Thus, the primary sphere of moral concern is not the character of the individual but the corporate obedience of the church. Paul’s formulation in Romans 12:1—2 encapsulates the vision: “Present your bodies [smata, plural] as a living sacrifice [thysian, singular], holy and well-pleasing to God And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (RH). The community, in its corporate life, is called to embody an alternative order that stands as a sign of God’s redemptive purposes in the world.
