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Romans 12-15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

VI. The Duties of Christians[a]

Chapter 12

Sacrifice of Body and Mind. 1 [b]I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.(A) 2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.(B)

Many Parts in One Body. 3 (C)For by the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned. 4 (D)For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ[c] and individually parts of one another. 6 (E)Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them:[d] if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; 7 if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; 8 if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others,[e] with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Mutual Love. 9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;(F) 10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.(G) 11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.(H) 12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.(I) 13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,(J) exercise hospitality. 14 [f]Bless those who persecute [you],(K) bless and do not curse them.(L) 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.(M) 16 Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.(N) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.(O) 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.(P) 19 Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”(Q) 20 Rather, “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 upon his head.”(R) 21 Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.

Chapter 13

Obedience to Authority.[g] 1 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.(S) 2 Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil.(T) Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it, 4 for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.(U) 5 Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.(V) 6 This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.(W)

Love Fulfills the Law.[h] 8 Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.(X) 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, [namely] “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Y) 10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.(Z)

Awareness of the End of Time.[i] 11 And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;(AA) 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light;(AB) 13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,[j] not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy.(AC) 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.(AD)

Chapter 14

To Live and Die for Christ. 1 [k]Welcome anyone who is weak in faith,(AE) but not for disputes over opinions.(AF) 2 One person believes that one may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.(AG) 3 The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him.(AH) 4 Who are you to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.(AI) 5 [For] one person considers one day more important than another, while another person considers all days alike.(AJ) Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind.[l] 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the Lord. Also whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. 8 For if we live, we live for the Lord,[m] and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.(AK) 9 For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.(AL) 10 Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;(AM) 11 for it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me,
    and every tongue shall give praise to God.”(AN)

12 So [then] each of us shall give an account of himself [to God].(AO)

Consideration for the Weak Conscience. 13 Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.(AP) 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean.(AQ) 15 If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died.(AR) 16 So do not let your good be reviled.(AS) 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;(AT) 18 whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. 19 Let us[n] then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.(AU) 20 For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God.(AV) Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; 21 it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 Keep the faith [that] you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. 23 (AW)But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.[o]

Chapter 15

Patience and Self-Denial. 1 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves;(AX) 2 let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up.(AY) 3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written,(AZ) “The insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”[p] 4 For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.(BA) 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony[q] with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus,(BB) 6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Fidelity and Mercy.[r] 7 Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.(BC) 8 For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,(BD) 9 but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles
    and sing praises to your name.”(BE)

10 And again it says:(BF)

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”[s]

11 And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples praise him.”(BG)

12 And again Isaiah says:

“The root of Jesse shall come,
    raised up to rule the Gentiles;
in him shall the Gentiles hope.”(BH)

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.(BI)

VII. Conclusion

Apostle to the Gentiles. 14 [t]I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness,[u] filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. 15 But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God(BJ) 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.(BK) 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,(BL) 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit [of God], so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum[v] I have finished preaching the gospel of Christ. 20 Thus I aspire[w] to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation,(BM) 21 but as it is written:(BN)

“Those who have never been told of him shall see,
    and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”[x]

Paul’s Plans; Need for Prayers. 22 That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any opportunity in these regions and since I have desired to come to you for many years,(BO) 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be sent on my way there by you, after I have enjoyed being with you for a time.(BP) 25 [y]Now, however, I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones.(BQ) 26 For Macedonia and Achaia[z] have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem;(BR) 27 they decided to do it, and in fact they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to serve them in material blessings.(BS) 28 So when I have completed this and safely handed over this contribution to them, I shall set out by way of you to Spain; 29 and I know that in coming to you I shall come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.

30 I urge you, [brothers,] by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf,(BT) 31 that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judea, and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the holy ones, 32 so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you. 33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.(BU)

