Cannons from Canon

INTRODUCTION

There is not much I can say to introduce Paul’s epistle to the Romans that has not been said already. Romans stands out as the most famous letter in the world and for good reason. Paul’s masterful pedagogy has impacted many of the most influential theologians of the world’s most prominent religion– Christianity. Augustine was saved after hearing Paul’s words in Romans chapter 13. Barth gained the conviction to fight against liberalism after studying this great epistle and Luther protested the catholic doctrine of justification after discovering it was in contrast to Paul’s doctrine found in Romans.

MERCY OF GOD

If one was asked to make a two-fold division of the letter of Romans, they would be hard-pressed to find a better place than Romans 12:1-2. The “therefore” of  12:1 wraps up the most detailed exposition of the gospel and transitions to how the gospel transforms the church. Paul writes, “Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God”. At the start of chapter 12, the Apostle transitions from indicative to imperative, and these verses will  “serve as the paradigm”¹ for the remainder of the letter. They also give the church a foundation for biblical counseling.

Sadly, people view chapters 12-16 as an appendix to the important content of  1-11 as if the inspiration of the Spirit ran out after dealing with the weighty theology of chapters 9-11. But Paul’s gospel is not yet complete in chapter 11; he only pauses to sing praise to the Lord in 11:33-36, not to wrap up what is “important”. Paul is on a mission to unpack the gospel, which reveals the righteousness of God (1:16-17)  and Paul’s mission is not complete until the church glorifies God with one unified voice (15:6). Chapters 12-16, Moo comments, are “integral to the letter and to its purposes.”² 

The foundation of Paul’s exhortation in 12:1 is the “mercies of God”. The plural should be noted here; Paul is not referring to God’s benevolent and forgiving character but to the theological truths and status we possess because of that character. The “mercies” Paul is referring to are the same mercies he just wrote about: The gospel being God’s power to save (1:16), God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ (3:21), justification by faith (5:1), death to sin and being made alive to God (6:11), no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (8:1), the Spirit confirming our sonship (8:16), the promise of all things working for the good of those who love God (8:28), election by grace (11:5-6), and God’s universal mercy (11:32). Paul’s only response is to break out in worship, “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!” (11:33) These mercies shine bright on their own but even brighter in contrast to our depravity highlighted in 1:17-3:20.

Paul’s exhortation in Rom 12 is not simply a reference to our gratitude in light of God’s mercies. As if God did His part and we respond in gratitude in our power to do the rest. Rather, Paul’s exhortation based on mercy is two-fold: gratitude surely is involved, but the Apostle’s reason for appealing to mercy is that the mercies of God are the only means by which we can respond to his exhortation. The Christian is no less dependent on God’s mercy after salvation than before salvation. Paul makes that point powerfully in chapters 6-8. Moo’s commentary is helpful:

“What God has given to us” (Rom. 1-11) gives way to “what we are to give to God.” But even as we put it this way, we must quickly add the qualification that what we are to give to God cannot be produced independently of God’s continuing gracious provision. God’s “giving” to us is not simply a past basis for Christian obedience; it is its continuous source. “Indicative” and “imperative” do not succeed each other as two distinct stages in Christian experience, but are two sides of the same coin.³

The counselor should note that the mercies of God do not merely motivate change, but that the mercies of God are the only agents of change. Or, as McClain notes “The mercies of God are the basis of all living that is really holy”.⁴ Therefore, Romans 1-11 becomes extremely important and very practical for biblical counseling. “God’s grace… is the spring and foundation of righteous conduct”.⁵

Paul’s use of  “brothers” should also be examined. Formerly called dogs, gentiles are now brothers in this New Covenant community. This new community is formed by God’s “gracious call which knows no social boundaries (2:15, 28-29; 3:20; 9:12; 11:6); a gospel open to all who believe, Jew first but also Genitle (1:16-17), [and] a mercy which embraces all, Jew as well as Gentile (11:30-32).”⁶ Paul exhorts the church as brothers, and so should the counselor. The Scripture’s familial language is not accidental, every relational barrier is broken by the gospel and we are to live in light of the unity we have in Christ. (See also Gal 3:28, Eph 4:1-6)

