Commentary on Romans 12:1-8

After sorting through the discussion of God’s elect and God’s irrevocable call, gift, and mercy to both Jew and gentile, we come finally to one of Paul’s mighty “therefores.” In the letters of Paul, a “therefore” always signals a turn, usually an ethical response to what has gone before—what preachers call the “so what?” “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy …” Paul might well have said, “I appeal to you, therefore, on the basis of this mercy of God I’ve been talking about …” It is on the basis of mercy—it is possible because of God’s mercy—it is essentially required of us consequent to this mercy—that we present ourselves, our bodies, as a living sacrifice to God.  

Initial observations in verses 1–2

• First is the apparent oxymoron to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to think of that as a reasonable act of worship. Sacrificial language in Paul’s time and context involved slaying an animal to present on an altar. Sacrifices are not living, and it is not reasonable to suggest they are. Other translations say that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is “true and proper” worship (New International Version), and “appropriate priestly service” (Common English Bible). The Greek word, however, is translated “logical,” from which translators derive “reasonable.” It is only logical that believers present themselves as a living sacrifice to God in order to be transformed. This bodily sacrifice is our spiritual worship. Body and spirit are not divided. There is no spiritual sacrifice without the whole self submitting to God.
• Second is the admonition not to be conformed (or configured) to this age, but to be transformed. The people to whom Paul spoke were already conformed to this age, as are we. They were “of” this age, of this world. It is not a choice in front of us to be conformed to this age or to be transformed. It is not a neutral path we are currently on, only to be confronted by a fork in the road: conformed to this world in one direction, transformed by the renewing of our minds in the other direction. To be transformed by the renewing of our minds will require choosing a change from the present stasis of conformity to this world, this age. This requires a willful act to submit.
• Third is that transformation by the renewing of our minds is not to do the will of God but to discern the will of God. The call is to test or examine or scrutinize the will of God. Doing the will of God, we may surmise, is concomitant to, or only subsequent to testing or examining what is the will of God. Yet, we do not divine the will of God in a purely spiritual or metaphysical way in advance of actively living out the will of God. Rather, we discern, test, and examine the will of God by actively doing it.

None of the above—presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, choosing a new way of life over our present situation, and testing the will of God—none of these is passive. All are active verbs, intentional actions: Present. Choose. Test.

The body functions as one

What follows in verses 3–8 is an echo from 1 Corinthians, which Paul would have written shortly before Romans. The encouragement to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, is followed immediately by the call not to think of oneself more highly than one ought. Perhaps this is a warning that one’s discernment of the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, could be lorded over another whose discernment might be considered less good, acceptable, perfect. 

Paul even makes clear that it is only by virtue of the grace given to him by God that he can admonish his readers not to think of themselves more highly than they ought. Paul does not admonish from a place higher than others, rather only by grace. The early believers in Corinth were inclined to value their own spiritual gifts more highly than others’. Paul rejects this. It is only by God’s grace that we have charisms, gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is only by sober judgment, not ecstasy, that we can evaluate our own gifts. And we exercise these gifts only by the measure of grace given to us. In other words, it is not about you! It is about the grace and mercy of God, who has called us to this life of faith and who gives gifts for the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The body metaphor that begins in 1 Corinthians 1:4 and is most succinctly described in 1 Corinthians 12 is summarized in our text in verses 4–8. Many parts make up the body, and though we are many, we are one. All parts serve a function, none of which is more important than another. Except for prophecy, all gifts of ministry are described according to their function, such as ministry in ministering, the teacher in teaching: noun, verb; noun, verb. Only prophecy is defined according to the measure of faith given. Perhaps the ones declaring the gift of prophecy were most inclined to think of themselves more highly. And perhaps those with the other gifts described were inclined to think of their gifts as less important. 

Whatever the gift, it is given according to God’s grace, exercised according to God’s mercy, and offered as a living sacrifice to God, our spiritual worship. If the gift is teaching, then teach; if it is ministering, then minister; if it is encouraging, then encourage. Do not try to be or do something other than the gift given.

Preaching angles

What does this mean for our preaching ministry?

1. Focus on active verbs: Present your bodies, your whole selves. Choose to be transformed over the comfort of the status quo. Discern, test, examine the will of God. 
2. Do the will of God in accordance with the gift given, knowing that no service, no gift is to be valued more highly than another.
3. Presenting our bodies, the whole self, for transformation is itself a sacrifice. Swimming with the current of the spirit of this age, the terms of the world around us, requires no sacrifice.  
4. Honor the gift given. It is only in the eyes of this world, this age, that one gift would be valued more highly than another. It is not coherent with gospel logic to elevate one over another. 
5. Preach against the text. Your congregation might think they have no gifts for ministry.  They may be discouraged, exhausted, defeated by apparent decline. It is not fruitful to tell such people of faith not to think more highly of themselves than they ought. Rather, encourage their observable gifts, and if some gifts appear to be missing, partner with other cells in the body of Christ to strengthen the witness in the community.