The Meaning of Romans 12:5 Explained

Romans 12:5

KJV: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

YLT: so we, the many, one body are in Christ, and members each one of one another.

Darby: thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other.

ASV: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So  we,  [being] many,  are  one  body  in  Christ,  and  every  one  members  one of another. 

What does Romans 12:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Romans 12:1-8 - Devoting Self And Using Gifts
Therefore links this practical appeal to the whole of the sublime argument, which reaches its climax in the previous chapter. It is easier to die once for God than to live always the surrendered life. But nothing so pleases God as daily surrender, the sacrificed and yielded will tied by cords to His altar. Such an attitude is the only reasonable one we can assume. If God be all we profess to believe, He is worthy of all we are. But we are reminded that the world is ever seeking to mold us to its will, and we need the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit, that we may withstand its baleful influence. We need to be transformed-that is, transfigured-by the renewing of our mind. Please God, and you will be pleased with the will of God.
Notice in Romans 12:3 that God deals out according to the measure of our faith. Let us ask that it may be "pressed down and running over." In proportion as we are united to the head, we are members of one another. We may not recognize each other, or be recognized by the world as one, but in His sight there is only one body, Romans 12:5. Let each learn what he can do best, and devote his best to it. To give or rule aright is equally a gift with teaching. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 12

1  God's mercies must move us to offer ourselves
3  No man must think too well of himself;
6  but everyone attend to the calling wherein he is placed
9  Love, and many other duties are required of us
19  Revenge is especially forbidden

Greek Commentary for Romans 12:5

And severally [το δε κατ εις]
A difficult late idiom where the preposition κατ — kath' So εις κατ εις — heis kath' heis (Mark 14:19) and in Modern Greek κατεις — katheis as a distributive pronoun. But we have κατ ενα — kath' hena in 1 Corinthians 14:31. The use of the neuter article here το — to with κατ εις — kath' heis is probably the accusative of general reference, “as to each one.” [source]
Being many [οἱ πολλοὶ]
Lit., the many. Rev., better, who are many. [source]
Every one [τὸ δὲ καθ ' εἶς]
The literal phrase can only be rendered awkwardly: and as to what is true according to one; i.e., individually, severally. Compare, for a similar phrase, Mark 14:19; John 8:9. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 12:5

Romans 6:6 The body of sin [τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας]
Σῶμα in earlier classical usage signifies a corpse. So always in Homer and often in later Greek. So in the New Testament, Matthew 6:25; Mark 5:29; Mark 14:8; Mark 15:43. It is used of men as slaves, Revelation 18:13. Also in classical Greek of the sum-total. So Plato: τὸ τοῦ κόσμου σῶμα thesum-total of the world (“Timaeus,” 31). The meaning is tinged in some cases by the fact of the vital union of the body with the immaterial nature, as being animated by the ψυξή soulthe principle of individual life. Thus Matthew 6:25, where the two are conceived as forming one organism, so that the material ministries which are predicated of the one are predicated of the other, and the meanings of the two merge into one another. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
In Paul it can scarcely be said to be used of a dead body, except in a figurative sense, as Romans 8:10, or by inference, 2 Corinthians 5:8. Commonly of a living body. It occurs with ψυχή soulonly 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and there its distinction from ψυχή rather than its union with it is implied. So in Matthew 10:28, though even there the distinction includes the two as one personality. It is used by Paul:-DIVIDER-
1. Of the living human body, Romans 4:19; 1 Corinthians 6:13; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
2. Of the Church as the body of Christ, Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:18, etc. Σάρξ fleshnever in this sense. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
3. Of plants and heavenly bodies, 1 Corinthians 15:37, 1 Corinthians 15:40. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
4. Of the glorified body of Christ, Philemon 3:21. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
5. Of the spiritual body of risen believers, 1 Corinthians 15:44. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
It is distinguished from σάρξ fleshas not being limited to the organism of an earthly, living body, 1 Corinthians 15:37, 1 Corinthians 15:38. It is the material organism apart from any definite matter. It is however sometimes used as practically synonymous with σάρξ , 1 Corinthians 7:16, 1 Corinthians 7:17; Ephesians 5:28, Ephesians 5:31; 2 Corinthians 4:10, 2 Corinthians 4:11. Compare 1 Corinthians 5:3with Colossians 2:5. An ethical conception attaches to it. It is alternated with μέλη membersand the two are associated with sin (Romans 1:24; Romans 6:6; Romans 7:5, Romans 7:24; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5), and with sanctification (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19sq.; compare 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is represented as mortal, Romans 8:11; 2 Corinthians 10:10; and as capable of life, 1 Corinthians 13:3; 2 Corinthians 4:10. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
In common with μέλη membersit is the instrument of feeling and willing rather than σάρξ , because the object in such cases is to designate the body not definitely as earthly, but generally as organic, Romans 6:12, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:19; 2 Corinthians 5:10. Hence, wherever it is viewed with reference to sin or sanctification, it is the outward organ for the execution of the good or bad resolves of the will. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
The phrase body of sin denotes the body belonging to, or ruled by, the power of sin, in which the members are instruments of unrighteousness (Romans 6:13). Not the body as containing the principle of evil in our humanity, since Paul does not regard sin as inherent in, and inseparable from, the body (see Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; 2 Corinthians 7:1. Compare Matthew 15:19), nor as precisely identical with the old man, an organism or system of evil dispositions, which does not harmonize with Romans 6:12, Romans 6:13, where Paul uses body in the strict sense. “Sin is conceived as the master, to whom the body as slave belongs and is obedient to execute its will. As the slave must perform his definite functions, not because he in himself can perform no others, but because of His actually subsistent relationship of service he may perform no others, while of himself he might belong as well to another master and render other services; so the earthly σῶμα bodybelongs not of itself to the ἁμαρτία sinbut may just as well belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:13), and doubtless it is de facto enslaved to sin, so long as a redemption from this state has not set in by virtue of the divine Spirit” (Romans 7:24: Dickson).DestroyedSee on Romans 3:3.He that is dead ( ὁ ἀποθανὼν )Rev., literally, he that hath died. In a physical sense. Death and its consequences are used as the general illustration of the spiritual truth. It is a habit of Paul to throw in such general illustrations. See Romans 7:2. [source]

