WHY it matters //
Gifts are given to serve each other and to fulfill a mission. They also serve as a sign that Jesus is Lord. We belong to one body, to the body of Christ, and are equally valuable to the body and to each other. We are to pursue gifts and can receive new spiritual gifts that we ask for. Each of us have been given different gifts that we should use to the best of our ability to serve each other.
WHAT it’s talking about //
The author of this letter is the apostle Paul, and he was most likely in Corinth when he wrote this letter around AD 57. The original recipients of this letter were people from the church of Rome, mostly Gentile but also some Jews. Paul systematically lays out the gospel with many references from the Old Testament, and Romans is written more like a theological essay than a letter.
Romans 12:1-8 NLT
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.
8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.