³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

1) What does Paul mean by “measure of faith” in verse 3?
The word “measure” carries the idea of a portion or degree. So, is this saying that God gives some people more faith, making them more important than others? No, that doesn’t fit with what the rest of Scripture has to say about us being equal in value before God.   In the context of this verse, Paul is exhorting each believer to assess himself or herself realistically, rather than thinking of himself or herself “more highly than he ought to think.” And the following verses talk about different spiritual gifts in the church. So the “measure of faith” here is likely talking about the role, through the use of spiritual gifts, that each Christian is given to play.

2) What does it mean that we are “individually members one of another”?
Just as body parts are different, but not independent from one another, the individual members of the body of Christ are linked to one another. We are each tied to Christ, through our belief in Him and His Spirit dwelling within us, and we are also tied to each other, because the same Head directs and controls us all.

3) What is the overall point of listing the different gifts and how they are to be used?
The point of this passage is the unity of the body, even though different members have different gifts. Grace, or unmerited favor, is behind it all, which means that God has given us our gifts according to what He thinks is best, not according to what we deserve. Paul encourages each one to use his or her gifts, because in doing so, the whole body is built up.

1) What does Paul mean by “measure of faith” in verse 3?
The point of this verse is to urge us to be humble. God has gifted us each differently, and when we humbly use our gifts to serve the body, God is glorified. Sometimes, in our pride, we try to work for God in areas that are outside our gifts simply because we think it is more important work. But God has designed the members of His church to function best within their different roles. Is your pride playing more of a role in how you work for God than your gifts? If so, repent and ask God to show you how He would have you serve His body.

2) What does it mean that we are “individually members one of another”?
We must always remember that, as Christians, everything we say and do affects the other members to whom we belong. Independence may be an important virtue to American citizens, but it is not how God designed His church to operate. Let’s commit to thinking about what it means to be members of the same body, and let’s commit to advancing the purpose of the Church over our own purposes.

3) What is the overall point of listing the different gifts and how they are to be used?
Women, use your gifts to serve the body of Christ! Do you know your spiritual gifts? If so, find a way to use them to serve your local church and other believers in your life. If you don’t know them, take an assessment or ask your pastor or Christian friends to help you discern what your gifts may be.

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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