Romans 12:4

New King James Version

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Each one of us has one body, and that body has many parts. These parts don't all do the same thing.

Revised Standard Version
For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
As we have many members in one body and all members have not one office:

Hebrew Names Version
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function,

International Standard Version
For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function.1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:16;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
For just as we have many parts in one body and all the body's parts do not have the same function,

New Century Version
Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses.

Update Bible Version
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same office:

Webster's Bible Translation
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

English Standard Version
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

World English Bible
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For as in one body we are many members, and all members have not the same office,

Weymouth's New Testament
For just as there are in the one human body many parts, and these parts have not all the same function;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For as in o bodi we han many membris, but alle the membris han not the same dede;

English Revised Version
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:

Berean Standard Bible
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,

Contemporary English Version
A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use.

Amplified Bible
For just as in one [physical] body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use,

American Standard Version
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:

Bible in Basic English
For, as we have a number of parts in one body, but all the parts have not the same use,

Complete Jewish Bible
For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don't all have the same function;

Darby Translation
For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office;

Etheridge Translation
For as in one body we have many members, and as all the members have not one work,

Murdock Translation
For as we [fn] have many members in one body, and all those members have not the same functions;

King James Version (1611)
For as we haue many members in one body, and all members haue not the same office:

New Living Translation
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,

New Life Bible
Our bodies are made up of many parts. None of these parts have the same use.

New Revised Standard
For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,

Geneva Bible (1587)
For as wee haue many members in one body, and all members haue not one office,

George Lamsa Translation
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same function,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, just as in one body we have many members, yet, all the members, have not the same office,

Douay-Rheims Bible
For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For as we haue many members in one body, and all members haue not one office:

Good News Translation
We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions.

Christian Standard Bible®
Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function,

King James Version
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

Lexham English Bible
For just as in one body we have many members, but all the members do not have the same function,

Literal Translation
For even as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function,

Young's Literal Translation
for as in one body we have many members, and all the members have not the same office,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For like as we haue many membres in one body, but all the membres haue not one maner of operacion:

Mace New Testament (1729)
for as there are many members in one and the same body, but all the members have not the same office:

THE MESSAGE
In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

New English Translation
For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Just like a saddle has many parts, each serves its own function. Some parts can be seen and some can't.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,

Legacy Standard Bible
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,

Contextual Overview

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; ⁷ or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; ⁸ he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. ⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:4, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:16

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:49 - every one Mark 13:34 - and to Romans 12:5 - General Ephesians 3:6 - the same Ephesians 4:4 - one body Philippians 1:27 - in one Colossians 2:19 - knit 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - and to do

Cross-References

Genesis 11:27
This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.

Genesis 11:31
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.

Hebrews 11:8
Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-7">[xr] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For as we have many members in one body,.... The apostle illustrates what he said last concerning God's dealing to every man the measure of faith, by comparing the church of Christ to an human body, which is but one, and has many members in union with it, and one another; and which are placed in an exact symmetry and proportion, and in proper subserviency to each other, and for the good of the whole:

and all members have not the same office, or "action"; they do not exercise the same function, and perform the same operation, but each that which is peculiar to itself: the eye only sees, but does not hear, nor taste, nor smell; the ear only hears, but neither sees, or does any of the aforesaid things; the palate tastes, the nose smells, the hand handles, the foot walks, and the same may be observed of the other members of the body, which have not the same, but their particular offices, and all and each of them their usefulness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For - This word here denotes a further illustration or proof of what he had just before said. The duty to which he was exhorting the Romans was, not to be unduly exalted or elevated in their own estimation. In order to produce proper humility, he shows them that God has appointed certain orders or grades in the church; that all are useful in their proper place; that we should seek to discharge our duty in our appropriate sphere; and thus that due subordination and order would be observed. To show this, he introduces a beautiful comparison drawn from the human body. There are various members in the human frame; all useful and honorable in their proper place; and all designed to promote the order, and beauty, and harmony of the whole. So the church is one body, consisting of many members, and each is suited to be useful and comely in its proper place. The same comparison he uses with great beauty and force in 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; also Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 5:30. In that chapter the comparison is carried out to much greater length, and its influence shown with great force.

Many members - Limbs, or parts; feet, hands, eyes, ears, etc.; 1 Corinthians 12:14-15.

In one body - Constituting one body; or united in one, and making one person. Essential to the existence, beauty, and happiness of the one body or person.

The same office - The same use or design; not all appointed for the same thing; one is to see, another to hear, a third to walk with, etc.; 1 Corinthians 12:14-23.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 12:4. For as we have many members — As the human body consists of many parts, each having its respective office, and all contributing to the perfection and support of the whole; each being indispensably necessary in the place which it occupies, and each equally useful though performing a different function;