Romans 12:3

γὰρ enforces the charge just given by a description of the right temper of mind for men in their circumstances.

διὰ τῆς χ., ‘on the authority of’; cf. 1; 1 Thessalonians 4:2, and perhaps 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 2:2 : the accus. Romans 15:15 has a different suggestion.

τῆς χ. τῆς δοθ. μοι. Cf. Romans 1:5; Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:7. His commission to preach the free favour of GOD to all, and his own share in this grace, authorise him to insist to every one of them upon its conditions; cf. Robinson, Eph., pp. 224 f. The aor. part. of course refers to his call.

παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑ. All Christians stand on the same level and under the same conditions, whatever their special gifts.

ὑπερφρονεῖν … φρονεῖν … σωφρονεῖν. φρονεῖν here describes the quality (as νοῦς the faculty), not the object or contents, of thought or mind; cf. Romans 11:21; Romans 12:16; 1 Timothy 6:17, and perhaps Philippians 2:5. In all other places it is used of the object or contents as in Matthew 16:23 = Mark 8:33; Acts 28:22 : and freq. in S. Paul, ὑπερφρ. only here, φρονεῖν S. Paul only exc. ll.cc. σωφρονεῖν Pauline, exc. Mark 5:15 |[239] Lk., 1 Peter 4:7. It is impossible to represent the play on words in English with the same epigrammatic point. The clue to the full thought is given by 1 Corinthians 2:16 and Philippians 2:5 f. The ‘mind’ of the Christian must reproduce, in his place and capacity, the ‘mind’ of Christ, of whom he is a member.

[239] | parallel to

παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν. Cf. the use of παρὰ with comparatives, Hebrews 1:4; Hebrews 3:3, and also Hebrews 1:9 alibi, infra Romans 14:5. δεῖ, as the subject of GOD’s mercies and gifts.

σωφρονεῖν = that sound habit of mind which holds to the realities of a man’s position, and does not err either by excess or defect: used of sanity, Mark 5:15; 2 Corinthians 5:13. εἰς τὸ = up to the point of. The elements of this σωφροσύνη are explicitly. stated in Ephesians 4:2. Comparing Romans 8:1, we may say that this σωφροσύνη consists in recognising the law of the new life.

ἑκάστῳ picks up the παντὶ and emphasises the distinctness of each in the common life: prob. governed by ἐμέρισεν, and transposed for emphasis.

ἐμέρισεν. I.e. at his call, in baptism = 1 Corinthians 7:17 only; cf. 2 Corinthians 10:13; Mark 6:41; Hebrews 7:2; μερισμὸς, Hebrews 2:4 : the faith which is the condition of the reception of the Spirit in baptism is itself a gift of GOD.

μέτρον πίστεως. μέτρον does not = μέρος or μέρις, as most commentators take it; in N.T. it always has its proper significance of ‘a measuring instrument.’ Consequently the genitive must be a genitive of definition, a measuring instrument consisting in faith. The point is that faith was given to each as a measure by which to test his thinking of himself, to see whether it is true and sound thinking: faith is such a measure because it recognises the true relation of the man to GOD and his true position in the society of Christ; cf. Romans 14:23 n. So far as a man’s thinking of himself conforms to his faith, so far is it true and sound thinking (μέτρον is suggested by σωφρονεῖν). He will then think of himself as deriving all that he has from GOD, having nothing from himself, and therefore bound to serve GOD in all things and to claim nothing for himself: so his mind will be busy in that transformation which will be a presenting of a living offering to GOD. This thinking in faith will also show him his special call and aptitudes in the one body.

The usual interpretation makes μέτρον πίστεως = a specific measure or portion of faith: but this, besides the strain on the word μέτρον, involves serious difficulties, and practically forces commentators who adopt it to take πίστεως as equal to χάριτος.