EXHORTATION

What then does Paul exhort? In light of God’s mercy, he implores us to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1). “The language throughout this clause is sacrificial; not only the word ‘sacrifice’ itself but also ‘offer,’ ‘holy’, and ‘well-pleasing’ are technical terms”.⁷ Sun notes,  “True worship, which formerly belonged to Israel (Rom 9:4), is now transformed in Christ, for Jew and Gentile alike. In this way, those in Christ are “to become the antithesis of adamic humanity depicted [in](ch. 1-3).”⁸ This group is called to sacrifice their own body. Apart from the gospel, this group would still be worshiping their body (1:25) but through God’s mercy, worshiping their body turns into sacrificing their body in worship (12:1). Only God’s grace can lead us to throw our idols into the fire and only God’s grace can redeem and transform our idols into tools. Some teachers will say total sacrifice is required to receive God’s mercy, but for Paul, this will not do. Total sacrifice is the result of receiving God’s mercy not the prerequisite for it, the counselor should note this as well.

Again, the plural should be noted. Paul does not say “present your body” rather he says to present your “bodies”. The local church community was non-negotiable for Paul, as it should be non-negotiable for the counselor. Paul’s gospel takes a community that shouts hate at God (1:30) and transforms them into a unified community that sings God’s praise (15:6). 

TRANSFIGURATION

The result of this group sacrifice is transformation. The altar on which we throw our bodies is what transforms us. The flames of God’s glory burn away our old self and reveal Christ’s glory within us (see 2 Cor 3:18). Paul uses the word μεταμορφόω, which is translated “transformed”. The same word which Matthew and Mark use to describe the transfiguration of Jesus. Thus this could be translated as “be transfigured”, similarly Paul states that when we behold the glory of the Lord with an unveiled face we are being transformed (μεταμορφόω) into the same image (2 Cor 3:18). Jesus was transfigured in a moment, we are transfigured in a lifetime and not fully until we see Him (1 Jn 3:2) and partake of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). This transformation happens by not conforming to the present age and by renewing your mind. This process aligns our will with God’s will. This is all, as Paul states, “well pleasing to God”. The counselor should remember that this transformation is a lifeline process.

CONCLUSION

The Biblical Counseling Coalition Confessional Statement reflects Paul’s sentiment in these verses. Some of the points of the confession are as follows, “Biblical Counseling Must Be Anchored in Scripture. Biblical Counseling Must Be Centered on Christ and the Gospel. Biblical Counseling Must Be Grounded in Sound Theology.”⁹ Similarly Paul’s anchor for change is the mercies of God (Scripture, Christ and the Gospel, and Sound Theology). Furthermore, “Biblical Counseling Must Be Directed toward Sanctification [and] Biblical Counseling Must Be Rooted in the Life of the Church.”¹⁰ Likewise, the goal of Paul’s exhortation is the sanctification of the community.

Above all, the counselor should know that the end goal of Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:1-2 and the end goal of Biblical counseling is not inner change for the sake of inner change. The point of the exhortation and counseling is that “with one mind [we] glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 15:6). This can only happen when the Church beholds the mercies of God and offers themselves to the Lord for complete transformation “until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ,” (Eph 4:13).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. 7. print. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament 6. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2008, 640. ↩︎
2. Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. Repr. The new international commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2010, 744 ↩︎
3. Ibid., 745 ↩︎
4. McClain, Alva J. Romans: The Gospel of God’s Grace; the Lectures of Alva J. McClain. BMH Books ed. Winona Lake, Indiana: BMH Books, 2010, 207. ↩︎
5. John R. W. Stott. Romans: The Bible Speaks Today. Edited by J. A. Motyer and John R. W. Stott. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984, 321.
   ↩︎
6. Dunn, James D. G. Word Biblical Commentary. 38B: Romans 9 – 16 / James D. G. Dunn. 15. print. Dallas, Tex: Word Books, 2009, 705. ↩︎
7. Barrett, C.K. The Epistle to the Romans. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries. United States of America: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1957, 231 ↩︎
8. Sun, Wendel. A New People in Christ: Adam, Israel, and Union with Christ in Romans. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2018, 224. ↩︎
9. Biblical Counseling Coalition. “The Confessional Statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition,” July 2018. No pages. Online: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/confessional-statement/. ↩︎
10. Ibid. ↩︎