Gifts Given for Love (Romans 12:6–14)
Gerald Largent
Gifts Given for Love (Romans 12:6–14)
The Epistle appointed for Sunday, July 12, 2026, is Romans 12:6–14. In this brief passage, Saint Paul gives a portrait of life in the Church: gifts received from God, offered back to God, and used for the upbuilding of one another. The reading begins, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them,” and then names prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy.
This is a deeply Orthodox vision of community. The Church is not a gathering of spectators watching a few people do “religious work.” Every baptized Christian has received grace. Every member of the Body has a calling. Some serve visibly, some quietly. Some teach, some encourage, some give, some lead, some show mercy, some pray faithfully in hidden places. Saint Paul does not tell the faithful to compare gifts, envy gifts, or rank gifts. He tells them to use them.
Saint John Chrysostom, commenting on Romans 12, emphasizes that the gifts differ not because some Christians should become proud and others discouraged, but because all are members of one Body. He notes that Paul speaks not of “less and greater” gifts, but of gifts “differing,” and that the gift itself is of grace, not personal possession. This is important for parish life. A gift becomes distorted when it becomes a platform for ego. A gift becomes holy when it is offered in humility.
Saint Paul immediately turns from gifts to love. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Gifts are only safe when they are governed by sincere love. Teaching without love becomes harsh. Leadership without love becomes control. Giving without love becomes self-display. Mercy without love becomes condescension. But when love is genuine, every gift becomes a form of service to Christ.
The Epistle also teaches the manner in which Christians are to serve: with liberality, diligence, cheerfulness, brotherly affection, honor, zeal, hope, patience, prayer, generosity, and hospitality. This list is not abstract. It describes the spiritual atmosphere of a healthy parish. The Church becomes radiant when people give without resentment, serve without seeking applause, forgive without delay, and welcome one another as members of Christ.
Chrysostom especially underlines the phrase “he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” He warns that giving with sadness or reluctance can wound the person receiving help, while cheerful mercy lifts up the one in sorrow. He also says that Christian assistance is not only money, but help given “with words, and deeds, and in person, and in every other way.” This widens our understanding of stewardship. A phone call can be mercy. A meal can be mercy. A ride to church, a quiet prayer, a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or a hidden act of generosity can become an offering pleasing to God.
The passage ends with one of the hardest commandments: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Here Saint Paul shows that Christian love is not limited to those who appreciate us. The mercy we receive from Christ must become mercy we extend even toward the difficult, the hostile, and the unjust. This does not mean approving evil. Paul has already told us to abhor what is evil. But it does mean refusing to let evil rule our hearts.
Romans 12:6–14 calls us to become a eucharistic people: receiving everything as grace and offering everything back in love. Whatever gift we have, whether great or small in human eyes, it can become holy when placed in Christ’s hands. Let us use what we have been given, not for pride or fear, but for the service of God, the strengthening of the Church, and the healing of our neighbor.
From the St. Panteleimon Orthodox Christian Outreach bulletin for July 12, 2026.