SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:6
De manera que, teniendo diferentes dones segn la gracia que nos es dada; si es profecía, conforme a la medida de la fe;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 12:6
Verse 6. Having then gifts differing, &c.] As the goodness of God, with this view of our mutual subserviency and usefulness, has endowed us with different gifts and qualifications, let each apply himself to the diligent improvement of his particular office and talent, and modestly keep within the bounds of it, not exalting himself or despising others. Whether prophecy] That prophecy, in the New Testament, often means the gift of exhorting, preaching, or of expounding the Scriptures, is evident from many places in the Gospels, Acts, and St. Paul's Epistles, see 1 Cor. xi. 4, 5; and especially 1 Cor. xiv. 3: He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. This was the proper office of a preacher; and it is to the exercise of this office that the apostle refers in the whole of the chapter from which the above quotations are made. See also Luke i. 76; vii. 28; Acts xv. 32; 1 Cor. xiv. 29. I think the apostle uses the term in the same sense here-Let every man who has the gift of preaching and interpreting the Scriptures do it in proportion to the grace and light he has received from God, and in no case arrogate to himself knowledge which he has not received; let him not esteem himself more highly on account of this gift, or affect to be wise above what is written, or indulge himself in fanciful interpretations of the word of God.
Dr. Taylor observes that the measure of faith, ver. 3, and the proportion of faith, ver. 6, seem not to relate to the degree of any gift considered in itself, but rather in the relation and proportion which it bore to the gifts of others; for it is plain that he is here exhorting every man to keep soberly within his own sphere. It is natural to suppose that the new converts might be puffed up with the several gifts that were bestowed upon them; and every one might be forward to magnify his own to the disparagement of others: therefore the apostle advises them to keep each within his proper sphere; to know and observe the just measure and proportion of the gift intrusted to him, not to gratify his pride but to edify the Church.
The analogia thv pistewv, which we here translate the proportion of faith, and which some render the analogy of faith, signifies in grammar "the similar declension of similar words;" but in Scriptural matters it has been understood to mean the general and consistent plan or scheme of doctrines delivered in the Scriptures; where every thing bears its due relation and proportion to another. Thus the death of Christ is commensurate in its merits to the evils produced by the fall of Adam. The doctrine of justification by faith bears the strictest analogy or proportion to the grace of Christ and the helpless, guilty, condemned state of man: whereas the doctrine of justification by WORKS is out of all analogy to the demerit of sin, the perfection of the law, the holiness of God, and the miserable, helpless state of man. This may be a good general view of the subject; but when we come to inquire what those mean by the analogy of faith who are most frequent in the use of the term, we shall find that it means neither more nor less than their own creed; and though they tell you that their doctrines are to be examined by the Scriptures, yet they give you roundly to know that you are to understand these Scriptures in precisely the same way as they have interpreted them. "To the law and to the testimony," says Dr. Campbell, "is the common cry; only every one, the better to secure the decision on the side he has espoused, would have you previously resolve to put no sense whatever on the law and the testimony but what his favourite doctrine will admit. Thus they run on in a shuffling, circular sort of argument, which, though they studiously avoid exposing, is, when dragged into the open light, neither more nor less than this; 'you are to try our doctrine by the Scriptures only; but then you are to be very careful that you explain the Scripture solely by our doctrine.' A wonderful plan of trial, which begins with giving judgment, and ends with examining the proof, wherein the whole skill and ingenuity of the judges are to be exerted in wresting the evidence so as to give it the appearance of supporting the sentence pronounced before hand." See Dr. Campbell's Dissertations on the Gospels, Diss. iv. sect. 14, vol. i, page 146, 8vo. edit., where several other sensible remarks may be found.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. Having then gifts, differing , etc..] As in a natural body, the various members of it have not the same office, and do not perform the same actions, thus they have not the same, but different faculties; one has one faculty, another another; the eye has the faculty of seeing, the ear of hearing, etc.. thus in the spiritual body the church, as there are different members, these members have not the same work and business assigned them; some are employed one way, and some another; also they have diversities of gifts for their different administrations and operations, and all from Christ their head, by the same Spirit, and for the service of the whole body, according to the grace that is given unto us ; for all these gifts are not the effects of nature, the fruits of human power, diligence, and industry, but flow from the grace of God, who dispenses them when, where, and to whom he pleases in a free and sovereign manner; and therefore to be acknowledged as such, and used to his glory, and for the good of his church and people. Wherefore whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith .
The offices here, and hereafter mentioned, are not of an extraordinary, but ordinary kind, such as are lasting, and will continue in the church unto the end of time: and are divided into two parts, which are after subdivided into other branches. The division is into prophesying and ministering. By prophesying is meant, not foretelling things to come, thought this gift was bestowed upon some, as Agabus, and others in the Christian church; but this, as it is of an extraordinary nature, so it is not stinted and limited according to the proportion of faith; but preaching the Gospel is here designed, which is the sense of the word in many places of Scripture, particularly in ( 1 Corinthians 13:2,8,9 14:1,3-6,22) ( 1 Corinthians 14:24,29,31,32,37,39). Now such who have this gift of prophecy, or of opening and explaining the Scriptures, ought to make use of it, and constantly attend toil: let us prophesy; diligently prepare for it by prayer, reading and meditation, and continually exercise it as opportunity offers; nor should any difficulty and discouragement deter from it: or whereas this last clause is not in the original text, it may be supplied from ( Romans 12:3); thus, let us think soberly, who have this gift, and not be elated with it, or carry it haughtily to those who attend on the exercise of it: but behave with sobriety, modesty, and humility, in the discharge thereof: according to the proportion of faith. There must be faith, or no prophesying; a man must believe, and therefore speak, or speak not at all; a Gospel minister ought not to be a sceptic, or in doubt about the main principles of religion; such as concern the three divine persons, the office, grace, and righteousness of Christ, and the way of salvation by him: he should be at a point in these things, should firmly believe, and with assurance assert them, nor fear to be called dogmatical on that account: he is to preach according to his faith, the proportion of it: which may be the same with the measure of it, ( Romans 12:3). And so the Syriac version reads it, htwnmyhd atjwm ya , according to the measure of his faith; to which the Arabic version agrees; that is, according to the measure of the gift of Christ he has received; according to the abilities bestowed on him; according to that light, knowledge, faith, and experience he has; he ought to preach up unto it, and not in the least come short of it; or by the proportion, or analogy of faith, may be meant a scheme of Gospel truths, a form of sound words, a set of principles upon the plan of the Scriptures, deduced from them, and agreeably to them; and which are all of a piece, and consistent with themselves, from which the prophesier or preacher should never swerve: or the Scriptures themselves, the sure word of prophecy, the rule and standard of faith and practice: the scope of the text is to be attended to, its connection with the preceding or following verses, or both; and it is to be compared with other passages of Scripture, and accordingly to be explained: and this is to follow the rule directed to.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 3-8 - Pride is a sin in us by nature; we need to be cautioned and arme against it. All the saints make up one body in Christ, who is the Hea of the body, and the common Centre of their unity. In the spiritual body, some are fitted for and called to one sort of work; others for another sort of work. We are to do all the good we can, one to another and for the common benefit. If we duly thought about the powers we have, and how far we fail properly to improve them, it would humble us But as we must not be proud of our talents, so we must take heed lest under a pretence of humility and self-denial, we are slothful in layin out ourselves for the good of others. We must not say, I am nothing therefore I will sit still, and do nothing; but, I am nothing in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the utmost, in the strength of the grace of Christ. Whatever our gifts or situations ma be, let us try to employ ourselves humbly, diligently, cheerfully, an in simplicity; not seeking our own credit or profit, but the good of many, for this world and that which is to come.
Greek Textus Receptus
εχοντες 2192 5723 V-PAP-NPM δε 1161 CONJ χαρισματα 5486 N-APN κατα 2596 PREP την 3588 T-ASF χαριν 5485 N-ASF την 3588 T-ASF δοθεισαν 1325 5685 V-APP-ASF ημιν 2254 P-1DP διαφορα 1313 A-APN ειτε 1535 CONJ προφητειαν 4394 N-ASF κατα 2596 PREP την 3588 T-ASF αναλογιαν 356 N-ASF της 3588 T-GSF πιστεως 4102 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. Prophecy. See on prophet, Luke vii. 26. In the New Testament, as in the Old, the prominent idea is not prediction, but the inspired delivery of warning, exhortation, instruction, judging, and making manifest the secrets of the heart. See 1 Cor. xiv. 3, 24, 25. The New-Testament prophets are distinguished from teachers, by speaking under direct divine inspiration.Let us prophesy. Not in the Greek.
According to the proportion of faith (kata thn analogian thv pistewv). Analogia proportion, occurs only here in the New Testament. In classical Greek it is used as a mathematical term. Thus Plato: "The fairest bond is that which most completely fuses and is fused into the things which are bound; and proportion (analogia) is best adapted to effect such a fusion" ("Timaeus," 31). "Out of such elements, which are in number four, the body of the world was created in harmony and proportion" ("Timaeus," 32). Compare "Politicus," 257 The phrase here is related to the measure of faith (ver. 3). It signifies, according to the proportion defined by faith. The meaning is not the technical meaning expressed by the theological phrase analogy of faith, sometimes called analogy of scripture, i.e., the correspondence of the several parts of divine revelation in one consistent whole. This would require hJ pistiv the faith, to be taken as the objective rule of faith, or system of doctrine (see on Acts vi. 7), and is not in harmony with ver. 3, nor with according to the grace given. Those who prophesy are to interpret the divine revelation "according to the strength, clearness, fervor, and other qualities of the faith bestowed upon them; so that the character and mode of their speaking is conformed to the rules and limits which are implied in the proportion of their individual degree of faith" (Meyer).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:6 {Differing} (diaphora). Old adjective from diaferw, to differ, to vary. So #Heb 9:10. {According to the proportion of our faith} (kata ten analogian tes pistews). The same use of pistis (faith) as in verse #3 "the measure of faith." Old word. analogia (our word "analogy") from analogos (analogous, conformable, proportional). Here alone in N.T. The verb prophteu"men (present active volitive subjunctive, let us prophesy) must be supplied with which econtes agrees. The context calls for the subjective meaning of "faith" rather than the objective and outward standard though pistis does occur in that sense (#Ga 1:23; 3:23).
