Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:3-8 is immediately followed by the apostle's litany of true agape-inspired Christian characteristics. For Paul, Christ is fullness (pleroma). Agape love is the necessary component if the fullness of spiritual gifts is to be activated and exercised within the Christian community.

Romans 12:9-21 makes up a unit of Christian "sententiae," similar to ones found in Hebrew wisdom literature. Some scholars have suggested that Paul even had at his disposal a kind of Semitic source book on the topic of agape. The grammatical style Paul invokes here - used in the context of rules or codes - reflects this typical Hebrew form. Paul begins with a strong, succinct definition of an authentic Christian attitude. Literally verse 9 translates as "the love, u…