Romans 12
12
Christ Brings New Life
1Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
3I realize God has treated me with undeserved grace, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4#1 Co 12.12. A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6 #
1 Co 12.4-11. God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
Rules for Christian Living
9Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
14 #
Mt 5.44; Lk 6.28. Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15#Si 7.34. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16#Pr 3.7. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people.#12.16 Make friends with ordinary people: Or “Do ordinary jobs.” 17Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18and do your best to live at peace with everyone.
19 #
Dt 32.35. Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
“I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back.”
20 # Pr 25.21,22 (LXX). The Scriptures also say,
“If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads.”
21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
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Romans 12: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Romans 12
12
A Living Sacrifice
1 #
1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 10:1; Eph. 4:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,#12:1 Or brothers and sisters by the mercies of God, #ch. 6:13, 16, 19; [Ps. 50:13, 14; 1 Cor. 6:20]; See 1 Pet. 2:5 to present your bodies #Heb. 10:20as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.#12:1 Or your rational service 2#1 Pet. 1:14; [1 John 2:15] Do not be conformed to this world,#12:2 Greek age but be transformed by #Titus 3:5; [Ps. 51:10; 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10] the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may #Eph. 5:10; 1 Thess. 4:3discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.#12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
Gifts of Grace
3For #See ch. 1:5 by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you #ver. 16; ch. 11:20 not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, #1 Cor. 7:17 each according to #Eph. 4:7the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For #1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 4:4, 16as in one body we have many members,#12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5 and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, #1 Cor. 10:17, 33 though many, #1 Cor. 12:20; Eph. 4:13; See John 17:11 are one body in Christ, and individually #Eph. 4:25; [1 Cor. 6:15; 12:27]members one of another. 6#1 Cor. 12:4; 1 Pet. 4:10, 11; [1 Cor. 7:7; 12:7-11] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if #1 Cor. 12:10; See Acts 13:1 prophecy, #[2 Tim. 2:15]in proportion to our faith; 7if #See Acts 6:1service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; #1 Tim. 5:17; [1 Cor. 12:28] the one who leads,#12:8 Or gives aid with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with #2 Cor. 9:7cheerfulness.
Marks of the True Christian
9 #
2 Cor. 6:6; 1 Tim. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:22 Let love be genuine. #Ps. 97:10; 101:3; Amos 5:15; [1 Thess. 5:21, 22]Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10#See Heb. 13:1 Love one another with brotherly affection. #ch. 13:7; Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 2:17Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, #Acts 18:25 be fervent in spirit,#12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit #Acts 20:19serve the Lord. 12#See ch. 5:2 Rejoice in hope, #See Heb. 10:36 be patient in tribulation, #See Acts 1:14be constant in prayer. 13#ch. 15:25; 1 Cor. 16:1, 15; 2 Cor. 9:1, 12; Heb. 6:10; 13:16; [1 Tim. 6:18] Contribute to the needs of the saints and #See Matt. 25:35seek to show hospitality.
14 # See Matt. 5:44; 1 Pet. 3:9 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15#1 Cor. 12:26; [Job 30:25; Heb. 13:3]Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16#ch. 15:5; 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 2:2; 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:8 Live in harmony with one another. #ver. 3; Ps. 131:1; Jer. 45:5 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.#12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks #ch. 11:25; Prov. 3:7Never be wise in your own sight. 17#Prov. 20:22; Matt. 5:39; [ch. 14:19] Repay no one evil for evil, but #2 Cor. 8:21; [ch. 14:16]give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, #See Mark 9:50live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, #Prov. 20:22; Matt. 5:39; [ch. 14:19] never avenge yourselves, but leave it#12:19 Greek give place to the wrath of God, for it is written, #Heb. 10:30; Cited from Deut. 32:35; [Ps. 94:1; 1 Thess. 4:6]“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, #Cited from Prov. 25:21, 22; [Ex. 23:4, 5; 2 Kgs. 6:22; Luke 6:27]“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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