what the will of God is
what is good
pleasing
perfect
1. ou\n,
Parakalw: u:maV, adelfoiv,
dia; tw:n oijktirmw:n tou: qeou:
parasth:sai
ta; swvmata uJmw:n
qusivan
zw:san
aJgivan
eujavreston tw: qew:
th;n logikh;n latreivan uJmw:n
2. kai;
mh; suschmativzesqe
tw:/ aijw:ni toutw
ajlla;
metamorfou:sqe
th: ajnakainwvsei tou: noo;V
eijV to; dokimavzein uJma:V
tiv to; qevlhma tou: qeou
to; ajgaqo;n
kai; eujavreston
kai; tevleion.
Chapter 12 begins with the conjunction, ‘therefore’, in the English which corresponds to the post-positive, ou\n, in the Greek. This conjunction is a significant one because it reveals a pattern that is typical in Pauline literature, which is separating a book into two sections: doctrine and application/conduct. This conjunction signifies the end of Paul’s doctrinal section of the book of Romans (or a change in emphasis) and begins “his exhortation to live out the Christian faith.” [1] Now, this conjunction refers back either to the immediate preceding verses (11:33-36) or to the entire doctrinal argument that Paul presents in first eleven chapters.[2] From 1:18 – 11:36, the apostle Paul defines the gospel, soteriology, justification by faith, righteousness, adoption, election, atonement, propitiation to name afew, then in chapters 12-15, he discusses the implications these doctrines have on Christian conduct, “the obedience that comes from faith” (Rom. 1:5). All things considered, the conjunction, therefore, although it could easily refer to previous four verses preceding it, most likely refers to the preceding eleven chapters. Paul is saying “Therefore, in light of everything I just unpacked for you, I exhort or urge you to “present, offer, or give” your bodies as a sacrifice to God.
Paul begins the text with a phrase of exhortation (verb + pronoun) Parakalw: u:maV, adelfoiv, translated as ‘I urge you brothers.’ However, the present active verb, Parakalw:, that could be understood in a variety of ways. Used 109 times in the Bible, the word has five possible categories of meanings (BDAG, 3rd ed.) which are “to call to one’s side,” “urge strongly, appeal to, exhort, encourage,” “to make a strong request for something,” “to instill someone with courage or cheer,” or “to treat on in a congenial manner.”[3] Therefore, there is quite a bit more flexibility on how to interpret this word in the Greek as opposed to the English in which it is typically translated in this verse as “to urge, exhort, or beseech,” the second category of meaning.[4] Context seems to support this decision because Paul is giving an instruction or “making an authoritative proclamation that demands serious adherence.”[5] In fact, later on in the verse he qualifies it as the Christian’s logikh;n latreivan, which is often translated as ‘reasonable service or spiritual act of worship.” It other words, it should characterize all believers. Therefore, even inside the second category of meaning, words such as ‘encourage’, ‘appeal ‘ and perhaps even ‘urge’ seem too soft or not nuanced enough. Something like ‘to urge strongly’ or ‘to exhort’ is most likely the meaning.
Who does Paul urge strongly? Brothers, or adelfoiv,, is properly translated by the NET Bible as ‘brothers and sisters’ because certainly Paul had in view more than just males. The noun is in the vocative case, meaning he is directly addressing these brothers and sisters who are fellow believers in Jesus Christ and who he has just unpacked eleven chapters of doctrine for. The fact that they are believers is made clear in the fact that they are beneficiaries of the mercies of God, are offering their bodies as sacrifices to God, and are encouraged to not to be conformed to the world.
