I would like to call attention once more to the words found in Paul's Epistle to the Romans

in chapter 12, reading verses 6, 7 and 8. 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 ministry. Let us wait on our ministry, or he that

teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it

with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness.

Now, we looked at that list that the apostle gives us here of these

gifts that are given to the members of the Christian Church. We looked at them one by one,

and we underlined and emphasized the main teaching concerning these gifts as we find

it in the New Testament.

However, I would remind you again that the apostle is not here setting out to give us

an exhaustive list.

His whole object here is to show us how to use or exercise these gifts in a right manner, to avoid doing so in personal terms, always looking

at ourselves. The exhortation is that we are to do all things in terms of the great doctrine

of the Church as the body of Christ, and we are to do all things to the glory of the head of

the church primarily, but also to the benefit and edification of the other members of the

body. That's the thing he's concerned about. He does not set

out in this chapter to deal with the gifts in the way that he does, for instance, in the

first epistle to the Corinthians and in chapter 12, where you have a longer gift, a longer

list of these various gifts. Now, we therefore should confine ourselves

to this particular thing that the apostle is pressing upon us. However, we may indulge ourselves

perhaps to this extent. To explain, therefore, that there are other gifts in addition to these, and it is well

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