Chapter 12
12:1- The first 11 chapters of Romans deal with a lot of in depth theology, doctrine and explanation of the gospel. The remaining chapters flow into practical application of life as a Christian; instructions on how one ought to live if we are servants of Christ with His Spirit living within us. These chapters could be titled “The Christian Way of Life” and get into the matter of being “doers” of the Word, not just hearers (James 1:23-24). F.F. Bruce writes that “Doctrine is never taught in the Bible simply that it may be known; it is taught in order that it may be translated into practice. ‘If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:17). Hence Paul repeatedly follows up an exposition of doctrine with an ethical exhortation, the two being linked together, as here, by ‘Therefore’ (cf. Eph. 4:1, Col. 3:5).”
Verse 1 starts off with “Therefore” or, in other words, “Having concluded all these things” we are to present ourselves as living and holy sacrifices to God. In this new covenant, there are no longer sacrifices offered for atonement of sins, for Christ has done that once and for all. The sacrifice we now offer to God is ourselves as “living sacrifices.” This is the proper response to grace. That is, gratitude by living to serve Christ as our Lord. This necessarily entails conforming to His character and His calling for our lives. We are not only called to be “living” sacrifices, but “holy” ones. That is, wholly set apart from the world and unto God. It’s easy to fall into thinking that “worship” is only when we sing songs of praise to God. It is that, but worship is so much more than that. Here Paul is saying that the way we live our lives unto God (as living and holy sacrifices), is our spiritual service of worship! All of this is pleasing and acceptable to God. This should be our primary concern in how we live our lives. That is, “we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” -2 Cor. 5:9 (NIV).
12:2- Paul first states that believers must no longer conform to this world/present age. As Peter puts it, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”-1 Peter 1:14 (NIV). As citizens of heaven we must set our minds on and be concerned with the things of heaven, not of this “evil age” (Gal. 1:14, Col. 3:2). The NLT translates the first half of this verse- “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world…” Robert Mounce comments on the importance of not looking to the world as the example by which we live… “It cannot, and must not, serve as a model for Christian living. Its values and goals are antithetical to growth in holiness. The church should stand out from the world as a demonstration of God’s intention for the human race. To be culturally identified with the world is to place the church at risk. Believers are to be salt and light (Matt. 5:13-14), purifying and enlightening contemporary culture.” Matthew Henry writes, “All the disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus must be nonconformists to this world. Do not fashion yourselves according to the world. We must not conform to the things of the world. We must not conform to the men of the world, we must not follow a multitude to do evil. If sinners entice us, we must not consent to them, but in our places witness against them.” Nonconformity to the immorality of our culture is as crucial now as it was for the church in the 1st century. It’s not just limited to outward actions but in how we think and what we accept in our ethics.
To a socially ostracized and persecuted church the Apostle Peter writes, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.” -1 Peter 4:3-4 (NIV)
Those Christians were once conformed to their immoral society as nonbelievers. However, as Paul is exhorting the Roman church here (similar to the Corinthian church- i.e. 1 Cor. 6:9-11), they are new creatures in Christ, no longer living for the lusts of the flesh and self-satisfaction, but instead in servitude to a God who calls them to holiness. To the church Peter was addressing, they had forsaken the evilness of their culture. They had not conformed to their world, but as evidenced by those who reviled and ostracized them, they were instead being transformed by the renewed mind as Christ lived in them. That brings us to the second half of verse 2. It’s not enough to abstain from the evil around us, but we are therefore to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that, as the NIV renders it, “you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is” or as the ESV translates, “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.” The “renewing of our mind” is simply a change in how we view the world; a new set of convictions. We ought to filter our actions, decisions and desires through the mind of Christ. We ought to love what God loves, hate what God hates and live our lives in accordance with His will, which is conformity to the character of Christ as revealed for us in Scripture. We don’t focus our attention around temporal matters such as the lusts of the flesh and self gratification, but on heavenly matters. By this renewing, it will lead to a continuous (or ongoing) transformation into the image of Christ. Consider 2 Cor. 3:18 in which Paul says, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NIV).
