parts of the epistle, not formally but really, and shows the dependence of the “practical” upon the “doctrinal”. It is the new world of realities to which the soul is introduced by the Christian revela- tion on which Christian morality depends. It is relative to that world, and would become unreal along with it, διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν: for the substantive see 2 Cor. i. 3 (= OVO, which has no sin- gular). διὰ in such expressions (cf. 1 Cor. i. 10, 2 Cor. x. 1) indicates that in which the motive is found: Winer, p. 477. The mercies are those which God has shown in the work of redemption through Christ. παραστῆσαι is not per se sacrificial: in chap. vi. 13, 16, 19 it is used of putting the body at the disposal of God or of sin: see also 2 Cor. iv. 14, xi. 2, Col. i. 22, 28, Eph. v. 27. τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν is not exactly the same as ὑμας αὐτοὺς, yet no stress is to be laid on the words as though Paul were _re- quiring the sanctification of the body as opposed to the spirit: the body is in view here as the instrument by which all human service is rendered to God, and the service which it does render, in the manner supposed, is not a bodily but a spiritual service. θυσίαν facav: “living,” as opposed ο the slain animals offered by the Jews. \This seems to be the only case in which the new life as a whole is spoken of by Paul as a sacrifice —a thank offering—to God. A more limited use of the idea of θυσίᾳ is seen in Phil. ii. 17, iv. 18; cf. also Heb. xiii. 15 f., 1 Pet.ii.5. ἁγίαν: contrast i. 24. εὐάρεστον according to all analogy (see concordance) should go with τῷ θεῷ, and this is secured by the order of the words in ASQ vulg. τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν: in apposition not to τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν but to the presenting of the body as a living sacrifice. For other examples see Winer, 669. λατρεία (ix. 4, Heb. ix. I, 6, John xvi. 2) is cultus, ritual service, worship; and such a presentation of the body, as the organ of all moral action, to God, is the only thing that can be characterised as λογικὴ λατρεία, spiritual worship. Any other worship, any τέ- tention of Jewish or pagan rites, any- thing coming under the description of opus operatum, is foreign to the Christian θυσίᾳ; it is λατρεία which is not λογική, not appropriate to a being whose essence is λόγος, {.6., reason or spirit.
688