Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1. The Apostle has now finished his proofs and explications relating to the justification, calling, and election of the believing Gentiles, or to their being admitted into the kingdom and covenant of God, and interested in all the privileges and honours of his children and peculiar people,—in all the blessings and hopes of the Gospel. This our happy state he has well established by solid and substantial arguments, and guarded it against every attack of the unbelieving Jew. He has demonstrated that it stands right in the nature of things; Romans 1-3 : That it is set upon the same footing with Abraham's title to the blessings of the covenant; Romans 4 : That it gives us a title to privileges and blessings as great as any of the Jews could glory in, by virtue of that covenant; ch. Romans 5:1. He goes still higher, and shews, that our being interested in the gift and grace of God in Christ Jesus, is perfectly agreeable to the grace which he has confessedly bestowed upon all mankind in Christ Jesus, in delivering them from that death which came upon them by Adam's offence; ch. Romans 5:12 to the end. He has clearly explained, both with regard to Gentiles and Jews, the nature of the Gospel constitution,in respect to its obligations to virtue and holiness; and the advantages that it gives for encouragingour obedience, and supporting us under the severest trials; Romans 6-8. Farther; as the Jews' pretences, that God was bound by express promise to continue them, and such as come into their peculiarity, to be his only people for ever, were directly inconsistent with the calling and election of the Gentiles, upon the foot of faith alone. The Apostle demonstrates, that the rejection of the Jews is consistent with the truth of God's word,and with his righteousness. He shews the true cause and reason of their rejection; and concludes with an admirable discourse upon the extent and duration of it, which he closes with adoration of the divine wisdom in its various dispensations; Romans 9-11 —Thus having cleared this important subject with surprising judgment, and the nicest art and skill in writing, he now proceeds, after his usual method in his Epistles, and the apostolic manner of preaching, to inculcate various Christian duties; and to exhort to that temper of mind and conduct of life, which are agreeable to Gospel privileges and profession.

Mercies of God— He means all the blessings and privileges given us freely in the Gospel by the mercy of God. There seem to be two reasons why St. Paul's first exhortation to them is, to present their bodies undefiled to God. 1. Because he had before, especially in Romans 7, so much insisted on this, That the body was the great source whence sin arose. 2. Because the heathen world, and particularly the Romans, were guilty of those vile affections which he mentions, ch. Romans 1:24. The body is here, by a usual figure, put for the whole person, nor can the soul be now presented to God, otherwise than as dwelling in the body, or truly consecrated to him, unless the body be employed in his service. Nor, on the other hand, can the body be presented as a living sacrifice, otherwise than as acted and animated by the soul. The word παραστησαι. rendered present, properly signifies "placing the victim before the altar," It seems probable that the Apostle, in this first verse, had his thoughts principallyupon the Jewish, and in the second verse upon the Gentile Christians; for in Romans 12:1 he opposes moral duty to the offering up of sacrifices, which must be the sacrifices presented by the Jews in the temple, and calls moral duty a reasonable service, or rational worship, as it seems, in opposition to ritual. In Romans 12:2 he dehorts from conformity to the world, which generally means the heathen world; and persuades them to be transformed by the renewing of their mind, which is the phrase that he uses to Gentile converts, Ephesians 4:22.—These verses may be paraphrased thus: "Having cleared your title to the blessings and privileges of God's peculiar kingdom in this world, I now earnestly exhort you, Christian brethren, from a consideration of the goodness of God, in revealing his Gospel, and admitting you all to an equal interest in the grace therein declared and promised, that, as a holy priesthood, instead of brutal dead sacrifices, your consecrate and offer your bodies, a living sacrifice, by mortifying the deeds of the flesh; that being free from every blemish of sensual impurity, you may practise holiness, and the things that are pleasing to God, which is the most rational worship and service that you can perform, and infinitely preferable to the ritual observances of the law. And as you are now become a separate and peculiar people of God (Romans 12:2.), do not mix yourselves again with a profane, wicked, and ignorant world; do not conform to the vicious customs, taste, and examples thereof; but be changed through the power of divine grace into new creatures in Christ Jesus, by receiving better principles and habits of mind; that you may thereby be enabled to discover, relish, approve, and recommend to others, that course of life, which is good, just, and true; most pleasing and acceptable to God, and whereby ye shall be accomplished in every part of the divine life." We may just remark, that some commentators consider the three words good, acceptable, and perfect, as opposed to the Jewish ritual: this Christian sacrifice being more excellent in itself (Ezekiel 20:25.), more pleasing to God (Psalms 40:7.), and tending more to make us perfect, Hebrews 7:19. But perhaps they refer more generally to all the preceptive parts of Christianity, the excellency of which they will best understand, who endeavour to practise it most exactly. See Locke, and Elsner.