I beseech (1) you therefore, brethren, (a) by the mercies of God, that ye (b) present your (c) bodies a (d) living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your (e) reasonable service.
(1) The fourth part of this epistle, which after the finishing of the principal points of Christian doctrine, consists in the declaring of precepts of the Christian life. And first of all he gives general precepts and grounds: the principal of which is this, that every man consecrate himself wholly to the spiritual service of God, and do as it were sacrifice himself, trusting the grace of God.
(a) By this preface he shows that God's glory is the utmost goal of everything we do.
(b) In times past the sacrifices were presented before the altar: but now the altar is everywhere.
(c) Yourselves: in times past other bodies besides our own, but now our own must be offered.
(d) In times past, dead sacrifices were offered, but now we must offer those which have the spirit of life in them.
(e) Spiritual.