This transformation and sanctification process is ongoing and lifelong as indicated by the tense Paul uses in both our verse in Romans as well as in 2 Cor. 3:18. Much like Peter’s exhortation in 2 Peter 1:8 after describing the qualities that come from a renewed mind, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is a synergy to our ongoing sanctification process. We cannot be transformed without the Holy Spirit, yet we are not passive participants in our transformation, we can still “grieve” the Spirit and choose the flesh over the Spirit, or choose to walk in the Spirit. (Eph. 4:30, Gal. 5:16-25). To sum up Paul’s point in this verse and the imperative that he’s giving us, I think David Garland commenting on 2 Cor. 3:18 is right when he states: “The Spirit is not imposed upon us, and Christians must engage in spiritual disciplines that make the Spirit’s work possible in changing our lives at the fundamental level. God’s Spirit empowers us to do what we want to do and makes what we want to do to be what is right so that Christlikeness flows from us naturally.”
12:3- “The grace given to me” likely refers to Paul’s apostleship (1:5; 15:15). Paul is offering these instructions in light of the authority he has as an apostle commissioned by the grace of Christ. Humility is crucial within a corporate body of believers. If our minds have been renewed and transformed, we will not think arrogantly of ourselves, but instead show sound judgment. So Osborne writes, “To think soberly is to have the divine perspective–we are slaves to God (Rom. 6:16, 18, 22) and to one another (Gal. 5:13), so we place ourselves under others rather than above them (compare Phil. 2:3-4).” As we will see by the context of the following verses, “as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (NASB) or “in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (NIV) most likely refers to distinct endowments that God has bestowed among each member of the Church. The use of the word “faith” here is certainly different from “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3) that speaks of the objective faith of the gospel. Paul is referring to subjective faith in accordance with the gifts God has given us (v.6; see also: 2 Cor. 10:13, 1 Cor. 12:7-11).
12:4-5- The next several verses echo 1 Cor. 12 in which Paul is teaching unity among a variety of gifts, functions, and roles within the corporate body of Christ. A theme we see throughout the New Testament is that we are all of equal status in Christ (Gal. 3:28), yet different and distinct in the roles we have within the body (Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12). There is no room for pride or arrogance as it is God who determines and gives the gifts and just as the whole physical body is dependent upon the different individual parts to function properly, so is the body of Christ. It’s important to understand the assumption with which Paul makes when referring to the “body of Christ” and the underlying context with which he and the other apostles write their letters. That is, Christianity is very much a communal religion. The apostles were not writing with instructions only to individuals, but to the church as a whole through localized churches. The very nature presupposes the corporate gathering of the saints to worship, teach God’s word, encourage, and to partake in the sacraments such as The Lord’s Supper together. This is why it was necessary for Paul to provide instructions on how corporate gatherings should operate, the different roles within the body of believers and establishing qualifications for leadership within the church (see 1 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). “Lone Ranger Christianity” was never the intention of Christ or the apostles, nor is it a prevailing mindset we see in church history.
12:6-8- Since there is such a variety and diversity of gifts given (according to what God sovereignly bestows on us), we ought to use them accordingly for the benefit of the believers around us. Gifts are given so that we can be a blessing to others, to serve and build up the body of Christ. As in 1 Cor. 12, Paul makes clear that though we all have gifts, those gifts vary among us. The NIV translates v. 6, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” If, for example, your gift is prophecy, do it in accordance with “your faith” (NIV) or “our faith” (ESV). Marvin R. Vincent says of the gift of prophecy, “the prominent idea is not prediction, but the inspired delivery of warning, exhortation, instruction, judging, and making manifest the secrets of the heart.” Everett Harrison points out that Paul’s list of gifts here isn’t exhaustive like in 1 Cor. 12 and that “He seems more intent on emphasizing the need for exercising the gifts and for exercising them in the right way– “in proportion to [one’s] faith.’” Harrison goes on to say that Paul’s use of ‘faith’ here “retains the subjective force it has in v. 3 and that the whole phrase has the same thrust as ‘measure of faith’ there. A prophet is not to be governed by his emotions (1 Cor. 14:32) or by his love of speaking (1 Cor. 14:30) but by entire dependence of the Spirit of God.”
For verses 7-8, the emphasis remains on the attitude with which people handle these giftings. Serving (discipleship, youth work, children's ministry, food ministries, etc), teaching (expounding sound doctrine and biblical truths), exhorting (encouragement and helping people live out said sound doctrine) giving (generosity of one’s provisions), leading (those ‘in charge’ or in positions of authority) and those who show mercy (caring for the sick, needy, etc) should all be done with the proper attitude and with the understanding that it is only by the grace of God that one has the ability to serve in these capacities. Ben Witherington III candidly concludes, “Paul then is focusing to some degree on the attitude with which one exercises one’s gifts. Dull, listless, grumpy, and overly somber saints need an attitude adjustment in order to exercise their gifts in a Christlike manner.”
