Unpacking Paul – Romans 12

The first book written by the Apostle Paul that mentions the spiritual gifts is the book of Romans, Chapter 12. The letter to the Romans was written around 57 AD, and Paul had not yet visited Rome, but he wished to do so very soon. In order to prepare the church at Rome for his visit, he wrote this letter that probably explains God’s Grace more than any other letter he wrote. He wanted the church to have a written, basic understanding of salvation as they had not received his teaching as of yet.¹

I will break the chapter up into a few segments for discussion and how they relate to the spiritual gifts.

Renewing of Your Mind

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

The spiritual gifts are from the Holy Spirit and nothing of this world. In order to understand and use the gifts, you must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” What does that mean?

It means simply you must be in a place in your faith journey that is beyond simple belief in God. Your faith must go beyond the belief that that God can reward and punish and that the Bible comes from God. It’s not about “Me & God” anymore but “God & Me”. Your faith must be at a place that focuses on Christ as the object of it all. It’s more than just rational thought as it uses the heart to understand what faith is about. It is when we as Christians reach this level of faith is when I believe the spiritual gifts begin to manifest in a person.

This process does not happen overnight. It’s a progression in our faith that takes time and may move forwards and backwards in measures of success. John Wesley called this process justification. Kenneth Collins, in his book Wesley on Salvation, writes “…justification is the salutary way offered by God to a fallen people who earnestly seek the reestablishment of a right relationship with God. It is the healing balm for all unrighteousness, and the only way marked by God appropriate for the redemption of sinners.”² The spiritual gifts are a tool God uses to reach others for Christ and to support the work of His church. If you are not at a place in your faith journey at or beyond justification then you are probably not ready for that work.

All Gifts Are Important

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:3-5 NIV)

I believe that Paul is trying to make two points here. First, the spiritual gifts are given by God to each of us, and we should not see any gift as more important than another, nor any person more important than another. This is one of many references where Paul describes the body of Christ, the Church, in the same manner as the human body. Each has many different parts and have different functions. The whole is the sum of the parts, and so is the church and those with spiritual gifts.

Secondly, Paul states to think of yourself “in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” This statement relates back to what was discussed earlier about where a person is in their faith journey. Martin Luther writes on this particular verse the following:

The term “measure of faith” must, therefore, be taken to mean, secondly, the measure of the gifts of faith, and though believers live by one and the same faith, they have a different measure of the gifts. Now the apostle calls this a measure of faith, because those without faith do not have these gifts and this measure... faith is all of this, for faith is nothing else than the obedience of the spirit. But there are different degrees of the obedience of the spirit. For one of us exercises his obedience and faith here and another there, yet we are all of one faith.” ³

Paul then continues..

Don’t Measure Your Gift Against Others

⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:6-8 NIV)

Here Paul talks about some of the gifts specifically, but in the earlier context of the measure of faith. I believe the point Paul is trying to make here is that, put simply, do your best at whatever gift you have been given. God knows the what, why, and how much of a particular gift He has given you. Don’t measure yourself against others with the same, or even different, gifts. Where you are in your spiritual journey is different than those around you. Use your gift(s) in the manner God has led you to use them.

Use the Gifts in Love

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  (Romans 12:9-15 NIV)

All of these verses focus on love. It is clear that Paul is stating that the spiritual gifts are to be used in love for others. The gifts are not something to be used for your own benefit or personal gain. To do so is against the reason why the gifts were given in the first place – for the betterment of the body of Christ, the church.

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Where the previous verses were about love in the body of Christ, Paul writes here about peace and harmony within. A church with many different parts (gifts) cannot function if it is working against itself. Using your gifts in a manner that disrupts this harmony and peace is not something that Paul advocates here. That is not to say that you should not use your gifts to draw attention to problems (such as the gift of discernment), but to do it in a spirit of love and caring for the body. Paul is cautioning us here not to use the gifts in judgement or condemnation as that’s God’s to administer.

Key Takeaways

• The gifts manifest when you reach a point in your faith that is beyond just basic belief in God
• God decides which gift(s) you receive and the measure of it
• No gift is more important than another
• Use the gifts in love for the benefit of the whole body (church)

Next: Unpacking Paul – 1 Corinthians 12

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1. Concordia Self-Study Bible NIV, Concordia Publishing House, St Louis, 1986 [↩]
2. Collins, Kenneth, Wesley on Salvation, Francis Asbury Press, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1989, p. 51 [↩]
3. Pauck, Willhelm, Luther: Lectures on Romans, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1961, p. 332 [↩]