'For I say, through the grace that is given unto me, to
every man that is among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.'--ROMANS xii. 3.
It is hard to give advice without seeming to assume superiority; it
is hard to take it, unless the giver identifies himself with the
receiver, and shows that his counsel to others is a law for himself.
Paul does so here, led by the delicate perception which comes from a
loving heart, compared with which deliberate 'tact' is cold and
clumsy. He wishes, as the first of the specific duties to which he
invites the Roman Christians, an estimate of themselves based upon
the recognition of God as the Giver of all capacities and graces, and
leading to a faithful use for the general good of the 'gifts
differing according to the grace given to us.' In the first words of
our text, he enforces his counsel by an appeal to his apostolic
authority; but he so presents it that, instead of separating himself
from the Roman Christians by it, he unites himself with them. He
speaks of 'the grace given to _me_,' and in verse 6 of 'the grace
given to _us_.' He was made an Apostle by the same giving God who has
bestowed varying gifts on each of _them_. He knows what is the grace
which he possesses as he would have them know; and in these counsels
he is assuming no superiority, but is simply using the special gift
bestowed on him for the good of all. With this delicate turn of what
might else have sounded harshly authoritative, putting prominently
forward the divine gift and letting the man Paul to whom it was given
fall into the background, he counsels as the first of the social
duties which Christian men owe to one another, a sober and just
estimate of themselves. This sober estimate is here regarded as being
important chiefly as an aid to right service. It is immediately
followed by counsels to the patient and faithful exercise of
differing gifts. For thus we may know what our gifts are; and the
acquisition of such knowledge is the aim of our text.