Word of the Week
August 30, 2025
Paristēmi – God’s Gift List
It’s too early to start shopping for Christmas presents, but we still have to select gifts for birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. A tie for Uncle Hiram, the latest LEGO set for my nephew, a scarf for my wife? Or there’s always the ever-popular gift card.
You probably can’t compete with actor Richard Burton, who gave his then-wife Elizabeth Taylor a 1968 Christmas present of a ruby and diamond ring valued at $4.2 million.
Fortunately, the One who matters most doesn’t want gemstones or sports cars. God gives us His gift list in Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
Let’s turn our attention to the Greek word for “present.”
In English, the word present has two different meanings:
- To be present – When a teacher takes attendance at the beginning of class, she records who is present and who is absent.
- To present something – to give a gift. At a child’s birthday party, you present a gift to them.
The Greek word paristēmi used in Romans 12:1 has two very similar meanings:
- To be present
- To present someone or something
The word occurs 41 times in the New Testament. It means “to be present” 23 times, especially in the Gospels and Acts. It means “to present something to someone” 18 times, especially in the Epistles.
The first meaning could describe a random bystander like the people hanging around the high priest’s courtyard during the trial of Jesus (Mark 14:70). Or it could refer to someone who has an important reason to be present, like the angels in Acts 1 10 who had a message for the disciples who had just watched Jesus ascend into the clouds.
Today we are interested in the second meaning: to give a present to someone. This usage generally involves three elements: (1) A giver, (2) a Gift, and (3) a recipient.
In the New Testament, paristēmi most often means the gift of a person, not just an object.
- Mary and Joseph bought the baby Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22).
- Jesus claimed that His Father would send Him twelve legions of angels if He asked for it (Mt 26:53).
- A contingent of Roman troops presented Paul to the governor (Ac 23:33).
- Peter presented the risen Dorcas to her friends (Ac 9:41).
- The risen Jesus presented Himself to the disciples (Ac 1:3).
As we come to Christmas, it’s important to realize that the best present we can give the Lord is ourselves.
Observe the themes that flow through the New Testament use of “present.”
- God wants us to present ourselves to Him.
“present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead” (Romans 6:13)
We can give ourselves to sin as slaves (Romans 6:16) or present ourselves to God as faithful workers (2 Timothy 2:15). When we do, we make ourselves to do whatever He says, whenever He specifies.
- God wants us to present our bodies to Him.
“do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present . . . your members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:13, 16).
When my kids give me a power tool, I plan to use it. We can offer every part of our bodies – hands, feet, lips – to God and expect Him to use them.
- Paul wanted to present mature believers to Christ.
“that we may present every man as complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28)
“that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Like a conscientious father, the apostle wanted to offer God children who had reached maturity. And like a father giving away the bride, he wanted to hand off a woman radiant with purity.
Dallas Willard has wisely written, “The main thing God gets out of your life is not the achievements you accomplish. It’s the person you become.”
- God wants to give a present to Himself – us!
“yet now He has reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:22).
“that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory” (Ephesians 5:27).
Jesus Christ wants to present us to the Father as a purified people, and He also wants to give the church as a present to Himself. Once in a while, I will buy myself a gift. When I do, I can choose exactly what I want. And what Christ wants is His Church. After all, He paid more than a mere $4.2 million for us!
What gift will you give Jesus on His birthday?
Study Hint: To distinguish the two meanings of this verb, you have to notice whether it is followed by a direct object or not. Most of the time, this is not a crucial issue, but it never hurts to pay attention to direct objects, even when they don’t change the definition of the word. If you are studying the word seek, for instance, look at the verses where it appears and ask, “What is it that someone is seeking here?” It’s a fruitful meditation.
Coming Up
We seal letters by licking the envelope, but seals were a lot different in the first century. Next week we will take a look at the kind of seal that was used in the New Testament. Get ready for a photo of an actual seal and a discussion of the way that God seals His people.
©Ezra Project 2025
2 Responses
As the day approaches when Jesus presents me before His Father, I want to be pure and without blemish. That’s the best present that I will be able to give my heavenly Father.
This is such a good thing to remember in this materialistic world we live in.