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Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Romans 12:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.
  • BSB Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
  • NKJV Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
  • NASB Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
  • NLT Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Live in harmony, do not be proud but associate with the lowly, and avoid conceit.

Overview

Paul urges unity of mind, humility, and willingness to keep company with the lowly rather than chasing status. He warns against being 'wise in your own conceits,' an attitude that fractures community. The verse calls believers to the humble-mindedness that mirrors Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 40

  • 1 Pet 3:8Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
  • Prov 3:7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
  • Jas 3:13–17Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
  • Phil 2:2–3Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
  • Rom 12:3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
  • Heb 13:5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
  • 1 Cor 3:18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
  • Isa 5:21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
  • Rom 15:5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
  • 1 Cor 8:2And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
  • Matt 18:1–4At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
  • Luke 14:13But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
  • 2 Cor 13:11Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
  • Matt 6:25–26Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
  • Luke 22:24–27And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
  • Ps 131:1–2Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
  • Luke 6:20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
  • Phil 4:11–13Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
  • Prov 26:12Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
  • 1 Cor 6:5I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
  • Rom 11:25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
  • 1 Tim 6:6–9But godliness with contentment is great gain.
  • 1 Cor 4:10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
  • Job 31:13–16If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
  • Matt 20:21–28And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
  • Matt 11:5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
  • Luke 4:6–11And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
  • Job 36:5Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
  • Prov 19:17He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
  • Phil 3:16Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
  • Jer 45:5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
  • 1 Pet 5:3Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
  • Jas 2:5–6Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
  • Prov 17:5Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
  • Phil 4:2I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
  • Matt 26:11For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
  • Prov 19:7All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
  • Prov 19:22The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
  • Acts 4:32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
  • 3 Jn 1:9I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Romans videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Romans 12:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RomansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.

How Romans 12:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.