12:9- Verses 9-13 contains a list of thirteen imperatives. Paul starts off in verse 9 by clarifying that love should be sincere. Love never seeks its own interest and is free from all pretense. The next part of verse 9 seems to go overlooked a lot in our current culture. That is, as those who love God we ought to “Abhor what is evil” (NASB) or “Hate what is evil” (NIV). This isn’t a new concept, but is taught throughout Scripture. Psalm 97:10 says, “Let those who love the Lord hate evil,” and Amos 5:15 states, “Hate evil, love good;” We should not desire, nor look favorably upon the wickedness in this world if we profess to love God. Mounce rightly comments: “To love God is to regard evil with horror. Unfortunately, familiarity with a culture that is shaped by the forces of Satan has lulled too many believers into a state of general tolerance for whatever deviant behavior is in vogue at present. We are to abhor evil because it is the enemy of all that leads to Christlikeness.” If we ought to hate evil, we also must “cling to what is good.” The Greek word translated as “cling” is kollaō and literally means “to glue or fasten firmly together.” We must be wedded to what is good, both in thought and actions. Harrison states, “Total commitment leaves neither time nor inclination to court evil.”
12:10-13- Verse 10 can challenge our nature probably more than anything else. To give preference to others over ourselves seems contrary to the way we are wired (at least for me this is true). Paul is further emphasizing unity within the church and particularly with how we interact with each other. Christ did not come to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45) and we are to have that same mindset (Phil. 2:1-8). In the late 2nd century, early church father Tertullian wrote that while the pagan world hated one another and were willing to kill each other, it was said of the Christian community: “See how they love each other” and “See how ready they are to die for each other.” Jesus’ words in John 13:35 should be at the forefront of our minds.
Acts 18:25 described Apollos as being “fervent in spirit” which is the same phrase Paul uses in verse 11. The Greek word we translate as “fervent” is zeō which means “To boil with heat, be hot” and can be used in the context of extreme emotions of either anger or love and having a zeal for either good or bad. Paul totally rejects apathy in the Christian life. Rather, we should be fervent in our desire to serve Christ and as he says in Titus 2:14, “zealous for good deeds.”
Verse 12 continues the exhortations with rejoicing in hope, persevering in trials and devotion to prayer. Paul has spoken of the hope we have in Christ (8:23-27) as well as persevering through trials (5:3-5). Even though we know what our eternal future holds, we also know we will have difficulties and trials here on earth. Perseverance in the midst of trials is a major theme in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-4, 2 Cor. 1:6, Rev. 2:2-3, etc.) but we know that this grows our character and faith and ultimately conforms us to Christ. Constant prayer is crucial in the life of a Christian. The more we put Phil. 4:6-7 into action, the more guarded our hearts and minds will be and the more peace we will have.
Consistent with his sentiment in v.10, here in verse 13 Paul exhorts those to an ongoing commitment to contribute “to the needs of the saints” or as the NIV renders it, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.” There is a specificity to the command that as believers, we should be seeking to support one another, help each other in times of need (spiritually or temporally). Yes, we should seek to “do good to all people” but there is an emphasis on supporting those within the church. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” -Gal. 6:10 (NIV). Practicing hospitality was especially important in that time and place in history where inns were either too expensive or unsafe (or both). Craig Keener writes, “In antiquity “hospitality” especially meant putting up travelers (without charge) in one’s home while they were in town.” We should bear this principle in mind lest we get too wrapped up in our individualistic way of thinking as is the bent in our society.
12:14-16- In less than ten years from the time Paul was writing, persecution of the Christians in Rome would be severe under Emperor Nero and would actually spread empire wide for the following couple hundred years. By this time in his ministry, Paul was already familiar with brutal persecution (2 Cor. 11:23-26), yet in keeping with Jesus’ teaching (Matt. 5:44, Luke 6:28) Paul says to bless those who persecute and not curse. This can involve praying for forgiveness of their sins as seen with Stephen (Acts 7:60) or a general call for God’s favor upon them (the intention of which is surely their conversion). As Osborne notes, “This is a radical command and certainly counter to our natural inclination.” Such is the love of Christ in that while we were still His enemies, He died for us. To retaliate or to curse is part of our fallen nature, but part of having the mind of Christ is to pray for and bless your enemies.
