CHAPTER 12
Romans 12:1-2
- Obsecro itaque vos fratres, per
miserationes Dei, ut sistatis corpora vestra - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
hostiam vivam, sanctam, acceptam Deo,
rationabilem cultum vestrum.
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.- Et ne conformetis vos huic mundo, sed
transfiguremini renovatione mentis vestrae, ut - And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
probetis quae sit voluntas Dei bona et placita et
perfecta.
that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
After having handled those things necessary for the erection of the kingdom of God, — that
righteousness is to be sought from God alone, that salvation is to come to us alone from his mercy,
that all blessings are laid up and daily offered to us in Christ only, — Paul now passes on, according
to the best order, to show how the life is to be formed. If it be, that through the saving knowledge
of God and of Christ, the soul is, as it were, regenerated into a celestial life, and that the life is in
a manner formed and regulated by holy exhortations and precepts; it is then in vain that you show
a desire to form the life aright, except you prove first, that the origin of all righteousness in men is
in God and Christ; for this is to raise them from the dead.
And this is the main difference between the gospel and philosophy: for though the philosophers
speak excellently and with great judgment on the subject of morals, yet whatever excellency shines
forth in their precepts, it is, as it were, a beautiful superstructure without a foundation; for by
omitting principles, they offer a mutilated doctrine, like a body without a head. Not very unlike
this is the mode of teaching under the Papacy: for though they mention, by the way, faith in Christ
and the grace of the Holy Spirit, it yet appears quite evident, that they approach heathen philosophers
far nearer than Christ and his Apostles.
But as philosophers, before they lay down laws respecting morals, discourse first of the end of
what is good, and inquire into the sources of virtues, from which afterwards they draw and derive
all duties; so Paul lays down here the principle from which all the duties of holiness flow, even
this, — that we are redeemed by the Lord for this end — that we may consecrate to him ourselves
and all our members. But it may be useful to examine every part.
1.I therefore beseech you by the mercies (miserationes — compassions) of God, etc. We know
that unholy men, in order to gratify the flesh, anxiously lay hold on whatever is set forth in Scripture
respecting the infinite goodness of God; and hypocrites also, as far as they can, maliciously darken
the knowledge of it, as though the grace of God extinguished the desire for a godly life, and opened
to audacity the door of sin. But this exhortation teaches us, that until men really apprehend how
much they owe to the mercy of God, they will never with a right feeling worship him, nor be
effectually stimulated to fear and obey him. It is enough for the Papists, if they can extort by terror
some sort of forced obedience, I know not what. But Paul, that he might bind us to God, not by
servile fear, but by the voluntary and cheerful love of righteousness, allures us by the sweetness of
that favor, by which our salvation is effected; and at the same time he reproaches us with ingratitude,