μεταμορφόομαι metamorphoomai

From μετά and μορφή: to change form, transform or transfigure. The active stem is μεταμορφόω; New Testament examples are passive. Of Christ, the passive describes the transfiguration (Matt 17:2; Mark 9:2). Of believers, it describes being transformed (Rom 12:2, with the dative of means τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός; 2 Cor 3:18). A related verb, μετασχηματίζω, is distinguished in older lexicons as a change of fashion or appearance rather than of form. Rom 12:2 uses the present imperative; what that implies for duration is a contextual question.