Markus 13:34

13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves ¹  in charge, assigning ²  to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.

Roma 12:11

12:11 Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.

Roma 12:1

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ³  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ⁴  – which is your reasonable service.

Roma 4:11

4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, ⁵  so that he would become ⁶  the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, ⁷  that they too could have righteousness credited to them.

[13:34]  ¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.

[13:34]  ² tn Grk “giving.”

[12:1]  ³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ⁴ tn 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.

[12:1]  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.”

[4:11]  ⁵ tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”

[4:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.

[4:11]  ⁷ tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”