Ephesians 4:25 Members one of another []
Compare Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Chrysostom says: “Let not the eye lie to the foot, nor the foot to the eye. If there be a deep pit, and its mouth covered with reeds shall present to the eye the appearance of solid ground, will not the eye use the foot to ascertain whether it is hollow underneath, or whether it is firm and resists? Will the foot tell a lie, and not the truth as it is? And what, again, if the eye were to spy a serpent or a wild beast, will it lie to the foot?” [source]
Colossians 1:16 By him [ἐν αὐτῶ]
Rev., in Him. In is not instrumental but local; not denying the instrumentality, but putting the fact of creation with reference to its sphere and center. In Him, within the sphere of His personality, resides the creative will and the creative energy, and in that sphere the creative act takes place. Thus creation was dependent on Him. In Christ is a very common phrase with Paul to express the Church's relation to Him. Thus “one body in Christ,” Romans 12:5; “fellow-workers in Jesus Christ,” Romans 16:3. Compare Romans 16:7, Romans 16:9, Romans 16:11; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 4:15, etc. [source]
Colossians 1:18 The head of the body [η κεπαλη του σωματος]
Jesus is first also in the spiritual realm as he is in nature (Colossians 1:18-20). Paul is fond of the metaphor of the body (σωμα — sōma) for believers of which body Christ is the head (κεπαλη — kephalē) as seen already in 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:5. See further Colossians 1:24: Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 1:22.; Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:30. [source]
Revelation 21:21 Each one [ανα εις εκαστος]
Distributive use of ανα — ana but with the nominative (used as adverb, not preposition) rather than the accusative (as a preposition) as appears also in Mark 14:19; John 8:9; with κατα — kata in Romans 12:5, “a barbaric construction” according to Charles.Street (πλατεια — plateia). For which word (broad way, οδος — hodos understood) see Matthew 6:5, here the singular, but includes all the streets.Transparent Old word (from δια — dia through, αυγη — augē ray, shining through), here alone in N.T. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 12:5 mean?

so the many one body we are in Christ - and individually one of another members
οὕτως οἱ πολλοὶ ἓν σῶμά ἐσμεν ἐν Χριστῷ τὸ δὲ καθ’ εἷς ἀλλήλων μέλη

οὕτως  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὕτως  
Sense: in this manner, thus, so.
πολλοὶ  many 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
ἓν  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
σῶμά  body 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
ἐσμεν  we  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
Χριστῷ  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καθ’  individually 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
ἀλλήλων  of  another 
Parse: Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀλλήλων  
Sense: one another, reciprocally, mutually.
μέλη  members 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: μέλος  
Sense: a member, limb: a member of the human body.