See in Reader
1.8 KiB
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God
AT: "Fellow believers, because of the great mercy that God has given you I very much want you"
to present your bodies a living sacrifice
Here Paul uses the word "bodies" to refer to the whole person. Paul is comparing a believer in Christ who completely obeys God to the animals that the Jews killed and then offered to God. AT: "offer yourselves completely to God while you are alive as if you were a dead sacrifice on a temple altar" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
holy, acceptable to God
Possible meanings are 1) "a sacrifice that you give to God alone and that pleases him" (UDB) or 2) "acceptable to God because it is morally pure" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)
which is your spiritual service
Possible meanings are 1) "which is the the right way to think about worshiping God" or 2) "which is how you worship God in your spirit."
Do not be conformed to this world
Possible meanings are 1) "Do not behave as the world behaves" (see UDB) or 2) "Do not think the way the world does."
Do not be conformed
This can mean 1) "Do not let the world tell you what to do" or "Do not...what to think" (see UDB) or 2) "Do not allow yourself to act as the world does" or "Do not...to think...does." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive)
this world
This refers to unbelievers, who live in the world. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
AT: "but let God change the way you think" or "but let God change the way you behave by first changing the way you think" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive)
perfect
Here this means being “complete” or “whole.”