Read Romans 12 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Greek Testament has no Hebrew paragraph divisions. This is my outline of of Romans so far:
1:1-7, Greeting and benediction;
1:8-15, Desire to visit Rome;
1:16-17, Theme of the letter: the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God;
1:18-5:21, Justification and the righteousness of God;
6:1-8:39, Sanctification and the righteousness of God;
9:1-11:36, God’s righteousness and Israel;
12:1-15:13, Practical application of God’s righteousness;
12:1-21, Filled with the Spirit for service, not conformed to the world but to God’s will;
15:14-16:27, Conclusion.
Romans 12:1-21 Chiastic Structure:
Chapter 12 opens with a “therefore.” My pastor in Colorado always used to tell us, when you come across a “therefore,” you have to find out what it is there for. The chapter and verse divisions were not originally in Paul’s letter, and while they help us read a portion of Scripture every day in a neat little package, sometimes the chapter divisions interrupt the flow of a thought.
At the end of chapter 11, Paul had just finished extolling the greatness of God’s mercy, wisdom, and judgment. God had consigned all men, Jew and Greek, under disobedience, so that He might have mercy on all. THEREFORE, because the God we serve is SO great, SO high, SO wonderful, SO deep, SO rich in mercy, SO mighty, SO past finding out, let us present ourselves a living sacrifice of service, which is holy and acceptable to God. Why is our service “reasonable?” This word in Greek (Strong’s G3050) means, “rational,” “logical,” so that it is only rational and logical that we give our lives in service to such an awesome God.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Leviticus 1, The living olah – Christine Miller
Romans 12, Filled with the Spirit – Christine Miller
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