Verse 15 calls for more solidarity within the community of believers. Far from the Stoic philosophy of the day which taught impassiveness, Paul wants believers to be genuine in their affection for one another. This is simply the byproduct of being in true fellowship together. Paralleling this is 1 Cor. 12:26 in which Paul says “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Paul returns to the theme of having a humble mind and the general call for unity in verse 16. The instruction to “be of the same mind toward one another” is in the context of unity of heart and attitude. It’s more relational in nature, although it would also extend to sound doctrine as in (1 Tim. 6:3-4, Titus 1:9). To “associate with the lowly” is precisely what Christ did in His ministry. The God of the universe, the maker of everything that has been created, humbled Himself to be among the sinners and the spiritually and physically sick alike (see Phil. 2:1-8). We, as servants of Christ who have been redeemed by Him, ought to be humble in our attitude and never think ourselves better than others.
12:17-19- Similar to how we ought to bless those that persecute, we also should never repay evil with more evil. These are hard truths for our flesh to hear and submit to, but this is part of what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24, Matt. 5:38-39; see also 1 Peter 3:8-9). The NIV translates the second half of verse 17, “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” The phrase “Be careful” is translated from the Greek word pronoeō which means “think of beforehand” or “to take thought for, care for.” Essentially, what Paul is saying here, as Harrison puts it, “suggests that the conduct of believers ought not to be regulated by habit, but rather that each situation that holds a prospect for a witness to the world be weighed so that the actions taken will not bring unfavorable reflection on the gospel.”
Paul recognizes in verse 18 that we cannot control the actions of others and as such peace may not be possible in certain cases. However, it should never be because the followers of Christ haven't extended the olive branch, nor because we’ve been “needlessly provocative or contentious” as William MacDonald explains. We should strive to do what we can to “be at peace with all men.” This is right in line with the teaching of Jesus (Matt. 5:9) and the author of Hebrews also exhorts believers to “Pursue peace with all men” -Heb. 12:14a. Obviously compromising the gospel for the sake of peace is not in view here. This is evident in how the apostles responded to the demands of the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:18-20 as well as their willingness to be martyred for Christ. Compromise of Christ for the sake of peace and unity was a line that would not be crossed.
Paul quotes Deut. 32:35 in verse 19 to show that vengeance is God's prerogative alone. “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” -James 1:20 (NKJV). We are not to take revenge, but once again, we ought to follow the instruction and truth of Scripture as well as the example of our Lord: “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;” -1 Peter 2:23. Harrison calls taking vengeance into our own hands a "trespass on the providence of God, the great Judge of all.” Whether by some form of temporal judgement or by eternal judgement (or both), God alone is the arbiter of justice (1 Thess. 1:4-10).
12:20-21- Paul quotes Proverbs 25:21-22 here as the alternative for seeking vengeance. Rather than seeking revenge, we ought to do good. The result of this is that “You will heap burning coals on his head.” What exactly is meant by this result is a matter of some debate. Does this teach that our enemies will feel shame and remorse as a result of our good deeds (1 Peter 2:12), or that by doing so, God’s judgement is coming down on them (i.e. Psalm 140:10, Heb. 10:27)? Osborne doesn’t see it as an either/or, as both meanings are biblical and could fit the context. Rather, he submits that “Paul here would be telling us that the good deeds cause the oppressors to feel shame for their slander and bring them under conviction (Rom. 12), leading many to be converted (1 Peter 2); but those who refuse to respond with repentance will then come under divine judgment (Rom 12).”
Verse 21 is essentially a one verse summation of the last dozen verses, but is an additional admonition not to yield to the temptation to give in to evil as a response to evil. This is what we see with David after he spared Saul’s life in 1 Sam. 24:17 (NKJV), “Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.” This is in the context of Saul wrongly trying to kill David, yet while David rightly fled for his life, he did not respond with the same evil intentions that Saul had. Knowing that Christ displayed the ultimate act of love towards us while we were sinners should compel us to the same mindset with regards to those who might be our “enemies.”
Bibliography (Works Cited):
-F.F. Bruce: The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, TNTC, 1983
-Robert H. Mounce: Romans, NAC, 1995
-Matthew Henry: Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
-David E. Garland: 2 Corinthians, NAC, 1999
-Grant R. Osborne: Romans, IVPNTC, 2004
-Everett F. Harrison: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, Romans, 1976
-Marvin R. Vincent: Word Studies in the New Testament
-Ben Witherington III: Paul’s Letters to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
-Tertullian: Apology Against the Heathen (ch. 39)
-Craig Keener: The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Romans)
-William MacDonald: Believer’s Bible Commentary