Footnotes

  1. 12:1–13:14 Since Christ marks the termination of the Mosaic law as the primary source of guidance for God’s people (Rom 10:4), the apostle explains how Christians can function, in the light of the gift of justification through faith, in their relation to one another and the state.
  2. 12:1–8 The Mosaic code included elaborate directions on sacrifices and other cultic observances. The gospel, however, invites believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). Instead of being limited by specific legal maxims, Christians are liberated for the exercise of good judgment as they are confronted with the many and varied decisions required in the course of daily life. To assist them, God distributes a variety of gifts to the fellowship of believers, including those of prophecy, teaching, and exhortation (Rom 12:6–8). Prophets assist the community to understand the will of God as it applies to the present situation (Rom 12:6). Teachers help people to understand themselves and their responsibilities in relation to others (Rom 12:7). One who exhorts offers encouragement to the community to exercise their faith in the performance of all that is pleasing to God (Rom 12:8). Indeed, this very section, beginning with Rom 12:1, is a specimen of Paul’s own style of exhortation.
  3. 12:5 One body in Christ: on the church as the body of Christ, see 1 Cor 12:12–27.
  4. 12:6 Everyone has some gift that can be used for the benefit of the community. When the instruction on justification through faith is correctly grasped, the possessor of a gift will understand that it is not an instrument of self-aggrandizement. Possession of a gift is not an index to quality of faith. Rather, the gift is a challenge to faithful use.
  5. 12:8 Over others: usually taken to mean “rule over” but possibly “serve as a patron.” Wealthier members in Greco-Roman communities were frequently asked to assist in public service projects. In view of the references to contributing in generosity and to acts of mercy, Paul may have in mind people like Phoebe (Rom 16:1–2), who is called a benefactor (or “patron”) because of the services she rendered to many Christians, including Paul.
  6. 12:14–21 Since God has justified the believers, it is not necessary for them to take justice into their own hands by taking vengeance. God will ultimately deal justly with all, including those who inflict injury on the believers. This question of personal rights as a matter of justice prepares the way for more detailed consideration of the state as adjudicator.
  7. 13:1–7 Paul must come to grips with the problem raised by a message that declares people free from the law. How are they to relate to Roman authority? The problem was exacerbated by the fact that imperial protocol was interwoven with devotion to various deities. Paul builds on the traditional instruction exhibited in Wis 6:1–3, according to which kings and magistrates rule by consent of God. From this perspective, then, believers who render obedience to the governing authorities are obeying the one who is highest in command. At the same time, it is recognized that Caesar has the responsibility to make just ordinances and to commend uprightness; cf. Wis 6:4–21. That Caesar is not entitled to obedience when such obedience would nullify God’s prior claim to the believers’ moral decision becomes clear in the light of the following verses.
  8. 13:8–10 When love directs the Christian’s moral decisions, the interest of law in basic concerns, such as familial relationships, sanctity of life, and security of property, is safeguarded (Rom 13:9). Indeed, says Paul, the same applies to any other commandment (Rom 13:9), whether one in the Mosaic code or one drawn up by local magistrates under imperial authority. Love anticipates the purpose of public legislation, namely, to secure the best interests of the citizenry. Since Caesar’s obligation is to punish the wrongdoer (Rom 13:4), the Christian who acts in love is free from all legitimate indictment.
  9. 13:11–14 These verses provide the motivation for the love that is encouraged in Rom 13:8–10.
  10. 13:13 Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day: the behavior described in Rom 1:29–30 is now to be reversed. Secular moralists were fond of making references to people who could not wait for nightfall to do their carousing. Paul says that Christians claim to be people of the new day that will dawn with the return of Christ. Instead of planning for nighttime behavior they should be concentrating on conduct that is consonant with avowed interest in the Lord’s return.
  11. 14:1–15:6 Since Christ spells termination of the law, which included observance of specific days and festivals as well as dietary instruction, the jettisoning of long-practiced customs was traumatic for many Christians brought up under the Mosaic code. Although Paul acknowledges that in principle no food is a source of moral contamination (Rom 14:14), he recommends that the consciences of Christians who are scrupulous in this regard be respected by other Christians (Rom 14:21). On the other hand, those who have scruples are not to sit in judgment on those who know that the gospel has liberated them from such ordinances (Rom 14:10). See 1 Cor 8; 10.
  12. 14:5 Since the problem to be overcome was humanity’s perverted mind or judgment (Rom 1:28), Paul indicates that the mind of the Christian is now able to function with appropriate discrimination (cf. Rom 12:2).
  13. 14:8 The Lord: Jesus, our Master. The same Greek word, kyrios, was applied to both rulers and holders of slaves. Throughout the Letter to the Romans Paul emphasizes God’s total claim on the believer; see note on Rom 1:1.
  14. 14:19 Some manuscripts, versions, and church Fathers read, “We then pursue…”; cf. Rom 5:1.
  15. 14:23 Whatever is not from faith is sin: Paul does not mean that all the actions of unbelievers are sinful. He addresses himself to the question of intracommunity living. Sin in the singular is the dreadful power described in Rom 5:12–14.
  16. 15:3 Liberation from the law of Moses does not make the scriptures of the old covenant irrelevant. Much consolation and motivation for Christian living can be derived from the Old Testament, as in the citation from Ps 69:10. Because this psalm is quoted several times in the New Testament, it has been called indirectly messianic.
  17. 15:5 Think in harmony: a Greco-Roman ideal. Not rigid uniformity of thought and expression but thoughtful consideration of other people’s views finds expression here.
  18. 15:7–13 True oneness of mind is found in pondering the ultimate mission of the church: to bring it about that God’s name be glorified throughout the world and that Jesus Christ be universally recognized as God’s gift to all humanity. Paul here prepares his addressees for the climactic appeal he is about to make.
  19. 15:10 Paul’s citation of Dt 32:43 follows the Greek version.
  20. 15:14–33 Paul sees himself as apostle and benefactor in the priestly service of the gospel and so sketches plans for a mission in Spain, supported by those in Rome.
  21. 15:14 Full of goodness: the opposite of what humanity was filled with according to Rom 1:29–30.
  22. 15:19 Illyricum: Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.
  23. 15:20 I aspire: Paul uses terminology customarily applied to philanthropists. Unlike some philanthropists of his time, Paul does not engage in cheap competition for public acclaim. This explanation of his missionary policy is to assure the Christians in Rome that he is also not planning to remain in that city and build on other people’s foundations (cf. 2 Cor 10:12–18). However, he does solicit their help in sending him on his way to Spain, which was considered the limit of the western world. Thus Paul’s addressees realize that evangelization may be understood in the broader sense of mission or, as in Rom 1:15, of instruction within the Christian community that derives from the gospel.
  24. 15:21 The citation from Is 52:15 concerns the Servant of the Lord. According to Isaiah, the Servant is first of all Israel, which was to bring the knowledge of Yahweh to the nations. In Rom 9–11 Paul showed how Israel failed in this mission. Therefore, he himself undertakes almost singlehandedly Israel’s responsibility as the Servant and moves as quickly as possible with the gospel through the Roman empire.
  25. 15:25–27 Paul may have viewed the contribution he was gathering from Gentile Christians for the poor in Jerusalem (cf. 2 Cor 8–9) as a fulfillment of the vision of Is 60:5–6. In confidence that the messianic fulfillment was taking place, Paul stresses in Rom 14–16 the importance of harmonious relationships between Jews and Gentiles.
  26. 15:26 Achaia: the Roman province of southern Greece.
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.