The next phrase Paul uses is dia; tw:n oijktirmw:n tou: qeou: what is usually translated either as “by the mercies of God” or “in view of God’s mercy (NIV).” Used only five times in the Bible, the Greek word, oijktirmw:n, is a derivative of oijktivpw (‘to have mercy’) and pertains to “showing mercy or compassion” or even pity.[6] Paul attributes these mercies to God’s possession: the mercies of God. The mercies of God, in this context, is understood by most to refer back to the salvific acts (of mercy) described and delineated in the first eleven chapters, and not just to the mercy terminology listed in chapters 9-11.[7] These include grace, compassion, love of God, the power of salvation, reconciliation, justification, glorification and the list goes on.[8] Consequently, in regards to the dia;, which is a preposition in the genitive, we should probably translate it as by instead of the NIV’s “in view of.” Leon Morris notes that “it is on the grounds of the mercies of God that Paul makes his appeal.” Paul is “telling the Romans what their conduct must be in light of what God has done.”[9] Interestingly enough, tw:n oijktirmw:n, is in the genitive case; mostly likely because dia;, takes its direct object in the genitive, while tou: qeou:, not just because it is apart of the prepositional phrase, but because it is a genitive of possession. Overall, what is our response to God’s mercy supposed to be? “The total commitment of ourselves to God is based on the totality of his mercy to us.”[10]
Now what is Paul strongly urging, by the mercies of God that his brothers and sisters do? To ‘present’ or ‘offer’ their bodies as a sacrifice to God. The word translated ‘present’ or ‘offer’ is the Greek aorist infinitive, parasth:sai, According to the TDNT and the NIDNT, this word can carry a variety of meanings in the NT inside two main categories of use, transitive and intransitive. In the transitive usage (what we are dealing with in this verse) the possible meanings include ‘to place beside’, ‘to present’ or an act of presentation, ‘to offer’, ‘to bring before’ and ‘to prove.’ In context, ‘present’ or ‘offer’ makes the most sense and is most certainly the case. Paul is presenting perhaps the strongest metaphor and imagery in this chapter. The whole idea of offering one’s own body as a sacrifice or qusivan, is seems to be playing off of Old Testament imagery where pure animals were presented or offered to God as a sacrifice – concerning the atonement of sin. Paul’s audience, in the midst of this historical situation, would have caught on instantly to the point Paul was trying to get across here. What is striking is that the people themselves were to be the sacrifice. The question is why does Paul single out our bodies as the sacrifice as opposed to our whole self?[11] John MacArthur notes, “because our souls [already] belong to God through salvation, [God] already has the inner man. But He also wants the outer man, in which the inner man dwells.”[12]
Next, Paul qualifies sacrifice with three qualifiers, zw:san, aJgivan and eujavreston tw: qew:, or living (alive), holy and pleasing to God. Many translations seeing translate this phrase as “a living sacrifice” or a “living and holy sacrifice” that is pleasing to God, but as the NET Bible and Leon Morris note, there is no reason to separate the three, attaching only living or holy to sacrifice. The NET translators note, “The participle and two adjectives ‘alive, holy, and pleasing to God’ are taken as predicates in relation to ‘sacrifice,’ making the exhortation more emphatic.” This is most certainly the case as is seen by parsing out these three qualifiers. All three are adjectives or participles that are accusative singular feminine and refer back to the noun, sacrifice, which is also accusative singular feminine. Now, having a sacrifice that was holy or consecrated and pleasing to God was no surprise, but having a ‘living’ sacrifice? That seems like an oxymoron, but is characteristic of the Christian walk says Paul. Maybe this peculiar idea of a “living sacrifice” is the reason many translations prefix sacrifice with living and relegate “holy’ and ‘pleasing’ as predicates.
Paul follows up these three aforementioned qualifiers with the phrase, th;n logikh;n latreivan uJmw:n. Typically this is translated “which is your reasonable service” or “spiritual act of worship.” But which one is correct? Both terms seem a bit ambiguous. Whichever it means, this terms is equated to the believer presenting his body as a living, holy and pleasing sacrifice to God. The TDNT notes that “Paul describes this sacrifice as…service of God which corresponds to human reason, in which, however the divine reason is also at work.”[13] BDAG defines logikovV as “pertaining to being carefully thought through” and latreivan as “service or worship to God.”[14] Undoubtedly, “this is a strong cultic term describing the corporate experience of worship, but here it is applied metaphorically to the daily life of the believer.”[15] To be sure, perhaps both translates are correct. This is a spiritual act of worship and a reasonable service. Both of these definitions seem to be a part of the phrase that Paul used here.
