The believers practice the Body life also by functioning in different gifts. We need to realize that the many members of the one Body (Rom. 12:4-5) have different functions. If we realize this, we shall not think too highly of ourselves but shall respect others. We should be able to say to one another, “What I can do, you cannot do, and what you can do, I cannot do.” We all have different functions.
Paul lists a number of different functions in Romans 12:6-8. “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them accordingly: whether prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; or service, in the service; or he who teaches, in teaching; or he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, in simplicity; he who leads, in diligence; he who shows mercy, in cheerfulness.” In verse 6 Paul says that the gifts we have “differ according to the grace given to us.” Grace is God in Christ as our life and our enjoyment. This means that grace is the divine element coming into our being to be our life for our enjoyment. Grace is not outward; it is the element of the divine life which is wrought into our being and which gives us some skill or ability. When this grace, the divine element, which is the divine life, comes into our being, it brings with it certain skills and abilities, and these are the gifts. Therefore, the gifts, the spiritual abilities, come from the divine element which we have enjoyed. As we enjoy the processed Triune God, receiving and assimilating His divine element into us, out of this element proceeds some gift, skill, or ability. These gifts differ according to the divine element which we have enjoyed and which we have assimilated into. our being. The grace given to us refers to the grace we have enjoyed and assimilated. Since the gifts in 12:6-8 are according to the grace given to us, these gifts are of grace in life.
The fact that the gifts in Romans 12 are according to grace means that these gifts are granted according to the measure of life. If we have enjoyed the life of God to a high degree, we shall receive a higher gift. However, if our enjoyment of the life of God is limited, our gift also will be limited, for the measure of our gift is limited by the extent to which we have enjoyed the divine life as grace within us. The gifts enumerated in 12:6-8 are not miraculous gifts which come to us suddenly. On the contrary, the gifts here may be compared to the abilities of the members of our human body. The measure of ability depends on the amount of life in the body. If the body is mature with considerable growth of life and with a great amount of life, it will have an abundant overflow of life, and this overflow of the inner life of the body will produce abilities. These abilities resemble the gifts in Romans 12. All the items included in 12:6-8 are gifts of grace in life and include prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
The first gift mentioned by Paul in Romans 12 is prophecy, which is according to the proportion of faith. Prophecy in Romans 12 does not mainly denote prediction. Even in the Bible as a whole, the word “prophesy” does not mainly mean to predict. In both the Old and New Testaments to prophesy means to tell for, that is, to speak for others; to tell forth, that is, to speak things forth; and to foretell, that is, to predict, to speak things before they happen. The main idea of prophecy in Romans 12 is not prediction but speaking for God and speaking God forth under His direct inspiration.
The word “service” in 12:7 denotes the service of deacons and deaconesses in the local churches (Rom. 16:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13; Phil. 1:1). As serving ones, the deacons and deaconesses need a serving spirit and a serving attitude. The practice of the Body life needs this kind of service.
After referring to the service of the deacons and deaconesses, Paul goes on to say, “He who teaches, in teaching; or he who exhorts, in exhortation.” Whereas prophesying is to speak for the Lord according to the revelation He has imparted and under His direct inspiration, teaching is the speaking based on prophesying. In the Body life some brothers take what is given in others’ prophesying and teach the saints according to it. This is teaching. Exhortation is based both on prophecy and teaching. Based on the direct speaking under God’s inspiration and the teaching according to this inspiration, certain ones in the Body may exhort. This is exhortation. Prophesying, teaching, and exhorting are three kinds of speaking for the building up of the Body; they minister the life supply to the saints so that they may grow together by God’s word.
The ability to give in simplicity is also a gift of grace in life. This denotes the giving which supplies and takes care of the needy ones in the church. In the Body life we need those who are able to impart material possessions to help the needy ones, to speed the Lord’s work, and to care for the church’s practical needs. We need many saints with such a measure of life that they may have the giving gift and be able to give in simplicity.
In 12:8 “he who leads” signifies the leading brothers in the church. The first quality of leadership is diligence. A leading brother, that is, an elder, needs to be diligent in everything and in every way all the time. The elders’ ability, function, and gift in taking the lead depend on their diligence.
According to verse 8, the ability in life to show mercy is also a gift. To show mercy in cheerfulness is not a matter of natural generosity. To show mercy in cheerfulness is a quality that is formed in us by transformation. As we grow in the life of Christ and come to love the Lord more, a certain quality will be formed in us, and we shall be burdened to take care of others and show mercy to the unworthy ones. This is not a characteristic of our natural birth; it is a quality developed in us by our growth in life through the process of transformation. Hence, showing mercy is also one of the gifts in life.
The gifts mentioned in 12:6-8 are all necessary for the practicing of the Body life. In the Body life we first need the speaking for God under His direct inspiration. Based on this inspired speaking we may have the teaching, and based upon both prophesying and teaching we may have exhortation. Along with this we have the leadership of the elders and the service of the deacons. In addition, we have those who are able to give material things to the church, care for the needy, and further the Lord’s work. Finally, there are those who show mercy to others. These seven gifts are adequate for practicing the Body life.
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