PRACTICE HOSPITALITY IN OUR HOMES, HQ Bible Study Team
ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS
Passage: Romans 12:3~8  
Key verse: 5
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me(A) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,(B) 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body,(C) and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts,(D) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,(E) then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith;(F) 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;(G) 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;(H) if it is giving, then give generously;(I) if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Footnotes
- Romans 12:6 Or the
- Romans 12:8 Or to provide for others
Cross references
- Romans 12:3 : Ro 15:15; 1Co 15:10; Gal 2:9; Eph 3:7; 4:7; 1Pe 4:10, 11
- Romans 12:4 : 1Co 12:12-14; Eph 4:16
- Romans 12:5 : 1Co 6:15; 10:17; 12:12, 20, 27; Eph 2:16; 4:4, 25; 5:30; Col 3:15
- Romans 12:6 : 1Co 7:7; 12:4, 8-10
- Romans 12:6 : S Eph 4:11
- Romans 12:6 : 1Pe 4:10, 11
- Romans 12:7 : S Eph 4:11
- Romans 12:8 : Ac 11:23; 13:15; 15:32
- Romans 12:8 : 2Co 8:2; 9:5-13
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Don't think of yourself too highly (3-5)
Following Jesus is personal, but the Christian life is not a one-man show. Each believer is a member of the Body of Christ. Each of us must put down roots in a particular Christian community. Each of us must recognize his own unique place in the Body of Christ, and we must recognize the unique and precious place of each of our coworkers and sheep. If we belong to Jesus, we are members of his Body and we belong to each other.
2. Different gifts (6-8)
A gift is something we have received by God's grace. It is not ours by 'right.' We do not earn gifts. They are given to us to be used-not for ourselves, but to glorify God and to build up others. Many of the gifts mentioned here are opportunities for serving others. In some cases, the nature of the gift suggests how it should be used to serve the Body: Leaders should be diligent; giving should be generous; mercy should be shown cheerfully.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself and others from your point of view and live an unselfish life.
One Word: Serve the Body with your gift.