Although when one thinks of Paul's teachings on "spiritual gifts," one usually turns to his writings in 1 Corinthians 12, this topic is also discussed and developed in Paul's letter to the Romans. In some ways, the apostle's unique use of "body of Christ" imagery for the church community is even more important and poignant for the Roman Christian communities than for those obstreperous believers in Corinth. Paul's letters addressed to "all God's beloved in Rome" (Romans 1:7) were intended not just for a single audience but for reading at the many different synagogue/church communities that were struggling to establish their faith-identity in that central city.

There had always been a large community of Jews in Rome but they had never been gathered under a single jurisdictional authority. E…