Romans 12:1

King James Version (KJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Translations

Romans 12:1 - Amplified Bible

I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, {and} beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service {and} spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1 - American Standard Version

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Romans 12:1 - Bible in Basic English

For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.

Romans 12:1 - Darby Bible

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your intelligent service.

Romans 12:1 - English Standard Version

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,

Romans 12:1 - King James Version

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1 - La Biblia de las Americas

Por consiguiente, hermanos, os ruego por las misericordias de Dios que presentéis vuestros cuerpos como sacrificio vivo y santo, aceptable (O, agradable) a Dios, que es vuestro culto racional.

Romans 12:1 - The Message

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1 - New American Standard Bible

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.

Romans 12:1 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy

Por tanto, hermanos, les ruego por las misericordias de Dios que presenten sus cuerpos como sacrificio vivo y santo, aceptable (agradable) a Dios, que es el culto racional de ustedes.

Romans 12:1 - World English Bible

Therefore I beg you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

Romans 12:1 - Young's Living Translation

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice -- living, sanctified, acceptable to God -- your intelligent service;

Romans 12:1 - Additional Comments

We transition here from a discussion about the nature of God to what we are to do about it.
Paul beseeches them, he entreats them, and does not command, even though he could by his authority (see Philemon 1:9). Paul wants them to do these things from the heart, for that will be the only way it will get done and will last.
1 Cor 6:20 - we were bought by Christ with His blood, so we are to glorify God with our bodies. Right after that verse Paul discusses how a husband and wife are to relate sexually (1 Cor 7:1-5).
If we present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice, we should present to Him the cleanest and best (Exodus 12:5). Our bodies are a sacrifice - we give it up, to God. This is in effect a surrender of our wants to meet what God wants.
What does God want from our bodies? To honor him, especially with our thought life. See notes on 1 Cor 6:18. Note again (1 Cor 6:18-20) God is tying honor Him with our bodies, and avoiding sexual immorality.
This is not just obedience, but actually service - what we can do for God, to serve Him. This is how we glorify Him (1 Cor 6:20).
This opens up the question if it is okay to donate our body to science or our organs to others.
Many times lives are saved by a donor who will give some portion of his or her body. In some cases, such as for vision, the individual's life is not at stake, but his well being is involved. Skin banks render a great service to those with extensive burns, and banks for other parts of the body render equally valuable service.
There are very good reasons for offering a part of one's body to someone in dire need. While some feel that donating organs may violate God's command to glorify Him in our bodies (I Corinthians 6:19-20), we do not feel that this was God's intention with that passage. We feel that donating part of your body to help others will actually glorify God, as He asks us to consider others before ourselves (Phil 2:3-4).
We also believe that once you have been separated from your body in death, you are no longer associated with your body, and it is but the same as dust in the ground. Of course, those remaining behind should as much as they can honor your memory with giving your body dignity, i.e. not abusing it in some non-standard way. We believe normal burial or cremation still honors an individual's memory, as well as using it to benefit others, to enrich their lives (for research or transplants) - and these all honor the memory of the person who has passed away.
Yes, there are definitely things to avoid that does not glorify God with out body - tobacco, alcohol abuse, immoral activities, and improper eating habits. The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19), but that means avoiding sin while we are alive.

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