In Greek verses 6-8 form one sentence, and it is rather complex. It begins with a participle and there is no main verb in the entire sentence. Although a verb is not present in the Greek, the context makes it clear what verb is implicit: we are to use (Revised Standard Version “let us use them”; New English Bible “must be exercised accordingly”).
Different gifts should be understood distributively rather than collectively, that is to say, each person has a different gift, as is indicated clearly in the rest of this paragraph. Accordingly, one must translate in some languages: “so each one of us should use our own gift in accordance with the way in which God has given it to us” or “each one of us should use the particular gift that God has given to each one.”
To speak God’s message (New English Bible “the gift of inspired utterance”) translates a single noun that is rendered “prophecy” in many translations. There is no single term that can adequately translate this Greek word. “Preaching” (An American Translation*) comes closer than “prophecy,” which focuses the attention on the aspect of prediction, but “preaching” is not completely adequate. The Good News Translation and the New English Bible place the emphasis on the primary element in this term, that is, the proclamation of God’s message.
In some languages it is not easy to relate a term such as gift with an event such as to speak God’s message. It may be necessary therefore to indicate somewhat more precisely what the gift consists of: “if God has given us the ability to preach God’s message.”
The last clause of this verse, we must do it according to the faith that we have, may be rendered as “we must do it with as much faith as we have,” “we must do it with all the faith we have,” “we must do it in proportion to how much we believe,” or “if we believe much, we must do it much.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .