The Non-Miraculous Gifts

Rom 12:6-8 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, {let each exercise them accordingly}if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

"And since we have gifts..."

How do we know this is not talking about the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit? Look at Rom 1:11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established..." Paul was finally coming to Rome and he was bringing some miraculous gifts through the laying on of his hands. Christianity probably spread throughout the world to Rome when Christians were scattered in persecution. There appears to have not been an apostle arriving in Rome as of the writing of the letter. The gifts Paul is referring to in 12:6 must be the non-miraculous.

Who is the "we"? The "we" is the church of Christ. We all have non-miraculous gifts whether we want to acknowledge it or not. I have heard many Christians say they feel they do not have a gift, but their feelings do not dismiss the word of God. "We have gifts (carisma)".

"...that differ according to the grace given us {let each exercise them accordingly}..."

Praise God that we are not all the same! We may all be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, but we are not all the same. We differ in our gifts, or better understood, our passions. That is important to understand when dealing with each other. We are to use our gifts as God designed for us to use them. Many times Christians are not happy in their service to God because they are not focusing in on what God wants them to do for Him.

"...if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

Eph 4:7-13 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men." ⁹ (Now this {expression,} "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) ¹¹ And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He not only released the grip of Hades on the saints, but He gave gifts to men as Psalm 68:18 stated. He gave some as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service. The gifts were to build up the body of Christ. It is in these two passages that we find ten non-miraculous gifts. They are as follows: