Romans chapter 12 verses 3 through 8. A variety of gifts in one body verse. Three, for I say, through the grace given to me, to every man who is among you, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt with every man according to the measure of his faith through the grace given to me." In other words, what Paul writes does not come from his own wisdom, nor is it based on his own authority.
Rather, his instructions are from God, not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think. Chrysostom comments," Paul is here setting lowliness of mind before us, for it is the mother of good deeds." This is an imitation of his own master. For when Jesus went up on the mountain and was going to hand down a series of moral precepts, he began with this very precept, and he made it the foundation of what follows.
His words are," Blessed are the poor in spirit." Matthew 5:3." But to think soberly," Greek sophonio, Theodoret comments," By the term sophonio, Paul refers to a healthy state of mind." This is to teach us that arrogance is sickness of the mind. The old Latin translation, used by the early Latin Christians, rendered this Greek term with the phrase" with moderation." God has dealt with every man according to the measure of his faith.
We should not become arrogant because of God's gifts, for it is God who has given them to us. They did not originate with us. Theodoret writes," The gifts of grace are supplied according to the proportion of a man's faith." Since God thoroughly knows each of us, He decides how to distribute His own gifts. If we grow in faith, God may provide us with additional gifts.
Nevertheless, Ambrosiaster counsels," Be content with the lot that God has given to the merit and faith of each one of us, and do not claim what has not been granted." Romans chapter 12 verses 4 and 5," For just as one body has many members, and all members do not have the same function, so we, although being many, comprise one body in Christ and are individually members of one another. God has ordered the overall body of Christ, as well as each individual congregation, just like He has arranged the human body.
That is, each member has been given a different function. In the verses that follow, Paul gives as examples the following gifts and ministries: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy. Paul discusses the subject of gifts in greater length in 1 Corinthians 12, verses 14 through 18, ESV, where he says," For in fact, the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot should say,' Because I'm not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?' And if the ear should say,' Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?' If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He pleased.
Each member should particularly focus on the gifts or ministry God has given him or her, yet not in a way that fails to appreciate and support the gifts and ministries of others. God gives us gifts so that we can bless others, not so we can exalt ourselves. As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the grace of God in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10. Theodoret writes," Each member of the physical body is of no use to itself alone.
Rather, it contributes its benefits to the whole body. It is the same with a person who has been blessed with any grace from above." He must clearly understand that he has received that gift for the common good of all.
Verses 6 and 7," Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith, or service in serving, or he who teaches in teaching." Earlier, Paul had said," God has dealt with every man according to the measure of his faith." Here Paul says that the gifts likewise differ according to the grace given us. In short, we play some role in the gifts that we receive, for God distributes them based on our measure of faith.
Concerning these gifts, Chrysostom writes, Paul shows that Christians themselves provide the basis for receiving either more or fewer of these gifts. He does not mean that the gifts come from us, for they are totally from God. However, God considers our faith and our obedience in distributing these gifts. They are part of God's oversight of His Church for the benefit of all, including the recipient. 1 Corinthians 12:7.
Origen points out that God may realize that if a certain person is given the gift of teaching, it will cause him to become puffed up and will lead to his downfall. So God withholds this gift and gives him a different one: weather prophecy. Having explained how God apportions the various gifts and ministries, Paul now begins to enumerate some of them. He begins with prophecy. What is a prophet? It is someone, male or female, who has been given a direct revelation from God.
Irenaeus explains," Prophets speak where and when God wishes." Tertullian sums up the three gifts associated with prophets: to foretell the future, to reveal the secrets of the heart, and to explain mysteries. In the Scriptures, God frequently gave His prophets the ability to foretell the future. One such New Testament prophet was Agabus. We read of him, and now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
One of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. Acts chapter 11 verses 27 and 28. Agabus not only made predictions, but what he predicted invariably came to pass. Hippolytus writes," Why should someone be called a prophet unless he in the Spirit foresaw the future?" Tertullian declares," Show me your authority.
