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Romans Chapter 12

Romans Chapter 12

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Living sacrifices, one body, many gifts

(Parallel teachings: 1 Peter 2:4-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-27; Ephesians 4:1-16)

  • 1 Therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God as your genuinely thoughtful and rationalfn“genuinely thoughtful and rational” is one word in Greek. It comes from the root “λόγος” (logos), which is also the root of our English word “logic”. It has the connotation of engaging in rational, deliberate, and careful thought, and in this context about “service of worship”, it contrasts with worship that is based on emotional highs or rote external rituals. It also has the nuance of being genuine. service of worship.
  • 2 And don’t be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of [your] mind, for you to prove by testing what is the good, and pleasing, and perfect will of God.
  • 3 For through the grace given to me, I tell every man among you not to be overly proud beyond what is proper to think, but to think in order to be sober-minded as God distributed a measure of faith to each.
  • 4 For just as we have many parts in one body, but all the parts don’t have the same function,
  • 5 in this way, we are the many parts of one body in the Anointed, and individually parts of one another,
  • 6 but having different gifts of grace in accordance with the grace given to us.  If prophecy, in proportion to faith;
  • 7 if service, in serving; or the man teaching in teaching,
  • 8 or the man encouraging in encouragement, the man giving in generosity, the man leading with diligent zeal, and the man showing mercy with cheerfulness.
Proper conduct

(Parallel teachings: Matthew 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-36; 1 Peter 3:8-12)
(Thematic parallels: Luke 23:33-34; Genesis 50:15-21; Acts 7:58-60)

  • 9 Let ^love be without hypocrisy, abhorring evil, adhering to good.
  • 10 Be tenderly devoted to one another in brotherly love, preferring one another in honor,
  • 11 not slothful in diligent zeal, being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,
  • 12 rejoicing in hope, enduring in tribulation, constantly persevering in prayer,
  • 13 contributing to the needs of the holy ones, and pursuing hospitality.
  • 14 Bless the men persecuting [you]; bless and don’t curse.
  • 15 You are to rejoice with those rejoicing, to weep with those weeping,
  • 16 setting your mind on the same thing toward one another, not setting your mind on haughty things, but associating with humble men.  Don’t become wise in your own estimation,fnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 3:7 and Isaiah 5:21
  • 17 repaying evil for evil to no one, but planning ahead for good in the sight of all men.
  • 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, living in peace with all men,
  • 19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but leavefn“leave” is literally “give” a place for God’s wrath.  For it’s *written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay“fnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 32:35 (also quoted/alluded to by Heb 10:30); see also possibly Proverbs 24:29 says the Lord.
  • 20 But:
    • “If your enemy hungers, feed him.
    • If he thirsts, give him a drink.
    • For by doing this, you will heap fiery coals on his head.”fnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 25:21-22
  • 21 Don’t be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

 

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