A Living Sacrifice

12 (A)I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, (B)to present your bodies (C)as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] (D)Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by (E)the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may (F)discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d]

Gifts of Grace

For (G)by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you (H)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, (I)each according to (J)the measure of faith that God has assigned. For (K)as in one body we have many members,[e] and the members do not all have the same function, so we, (L)though many, (M)are one body in Christ, and individually (N)members one of another. (O)Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if (P)prophecy, (Q)in proportion to our faith; if (R)service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; (S)the one who leads,[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with (T)cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

(U)Let love be genuine. (V)Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 (W)Love one another with brotherly affection. (X)Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, (Y)be fervent in spirit,[g] (Z)serve the Lord. 12 (AA)Rejoice in hope, (AB)be patient in tribulation, (AC)be constant in prayer. 13 (AD)Contribute to the needs of the saints and (AE)seek to show hospitality.

14 (AF)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 (AG)Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 (AH)Live in harmony with one another. (AI)Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[h] (AJ)Never be wise in your own sight. 17 (AK)Repay no one evil for evil, but (AL)give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, (AM)live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, (AN)never avenge yourselves, but leave it[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, (AO)“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, (AP)“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 on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 12:1 Or brothers and sisters
  2. Romans 12:1 Or your rational service
  3. Romans 12:2 Greek age
  4. Romans 12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
  5. Romans 12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5
  6. Romans 12:8 Or gives aid
  7. Romans 12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit
  8. Romans 12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks
  9. Romans 12:19 Greek give place

A Life Pleasing to God

Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you (A)received from us (B)how you ought to walk and (C)to please God, just as you are doing, that you (D)do so more and more. For (E)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, (F)your sanctification:[b] (G)that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own (H)body[c] in holiness and (I)honor, not in (J)the passion of lust (K)like the Gentiles (L)who do not know God; that no one transgress and (M)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is (N)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For (O)God has not called us for (P)impurity, but in holiness. Therefore (Q)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, (R)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning (S)brotherly love (T)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been (U)taught by God (V)to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what (W)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to (X)do this more and more, 11 and to aspire (Y)to live quietly, and (Z)to mind your own affairs, and (AA)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may (AB)walk properly before (AC)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, (AD)that you may not grieve as others do (AE)who have no hope. 14 For (AF)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him (AG)those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you (AH)by a word from the Lord,[d] that (AI)we who are alive, who are left until (AJ)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For (AK)the Lord himself will descend (AL)from heaven (AM)with a cry of command, with the voice of (AN)an archangel, and (AO)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And (AP)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be (AQ)caught up together with them (AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so (AS)we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
  3. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
  4. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord

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