38 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Romans 12 The doctrines concerning predestination, justification, c. being established, the duties of religion are built upon them, and enforced by them in this and the following chapters. The apostle first exhorts all the members of the church in common to a regard to the worship of God, in opposition to the things of the world...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,.... The apostle having finished the doctrinal part of this epistle, proceeds to that which is more practical; and enforces the several duties of religion, upon the principles he had before laid down, a method generally observed by him in all his epistles. The illative particle "therefore",...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
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...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
I beseech you therefore, brethren, Paul is a calm reasoner. He is a bold starer of truth, but here he comes to pleading with us. I think that I see him lift the pen from the paper and look round upon us, as. with the accent of entreaty, he says, “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, by God’s great mercy to you, his many...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And be not conformed to this world,.... By this world is meant, either the Mosaic dispensation, and Jewish church state, so called in opposition to עולם הבא, "the world to come", the Gospel dispensation; in which there were a worldly sanctuary, and the rites and ceremonies of which are styled the rudiments and elements of the world; to which...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And be not conformed to this world: Do not live as men of the world do. Do not follow the customs, the fashions, the principles of the world. “Be not conformed to this world.” Rom_12:2. But be ye transformed It is not enough to be nonconformists. Be transformed ones, altogether changed into another form. Rom_12:2. By the renewing of your mind,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For I say, through the grace given unto me,.... The Ethiopic version reads, the grace of God: and so two of Stephens's copies. By which the apostle intends, not that internal grace which was wrought in his soul; nor the Gospel of the grace of God, which he preached; nor the gifts of grace, which qualified him for that service; but the grace of...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Humility is sober thinking. Pride is drunken thinking. He that thinks more of himself than he should is so far intoxicated with...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For as we have many members in one body,.... The apostle illustrates what he said last concerning God's dealing to every man the measure of faith, by comparing the church of Christ to an human body, which is but one, and has many members in union with it, and one another; and which are placed in an exact symmetry and proportion, and in proper...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Hence the diversity. If the hand were made exactly like the foot, it would not be a tenth part as useful; and if the eye only had the same faculty as the ear, it would not be able to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So we being many are one body in Christ,.... This is the application of the above simile. The chosen of God, the redeemed of Christ, and those that are justified by his righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit; though they are but few in comparison of the men of the world, but considered in themselves are many, and yet make up but one body, the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Having then gifts, differing,.... As in a natural body, the various members of it have not the same office, and do not perform the same actions, thus they have not the same, but different faculties; one has one faculty, another another; the eye has the faculty of seeing, the ear of hearing, c. thus in the spiritual body the church, as there are...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth on exhortation: Keep to your own work; stand in your own niche. If you are only an exhorter, do not...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Or ministry, [let us wait] on our ministry,.... The word διακονια sometimes signifies the whole ecclesiastical ministry, even the office of apostleship, as well as the ordinary ministration of the Gospel; see Acts 1:17; but here "deaconship", or the office of ministering to the poor saints, as in Acts 6:1, being a distinct office from prophesying:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation,.... This is the other branch of prophesying or preaching, and which is more practical, and lies in giving a word of exhortation to the saints, as their particular cases call for; for as prophets were teachers, Acts 13:1; so also exhorters, Acts 15:32; and one considerable branch of the ministry, and which is...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Do not pretend to a love that you have not got. Do not lard your speech with “dear” this and “dear” that, when there is no love in your heart; and even if your heart be full of love, show it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Let love be without dissimulation,.... The apostle having given out suitable exhortations to the officers of this church, ministers and deacons, proceeds to stir up to the exercise of grace, and the discharge of such duties as were common to all the members of the church; and begins with "love", which is the cement of saints, and the bond of...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Abhor that which is evil; Be a good hater. Abhor that which is evil Rom_12:9. Cleave to that which is good. Stick to it. Hold it fast. Do not go an inch beyond it.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love,.... This is one branch of that love, before advised to, which should be unfeigned, and without guile and deceit. The objects of this grace are "brethren", not in such sense as all the descendants of Adam are, or men of the same country be, or as such who are born of the same parents in a...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; Hear this, ye members of the church. Endeavor to carry it out by a kindly courtesy and a real sympathy one with another. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.” Rom_12:10. In honour preferring one another; Putting another before yourself, aspiring after the second place,...