Romans 12:6

Gifts (Greek: charismata), “gifts of grace” (see Romans 1:11; 5:15, 16; 6:23; 11:29; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 12:4, 9, 28). These are special qualities and powers imparted to believers by the Holy Spirit for the service of the church. Often they seem to be natural talents which the Spirit appropriates, increasing their power and sanctifying their use. All such spiritual gifts are “gifts of grace” bestowed according to the will and purpose of God. Those who receive them have no ground for conceit. The source of their increasing strength and influence is not in themselves.

Differing. According to the grace given to him, Paul was appointed to be an apostle (see on v. 3). According to the grace given to them, other believers were appointed to be prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers of the sick, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:28). By the grace of God the members of the Christian church were endowed with a wide variety of spiritual powers in order to meet the many different needs of their fellow believers and to spread the gospel to every nation, tongue, and people. Paul develops this subject in much more detail in 1 Corinthians 12 (see comment there).

Prophecy. In the Scriptures this term applies to any inspired utterance and is not to be limited to the foretelling of future events. A prophet may speak of the past, the present, or the future (see Exodus 7:1; Luke 1:76, 77; Acts 15:32; 1 Corinthians 14:3, 24, 25).

Proportion (Greek: analogia), a word occurring only here in the New Testament. In classical Greek it was used as a mathematical term. It is the source of our English word “analogy.” The meaning of the expression “according to the proportion of faith” is indicated by the parallel phrase “according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” in v. 3. If his mind has been renewed (v. 2) and he has become capable of sober judgment (v. 3), the Christian will properly estimate his abilities and powers and will employ them well and humbly in the service of God, who endowed him with these gifts for this purpose (see on v. 3).