2 and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what `is' the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance,
so that if any one `is' in Christ -- `he is' a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things.
ye are to put off concerning the former behaviour the old man, that is corrupt according to the desires of the deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which, according to God, was created in righteousness and kindness of the truth.
Love not ye the world, nor the things in the world; if any one doth love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that `is' in the world -- the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of the life -- is not of the Father, but of the world, and the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain -- to the age.
because of this become not fools, but -- understanding what `is' the will of the Lord,
And I have given to you a new heart, And a new spirit I give in your midst, And I have turned aside the heart of stone out of your flesh, And I have given to you a heart of flesh.
no more in the desires of men, but in the will of God, to live the rest of the time in the flesh;
(not by works that `are' in righteousness that we did but according to His kindness,) He did save us, through a bathing of regeneration, and a renewing of the Holy Spirit,
religion pure and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation -- unspotted to keep himself from the world.
My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep, For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee. Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart, And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
for this is the will of God -- your sanctification; that ye abstain from the whoredom,
in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;
O the happiness of a man `who' hath found wisdom, And of a man `who' bringeth forth understanding. For better `is' her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase. Precious she `is' above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her. Length of days `is' in her right hand, In her left `are' wealth and honour. Her ways `are' ways of pleasantness, And all her paths `are' peace. A tree of life she `is' to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her `is' happy.
A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me.
The law of Jehovah `is' perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of Jehovah `are' stedfast, Making wise the simple, The precepts of Jehovah `are' upright, Rejoicing the heart, The command of Jehovah `is' pure, enlightening the eyes, The fear of Jehovah `is' clean, standing to the age, The judgments of Jehovah `are' true, They have been righteous -- together. They are more desirable than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, Even liquid honey of the comb. Also -- Thy servant is warned by them, `In keeping them `is' a great reward.'
we have known that of God we are, and the whole world in the evil doth lie;
I have given to them Thy word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world;
This, then, I say, and I testify in the Lord; ye are no more to walk, as also the other nations walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart, who, having ceased to feel, themselves did give up to the lasciviousness, for the working of all uncleanness in greediness; and ye did not so learn the Christ,
And you -- once being alienated, and enemies in the mind, in the evil works, yet now did he reconcile, in the body of his flesh through the death, to present you holy, and unblemished, and unblameable before himself,
And I delight myself in Thy commands, That I have loved, And I lift up my hands unto Thy commands, That I have loved, And I do meditate on Thy statutes!
Taste ye and see that Jehovah `is' good, O the happiness of the man who trusteth in Him.
Ye -- of God ye are, little children, and ye have overcome them; because greater is He who `is' in you, than he who is in the world. They -- of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them;
Do not wonder, my brethren, if the world doth hate you;
who did give himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of God even our Father,
for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, `Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'
Therefore all my appointments I have declared wholly right, Every path of falsehood I have hated!
I have longed for Thy salvation, O Jehovah, And Thy law `is' my delight.
for the fruit of the Spirit `is' in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth, proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord,
the world is not able to hate you, but me it doth hate, because I testify concerning it that its works are evil.
for any one who doth `any' of all these abominations -- even the persons who are doing `so', have been cut off from the midst of their people; and ye have kept My charge, so as not to do `any' of the abominable statutes which have been done before you, and ye do not defile yourselves with them; I `am' Jehovah your God.'
in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,
every Writing `is' God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that `is' in righteousness, that the man of God may be fitted -- for every good work having been completed.
Become not yoked with others -- unbelievers, for what partaking `is there' to righteousness and lawlessness? and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever? and what agreement to the sanctuary of God with idols? for ye are a sanctuary of the living God, according as God said -- `I will dwell in them, and will walk among `them', and I will be their God, and they shall be My people, wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I -- I will receive you,
`Mem.' O how I have loved Thy law! All the day it `is' my meditation.
I will no more talk much with you, for the ruler of this world doth come, and in me he hath nothing;
for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, for your knowing what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
`When thou art coming in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations: there is not found in thee one causing his son and his daughter to pass over into fire, a user of divinations, an observer of clouds, and an enchanter, and a sorcerer, and a charmer, and one asking at a familiar spirit, and a wizard, and one seeking unto the dead. `For the abomination of Jehovah `is' every one doing these, and because of these abominations is Jehovah thy God dispossessing them from thy presence. Perfect thou art with Jehovah thy God, for these nations whom thou art possessing, unto observers of clouds, and unto diviners, do hearken; and thou -- not so hath Jehovah thy God suffered thee.
`Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause `others' to turn aside;
How sweet to my palate hath been Thy saying, Above honey to my mouth.
having known that, not with corruptible things -- silver or gold -- were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by fathers,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Romans 12
Commentary on Romans 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
The apostle, having at large cleared and confirmed the prime fundamental doctrines of Christianity, comes in the next place to press the principal duties. We mistake our religion if we look upon it only as a system of notions and a guide to speculation. No, it is a practical religion, that tends to the right ordering of the conversation. It is designed not only to inform our judgments, but to reform our hearts and lives. From the method of the apostle's writing in this, as in some other of the epistles (as from the management of the principal ministers of state in Christ's kingdom) the stewards of the mysteries of God may take direction how to divide the word of truth: not to press duty abstracted from privilege, nor privilege abstracted from duty; but let both go together, with a complicated design, they will greatly promote and befriend each other. The duties are drawn from the privileges, by way of inference. The foundation of Christian practice must be laid in Christian knowledge and faith. We must first understand how we receive Christ Jesus the Lord, and then we shall know the better how to walk in him. There is a great deal of duty prescribed in this chapter. The exhortations are short and pithy, briefly summing up what is good, and what the Lord our God in Christ requires of us. It is an abridgment of the Christian directory, an excellent collection of rules for the right ordering of the conversation, as becomes the gospel. It is joined to the foregoing discourse by the word "therefore.' It is the practical application of doctrinal truths that is the life of preaching. He had been discoursing at large of justification by faith, and of the riches of free grace, and the pledges and assurances we have of the glory that is to be revealed. Hence carnal libertines would be apt to infer."Therefore we may live as we list, and walk in the way of our hearts and the sight of our eyes.' Now this does not follow; the faith that justifies is a faith that "works by love.' And there is no other way to heaven but the way of holiness and obedience. Therefore what God hath joined together let no man put asunder. The particular exhortations of this chapter are reducible to the three principal heads of Christian duty: our duty to God t ourselves, and to our brother. The grace of God teaches us, in general, to live "godly, soberly, and righteously;' and to deny all that which is contrary hereunto. Now this chapter will give us to understand what godliness, sobriety, and righteousness, are though somewhat intermixed.
Rom 12:1-21
We may observe here, according to the scheme mentioned in the contents, the apostle's exhortations,