In verse 2, Paul begins, after the sign post kai;, with two huge imperatives suschmativzesqe and metamorfou:sqe. Paul wrote “do not be conformed to this world (or age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word suschmativzesqe is translated ‘conformed’ while metamorfou:sqe is translated ‘transformed.’ He moves from the negative to the positive. BDAG defines suschmativzesqe as “to form according to a pattern or mold” and metamorfou:sqe as “to change inwardly in fundamental character or condition; to be changed or transformed.”[16] This is a debate whether there is really a difference in meaning between the two words. Logically, they seem quite similar, but seem to differ in the sense that one is “outward conformity” and the other is “inward transformation.”[17] Leon Morris notes, “Paul is looking for a transformation at the deepest level that is infinitely more significant than the conformity to the world’s pattern that is distinctive of so many lives.”[18] The present tense form of these two imperatives denote an action that is to be continuous in the life of the believer. The believer is not to be conformed to the age or world, but transformed by the renewing of his or her mind. This is a continually thing – “a continuous process of renewal.”[19] Interestingly enough, this word for renewal is not found outside Christian literature.[20] So thus far, Paul is strongly urging believers, by the mercies of God, to offer their bodies as sacrifices, and to also not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of their minds.
Why be transformed? Paul answers this with the phrase eijV to; dokimavzein uJma:V tiv to; qevlhma tou: qeou. The Greek word dokimavzeinv often translated as ‘test’ or ‘approve” or both. BDAG has listed two main categories of meaning being “to make a critical examination of something to determine genuineness; to put to the test” or :to fraw a conclusion about worth on the basis of testing; prove; approve.”[21] The infinitive carries probably carries a meaning of both. Morris argues for both and notes Paul “is arguing for the spiritual discernment that ascertains what God wants us to do and then sets itself to do it.” It is more than just finding out God’s will and that it is good (testing) but putting it into practice and approving it.[22] I like the NET Bible’s note on this: The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”
Finally, Paul applies three adjectives to God’s will. Similarly to how holy, acceptable and pleasing describes sacrifice, good, pleasing and perfect describe God’s will. The will of God is normative singular neuter and so are the three adjectives. It is through being transformed that we will ‘test as to approve’ this good, pleasing and perfect will of God. These two verses describe what the Christian’s standard response and conduct should be concerning God’s mercy and salvific acts. All of what Paul describes doctrinally in the first eleven chapters should show themselves in this way – should be produced in each believer in this way.
Concluding Thoughts
I wish I had more time to break down the text even further. The Greek adds so much more color and, many times, clarity to the text. The Greek many times can be more precise or less precise than the English (sometimes we are more precise in our English translations then we should be). However, the Greek is always the most accurate (this goes without saying). Having the Greek parsing sheds significant light on what words go along with or describe other words. It also gives more meaning to and force behind words that many times we are incapable of representing in English. The Greek undoubtedly adds complexity, but with this complexity often comes more clarity.
[1] Leon Morris, Epistles to Romans, p. 431. Morris notes that this pattern is used in Galatians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
[2] Grant Osborne and Leon Morris (IVP New Testament Commentary, p. 317 and Epistles to the Romans, p. 432, respectively) argue that therefore does refer to the first 11 chapters, while John MacArthur argues that it refers to the directly preceding verses 11:33-36 (MacArthur NT Commentary).
[3] BDAG, 3rd ed., p. 764-765.
[4] “Although some scholars “see the word as meaning implore (NEB)” or admonish. Cited from Leon Morris, p. 433.
[5] Grant Osborne, IVP New Testament Commentary, p. 319.
[6] Louw & Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 751 (88.81).
[7] Osbourne, p. 319.
[8] John MacArthur, MacArthur NT Commentary.
[9] Leon Morris, Epistles to the Romans, p. 432-433.
[10] Osbourne, p. 319.
[11] Grant Osbourne notes that many churches see the “to offer” infinitive in a ‘once-for’all sense’ and therefore argue for a ‘second work of grace.’ This is a common misunderstanding of the aorist tense which can carry a one-time action or completed notion, but it typically undefined. p. 319
[12]MacArthur NT Commentary
[13] Kittle, p. 65.
[14] BDAG, 3rd ed., p. 587 & 598
[15] Osborne, p. 320. Also, BDAG 3rd ed.
[16] BDAG, 3rd ed., p. 639-640
[17] Morris, p. 435.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] BDAG, 3rd ed., p.
[21] Ibid, p. 255.
[22] Morris, p. 436.
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