If you are a prophet, foretell something for us." Irenaeus adds," Prophecy is a prediction of future things." That is, it is a declaration beforehand of things that will happen later. Nevertheless, prophecy is not limited to foretelling the future. Oftentimes, God revealed hidden things to His prophets, and He enabled them to explain mysteries and dreams. As a prophet, Elisha knew about the duplicity of his servant, Gehazi. Peter knew about the secret dishonesty of Ananias and Sapphira.
God revealed various hidden mysteries to Paul. 1 Corinthians 15:51, Ephesians 3:3, and he enabled Daniel to interpret dreams and mysteries. Ever since the Reformation, it has become popular to refer to preaching or exhorting as prophesying. To be sure, the Old Testament prophets preached and exhorted. Nevertheless, God gave them the words to say. These prophets did not just preach from their own convictions.
Furthermore, in virtually every instance, God gave these prophets one or more of the three types of revelation that Tertullian mentions, foretelling the future, revealing the secrets of the heart, or explaining mysteries. Deuteronomy chapter 13 verses 1 through 5, 18 verses 20 through 22. The New Testament prophets were given greater gifts than the Old Testament prophets, not lesser ones.
The early Christians never referred to someone as a prophet simply because he preached the Word of God or exhorted others or service in serving. The Greek word" Diaconia" service has a broad meaning, ranging from the work of an apostle to any kind of service a Christian performs, such as extending hospitality to others.
Regarding both serving and teaching, Chrysostom writes," As to these gifts, Paul gives us the same instructions that we are not to be puffed up or exalted," verse 8," or he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives, let him do it with simplicity, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness." Most of the early Christian commentators were native speakers of koine Greek, and many of them give insights on the meanings of the Greek words Paul uses. I will be sharing their insights below.
He who exhorts in exhortation. The Greek word paracalio translated here as exhort has two basic meanings. The first meaning is to urge or admonish. Theodoret comments," By exhortation, he means to incite to virtue." Ambrosiaster writes," The exhorter makes the effort and is prepared by the help of the Spirit to act with grace in making appeals, so that believers are urged to do good, and unbelievers are led to faith." Paracalio can also mean to encourage. Origen understands Paul to be using it in this sense here.
Origen writes," Paracalio is a type of teaching by which afflicted souls are comforted by discourses in which texts from the divine Scriptures are prudently selected and gathered together for them." A kind of despair often comes upon the soul because of the immensity of its troubles. It cannot be renewed and restored by just any words, no matter how polished and appealing. A sermon filled with the power of God's grace will penetrate the heart and bring consolation and hope.
It will draw the soul back from the despair which overcame it. He who gives let him do it with simplicity. Theodoret explains that giving with simplicity Greek haplotes means not doing something to obtain the good opinion of others, but seeking only to supply the needs of the one in distress. When we give to others, our hearts must not be divided between two motives, helping the recipient and impressing others. Jesus taught," Take heed that you do not give your alms before men to be seen by them.
Otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does." Matthew chapter 6 verses 1 and 3. The Greek word haplotes can also mean generosity with regard to giving. Chrysostom writes," It is not enough to give, but we must also do it with generosity." For haplotes is frequently used in this sense, he who leads with diligence. Origen understands the word diligence in Greek spoude in this setting to mean deep concern.
He says that spoude is the type of concern Paul had for the churches to which he ministered. Paul says," Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily. Anxiety for all the churches, who is weak and I am not weak, who is caused to stumble, and I don't burn with indignation." 2 Corinthians 11:28 and 29. This is the sort of concern church leaders should have for God's flock.
As Hebrews says," They watch on behalf of your souls as those who will give account." Hebrews 13:17," He who shows mercy with cheerfulness." To the early Christians, the expression" showing mercy" normally meant giving alms to the poor. So they saw a close connection between showing mercy with cheerfulness and giving with simplicity.
They quote Paul's words to the Corinthians," Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7. Although noting the similarity of these two commands, Ambrosiaster makes this distinction, since Paul had already said above," He who gives given simplicity," why did he repeat it? It is because he intended to indicate different good works by the one term, mercy.
Acts of mercy take many forms: to forgive sinners, to supply someone caught in need or oppression, to clothe the naked, to break bread for the hungry, to take in exposed infants, to bury a body, and other such works. Roman