Romans 14:18

14:18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. ¹ 

Romans 12:1-2

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ²  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ³  – which is your reasonable service. 12:2 Do not be conformed ⁴  to this present world, ⁵  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve ⁶  what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

[14:18]  ¹ tn Grk “by men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is generic here (“people”) since the contrast in context is between God and humanity.

[12:1]  ² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ³ 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.

[12:2]  ³ tn Although συσχηματίζεσθε (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.

[12:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “to this age.”

[12:2]  ⁵ sn The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”