It is to be observed that the Apostle here assumes that every Christian possesses, in some form, that grace which gives graces.  To him a believing soul without Christ-given gifts is a monstrosity.  No one is without some graces, and therefore no one is without some duties.  No one who considers the multitude of professing Christians who hamper all our churches to-day, and reflects on the modern need to urge on the multitude of idlers forms of Christian activity, will fail to recognise signs of terribly weakened vitality.  The humility, which in response to all invitations to work for Christ pleads unfitness is, if true, more tragical than it at first seems, for it is a confession that the man who alleges it has no real hold of the Christ in whom he professes to trust.  If a Christian man is fit for no Christian work, it is time that he gravely ask himself whether he has any Christian life.  ‘Having gifts’ is the basis of all the Apostle’s exhortations.  It is to him inconceivable that any Christian should not possess, and be conscious of possessing, some endowment from the life of Christ which will fit him for, and bind him to, a course of active service.

The universality of this possession is affirmed, if we note that, according to the Greek, it was ‘given’ at a special time in the experience of each of these Roman Christians.  The rendering ’was given’ might be more accurately exchanged for ‘has been given,’ and that expression is best taken as referring to a definite moment in the history of each believer namely, his conversion.  When we ’yield ourselves to God,’ as Paul exhorts us to do in the beginning of this chapter, as the commencement of all true life of conformity to His will, Christ yields Himself to us.  The possession of these gifts of grace is no prerogative of officials; and, indeed, in all the exhortations which follow there is no reference to officials, though of course such were in existence in the Roman Church.  They had their special functions and special qualifications for these.  But what Paul is dealing with now is the grace that is inseparable from individual surrender to Christ, and has been bestowed upon all who are His.  To limit the gifts to officials, and to suppose that the universal gifts in any degree militate against the recognition of officials in the Church, are equally mistakes, and confound essentially different subjects.

II.  The graces that flow from the grace.

The Apostle’s catalogue of these is not exhaustive, nor logically arranged; but yet a certain loose order may be noted, which may be profitable for us to trace.  They are in number seven—­the sacred number; and are capable of being divided, as so many of the series of sevens are, into two portions, one containing four and the other three.  The former include more public works, to each of which a man might be specially devoted as his life work for and in the Church.  Three are more private, and may be conceived to have a wider relation to the world.  There are some difficulties of construction and rendering in the list, which need not concern us here; and we may substantially follow the Authorised Version.