Romans 12

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Romans 12
Codex Carolinus (Knittel edition).PNG
Romans 11:33–12:1 on Knittel's edition of Codex Carolinus.
BookEpistle to the Romans
CategoryPauline epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part6

Romans 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid 50s AD,[1] with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22.[2]

Text[]

Romans 11:33–12:5 on Tischendorf's edition of Codex Carolinus (Monumenta, page 155).
Folio 256 verso of Codex Guelferbytanus 64 Weissenburgensis, page 507, showing palimpsest with Romans 12:17–13:1 of Codex Carolinus at the lower layer; and Isidore of Seville's writings at the upper layer in reverse.

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 21 verses.

Textual witnesses[]

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Old Testament references[]

A living sacrifice and the renewal of your minds (12:1–2)[]

Verse 1[]

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.[3]

The first letter of Peter uses a similar expressions:

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).

Paul speaks of "reasonable service (worship)", (Greek: τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν, tēn logikēn latreian) in contrast to the Greek: λατρεια (latreia, worship) which formed part of the Jewish covenant with God (Romans 9:4). Lutheran theologian Johann Albrecht Bengel summarises the contrasts to which Paul refers:

The service [worship], λατρέια, of the Gentiles is unreasonable, ἄλογος, (cf. Romans 1:18–25), the confidence of the Jews is unreasonable, ἄλογος, Romans 2:3), but the Christian considers all things rightly, and collects [infers] his duty from the kindness of a merciful God. The epithet λογικὴν now corresponds to that verb, λογίζεσθαι, which is often used (Romans 3:28, 6:11 and 8:18).[4]

Verse 2[]

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.[5]

Exhortations for the Christian Community (12:3–8)[]

Verses 3–8 is in a form of sermon, closely paralleled by 1 Corinthians 12:12–28.[12] Paul starts the exhortation first to the humility and Christian unity, reflecting that he writes from Corinth, 'the native habitat of spiritual pride and factional division' (cf. 1 Corinthians 1-4).[12] A major difference with the epistle to the Corinthians is that the list of gifts in verses 6–8 includes gifts of exhortation, generosity, and compassion but not deeds of power, healings, and tongues as found in 1 Corinthians 12:28.[12] In Romans the gifts are not related specifically to the activity of the Holy Spirit.[12]

Verse 3[]

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.[13]

Verse 5[]

so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.[15]

Love in Action (12:9–21)[]

Described by Moo as "Love and its manifestations", the section is proverbial in tone, the style is known as parenesis. Some verses echo the Old Testament, notably 16c, 19c, and 20, while others are reflections of Jesus' teachings (especially 14, 17, 18 and 21).[16]

William Barclay suggests that in verses 9 to 13, "Paul presents his people with [twelve] telegraphic rules for everyday life".[17]

Verses 17–21[]

These verses form a chiasm, bracketed by lines containing the word "evil" – verse 17a and verse 21. The next layer comprising verses 17b–18 and verse 20, deals with the way to treat non-Christians. The central portion is the prohibition of vengeance.[16]

Vengeance is mine[]

Part of this verse – "I will repay" or in older translations "vengeance is mine" (Vengeance is mine, and recompense ESV) – is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35. Paul's instruction here is not to be vengeful. John Wycliffe and his colleagues translated as "not defending yourselves" (Romans 12:19 WYC)

Verse 21[]

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.[18]

This verse is a comprehensive summary of Romans 12:19-20, that is, "be not carried away to revenge and retaliation (verse 19) by evil which is committed against you, but overcome the evil by the good which you show to your enemy (verse 20), put to shame by your noble spirit, ceases to act malignantly against you and becomes your friend".[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Hill 2007, p. 1084.
  2. ^ Donaldson, Terence L. (2007). "63. Introduction to the Pauline Corpus". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 1077. ISBN 978-0199277186.
  3. ^ Romans 12:1 NKJV
  4. ^ Bengel's Gnomon on Romans 12, accessed 28 September 2016
  5. ^ Romans 12:2 NKJV
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Greek Text Analysis: Romans 12:2. Biblehub
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Meyer, Heinrich August Wilhelm (1880). Commentary on the New Testament. Romans 12. Translation by Peter Christie from Meyer's sixth edition. Accessed February 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Romans 12. Accessed 28 April 2019.
  9. ^ Note [a] on Romans 12:2 in ESV
  10. ^ HELP Word-studies in Strong's Concordance 3339 metamorphóō. Biblehub
  11. ^ Strong's Concordance 3339 metamorphóō. Biblehub
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Hill 2007, p. 1104.
  13. ^ Romans 12:3 NKJV
  14. ^ Greek Text Analysis: Romans 12:3. Biblehub
  15. ^ Romans 12:5 NKJV
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Douglas J. Moo (1996). The Epistle to the Romans. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Frederick Fyvie Bruce (series editor). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 769–773. ISBN 9780802823175.
  17. ^ Barclay, W., (1975), The Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition: The Letter to the Romans, accessed 27 September 2016
  18. ^ Romans 12:21 NKJV

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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