Knowing the Will of God
Audio quality is not great on this one.
Commentary
sacrifice is a first-fruit of the other actions. Let us then from our hands, and feet, and mouth, and all other members, yield a first-fruit unto God.
For if when Elijah offered the visible sacrifice, a flame, that came down from above consumed the whole water, wood, and stones, much more will this be done upon thee. And if thou hast aught in thee relaxed and secular, and yet offerest the sacrifice with a good intention, the fire of the Spirit will come down, and both wear away that worldliness, and perfect (so Field: MSS. “carry up”) the whole sacrifice.
And who, it may be said, is ignorant of what is expedient, and what is the will of God? They that are flurried with the things of this world, they that deem riches an enviable thing, they that make light of poverty, they that follow after power, they that are gaping after outward glory, they that think themselves great men when they raise fine houses, and buy costly sepulchres, and keep herds of slaves, and carry a great swarm of eunuchs about with them; these know not what is expedient for them, or what the will of God is. For both of these are but one thing. For God willeth what things are expedient for us, and what God willeth, that is also expedient for us. What then are the things which God willeth? to live in poverty, in lowliness of mind, in contempt of glory; in continency, not in self-indulgence; in tribulation, not in ease; in sorrow, not in dissipation and laughter; in all the other points whereon He hath given us laws
If it be, that through the saving knowledge of God and of Christ, the soul is, as it were, regenerated into a celestial life, and that the life is in a manner formed and regulated by holy exhortations and precepts; it is then in vain that you show a desire to form the life aright, except you prove first, that the origin of all righteousness in men is in God and Christ; for this is to raise them from the dead.
so Paul lays down here the principle from which all the duties of holiness flow, even this,—that we are redeemed by the Lord for this end—that we may consecrate to him ourselves and all our members.
But Paul, that he might bind us to God, not by servile fear, but by the voluntary and cheerful love of righteousness, allures us by the sweetness of that favour, by which our salvation is effected; and at the same time he reproaches us with ingratitude, except we, after having found a Father so kind and bountiful, do strive in our turn to dedicate ourselves wholly to him.1
And what Paul says, in thus exhorting us, ought to have more power over us, inasmuch as he excels all others in setting forth the grace of God. Iron indeed must be the heart which is not kindled by the doctrine which has been laid down into love towards God, whose kindness towards itself it finds to have been so abounding. Where
There are then two things to be considered here,—the first, that we are the Lord’s,—and secondly, that we ought on this account to be holy, for it is an indignity to God’s holiness, that anything, not first consecrated, should be offered to him. These two things being admitted, it then follows that holiness is to be practised through life, and that we are guilty of a kind of sacrilege when we relapse into uncleanness, as it is nothing else than to profane what is consecrated.
Paul states that these sacrifices must have the following characteristics: they must be “living,” that is, must proceed from the new life within the believer; “holy,” the product of the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit
Paul is saying is that rendering wholehearted devotion is the only logical or reasonable worship of God.
λογικός, ή, όν ([adv. λογικῶς Ath. 27, 2] a favorite expr. of philosphers since Aristot.; SIG 803, 5. Not LXX, but oft. Philo, Just., Tat., Ath.) pert. to being carefully thought through, thoughtful λογικὴ λατρεία a thoughtful service (in a dedicated spiritual sense) Ro 12:1 (the cognitive aspect anticipates the phrase εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ; cp. Herm. Wr. 1, 31 λογικὴ θυσία; 13, 18; 21; Epict. 1, 16, 20f the singing of hymns is the sacred service of a human being, as a λογικός=one endowed with reason; 3, 1, 26 τὸ λογικὸν ἔχεις ἐξαίρετον· τοῦτο κόσμει καὶ καλλώπιζε. Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 277 God places no value on sacrificial animals, but on τοῦ θύοντος πνεῦμα λογικόν. TestLevi 3:6 λ. καὶ ἀναίμακτος προσφορά [v.l. θυσία]; Ath., 13, 2; Eus., HE 4, 23, 13; cp. the exhortative pattern of Plut., Mor. 478de.—Rtzst., Mysterienrel.3 328f; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. on Ro 12:1; BSchmidt, D. geistige Gebet, diss. Bresl. 1916; OCasel, Jahrb. f. Liturgiewissensch. 4, 1924, 38ff; CMoule, JTS n.s. 1, ’50, 34f). Most likely τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα 1 Pt 2:2 is to be taken in a related way pure spiritual milk; it is to be borne in mind that λ. means spiritual not only in the sense of πνευματικός, but also in contrast to ‘literal’, w. the mng. ‘metaphorical’ (cp. Pel-Leg. p. 20: the bishop is the shepherd τῶν λογικῶν προβάτων τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Eus., HE 1, 1, 4 ἐκ λογικῶν λειμώνων; s. DMcCartney, ZNW 82, ’91, 128–32, w. emphasis on Hellenic connection of reason and verbal communication).—DELG s.v. λέγω B 2. M-M. TW.
73.5 λογικός, ή, όν: pertaining to being genuine, in the sense of being true to the real and essential nature of something—‘rational, genuine, true.’ τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν ‘this is your true worship’ Ro 12:1; ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθήσατε ‘as newborn babes you drank the true, unadulterated milk’ 1 Pe 2:2. Since in 1 Pe 2:2 the context is figurative, some translators have preferred to render λογικός as ‘spiritual,’ so as to make the reference not literal but figurative.
The experience of those who permit their lives to be frittered away in this manner resembles that of travelers in the desert. They are completely exhausted. Their lips are parched with thirst. Suddenly they see in the distance a sparkling spring surrounded by shady trees. With hope revived they hasten to this place … only to discover that they had been deceived by a mirage. “The world and its desires are passing away, but the person who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).
Paul does not say, “Substitute one outward fashion for another.” That would be no solution, for the trouble with those who allow themselves to be fashioned after the pattern of this present (evil) age is deep-seated. What is needed is transformation, inner change, the renewing of the mind, that is, not only of the organ of thinking and reasoning but of the inner disposition; better still, of the heart, the inner being. Cf. 1:28; 7:22–25.
The verb used is in the passive voice. Paul does not say, “Transform yourselves,” but “Let yourselves be transformed.” Transformation is basically the work of the Holy Spirit. It amounts to progressive sanctification. “And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).
The transformation and shaping of the life of the Christian are determined not by external worldly forms, but by this inward renewing, or renewing ascending to the whole of the external life (ἀνακαίνωσις) through the productive power of the Spirit.
The restoration of rational service was a prime advantage conferred by our Reformers.—How rational service, in conformity with its nature, should not be limited to the celebration of Sundays and holy days, but should embrace the whole life.—The exhortation to rational service is still necessary.
SPENER: It is not enough to do good and leave evil undone, but the Christian must present himself a complete sacrifice to God.—
ROOS: God wills every thing that is good, every thing that is well-pleasing to Him, and every thing that is perfect. That is good which harmonizes with God’s commandments; and it is good (καλόν) in so far as it is well-pleasing to Him; and it is perfect if presented to the extent of our capacity (ver. 2).