¹tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
²tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.
sn Taken as predicate adjectives, the terms alive, holy, and pleasing are showing how unusual is the sacrifice that believers can now offer, for OT sacrifices were dead. As has often been quipped about this text, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”
³tn Although suschmativzesqe (suschmatizesqe) could be either a passive or middle, the passive is more likely since it would otherwise have to be a direct middle (“conform yourselves”) and, as such, would be quite rare for NT Greek. It is very telling that being “conformed” to the present world is viewed as a passive notion, for it may suggest that it happens, in part, subconsciously. At the same time, the passive could well be a “permissive passive,” suggesting that there may be some consciousness of the conformity taking place. Most likely, it is a combination of both.
⁴tn Grk “to this age.”
⁵sn The verb translated test and approve (dokimavzw, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”
⁶tn The words “of you” have been supplied for clarity.
⁷tn Or “to each as God has distributed a measure of faith.”
⁸tn This word comes from the same root as “grace” in the following clause; it means “things graciously given,” “grace-gifts.”
⁹tn The verb “must be” is understood in the Greek text.
¹⁰tn Or “but give yourselves to menial tasks.” The translation depends on whether one takes the adjective “lowly” as masculine or neuter.
¹¹tn Grk “Do not be wise in your thinking.”
¹²tn Here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used as a generic and refers to both men and women.
¹³tn Here a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") is used as a generic and refers to both men and women.
¹⁴tn Grk “the wrath,” referring to God’s wrath as the remainder of the verse shows.
¹⁵sn A quotation from Deut 32:35.
¹⁶sn A quotation from Prov 25:21-22.