Bible Commentaries
1 Corinthians 12

Verse 1

1Co 12:1

1 Corinthians 12:1

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,—When Jesus told his apostles that he was going away to prepare a place for them, he told them also that if he went away he would send them another Comforter to guide them into all the truth and prepare and fit them for the place he would make ready for them—that the Spirit would guide them into all the truth and call to their remembrance all things whatsoever he had com­manded them. (John 14:26; John 16:13). The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost; took up his abode in them to guide them in teaching to others the things Jesus had taught them.

The Holy Spirit in the apostles bestowed gifts upon disci­ples qualifying them for the performance of the different du­ties arising in their Christian life. These gifts were to remain and make known the will of. God, and continue until the per­fect will was come. In speaking of these partial gifts, Paul says: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). The gifts which bestowed the partial knowledge were to be done away when the perfect will of God was made known. (Ephesians 4:11-16). The different gifts are enumerated in the order of their importance and the mea­sure of the Holy Spirit bestowed. (Verse 28).

These gifts carried with them ability to know and to make known the will of God, and to confirm it by signs and won­ders. These gifts were to serve until the full and perfect will of God was made known and confirmed to the world. The will of God was made known and confirmed through these gifts; then they passed away and left men to be governed by the word of God, to be led by the Spirit in that word. The Corinthians had been bountifully supplied with these gifts, but difficulties concerning their use had arisen.

I would not have you ignorant.—They had no doubt in­quired of Paul concerning the use of these gifts and the privi­leges of those possessing them.

Verses 1-3

1Co 12:1-3

IGNORANCE CONCERNING

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

1 Corinthians 12:1 --Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,-- Miraculous, supernatural, or extraordinary endowments, nine of which are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. They are called spiritual because they are the extraordinary work of the Spirit. Evidently the Corinthians had asked Paul some questions concerning super­ natural gifts, which they seemed to desire above the more practical aspects of Christianity. This section (chapters 12-14) contains his replies. In chapter 12, he gives their source and function, in 13, their duration. in 14, their regulation or proper use. I would not have you ignorant - Neither uninformed nor misinformed. While Paul’s instructions are relatively simple, there are few subjects in which the modern religious world is more in the dark. There are many reasons for this misinformation, but most of them stem from a failure to Scripturally answer two basic questions: (1) What are spiritual gifts? They are miraculous gifts given to the apostles and others in the early church which were exercised until the revelation was completed (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). The miraculous should not be confused with the natural nor should the extraordinary measure of the Spirit be confused with the ordinary. A miracle is God working directly - God acting without the laws of nature to produce an observable effect in the natural realm. Nature is God working indirectly or through His established laws or system. Thus a miracle is a direct act of God - God working other than by His natural means or through His laws. The miraculous gifts were thus gifts con­ ferred upon some in the early church enabling them to do that which could not be done apart from the direct power of God acting through them. These gifts enabled some to speak a language they had never studied or learned, interpret languages they did not speak, to heal the sick, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), Such gifts were peculiar to the apostolic age and were never meant to be a permanent part of the church (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). No man, therefore, should expect to receive them today. (2) What was the purpose of miraculous gifts? Primarily the purpose can be summed up in three words. reveal, confirm, and deliver that is, to reveal the truth, confirm the truth, and deliver the truth (John 16:13; Hebrews 2:1-4; Judges 1:3). They were not given for the benefit of the receiver per se (as those who claim them today think and teach). They were given by the Spirit for the profit of the whole church (v. 7). While more than the apostles possessed spiritual gifts in apostolic times, none but the apostles had the power to impart them to another (Acts 8:17-19; Romans 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:6). This is why the Spirit’s reception has often been divided into the primary (that given to the apostles directly by Christ), the secondary (that given by the laying on of apostolic hands), and the ordinary (that given to every obedient believer at baptism, Acts 2:38). Most of the gifts in this section pertain to the secondary measure, the gifts which were imparted only by the hands of an apostle. But regardless of the gift or who possessed it, its purpose was to aid in the revelation, confirmation, and deliverance of the truth. Once that truth was revealed, confirmed, and delivered (in the written word) the miraculous ended. God now works through His revealed laws. For this reason, if one either claims spiritual gifts today, or claims that they belong to Christians now just as they did then, he misses Paul’s point absolutely and falls into the very state of ignorance that he wrote this section to prevent.

1 Corinthians 12:2 --Ye know that ye were Gentiles, You know that when you were heathen (RSV). carried away unto these dumb idols, That is, when they were practicing paganism, they were led to worship idols which could not speak or reveal their will (Psalms 115:4-7). Man made them and man had to speak for them. But not so with the God of heaven. He had spoken (Hebrews 1:1-4) through Christ and His apostles, and the miracles they had seen (the spiritual gifts exercised) confirmed that it was the word of the Lord. even as ye were led. - Howsoever ye might be led (ASV). They had been led (as a prisoner is led) into idol worship, not because idols were entities, not because reason so dictated, and certainly not because the idols had revealed their will, but by habit, impulse, passions, fancy, or priest. Or another way to say it: they were not led by revelation (as with Christians) but by happenstance, not to the living God, but to silent (dead) deities.

1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, Therefore I make known to you (NASV), that is, he informs them so that they will not be ignorant (v. 1) as pertaining to the test by which they could tell one who had spiritual gifts from those who only claimed to have them (1 John 4:2-3). that no man speaking by the Spirit of God - No man who has a gift of the Spirit to speak for God, to infallibly receive and deliver by inspiration the will of God; to speak under the power, influence, and direction of the Spirit. calleth Jesus accursed:--Saith, Jesus is anathema (ASV). This may have been done by the heathen priest who claimed to be speaking for the gods. Practically it amounts to denouncing Him as an imposter, denying His deity, that He was Son, Savior, Lord, Priest, and King, and blaspheming His name as a deceiver, thus one abandoned beyond all hope or worth and cursed with eternal infamy. and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. The exact opposite of the previous statement. No man can affirm that is Son, Savior, Lord, Priest, and King, that do so by inspiration, except by the power vouchsafed to Him by the HS. While this is primarily concerned with the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit (the manner by which revelation is made known), the principle is true also in the Spirit’s indirect work today. The only way one can possibly know of Jesus and thus be able to call Him Lord is by the revelation delivered to him by the Spirit. In short, we can call Jesus Lord only by the revelation delivered to us in the written word. Without that we would know nothing of Him (nothing of His virgin birth, His perfect life, His vicarious death, or His glorious resurrection) that is essential to our salvation. We believe in Christ as the Son of God, not because of what we have learned from secular history, but by what the HS has revealed to us in the divine word. All true and essential knowledge of Christ comes to us through revelation ­ that is, through the HS.

Verse 2

1Co 12:2

1 Corinthians 12:2

Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.—[He contrasts their former miserable condition as idolaters with their present state in order to make them sensible of their ad­vantages as Christians and that they might be led more highly to appreciate their present condition.]

Verse 3

1Co 12:3

1 Corinthians 12:3

Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema;—Because of their former ignorance and evil life, he would have them know that the Spirit of God instructs, teaches, leads out of this idol­atry into the knowledge of the Son of God. So that one led by the Spirit cannot say that Jesus is anathema, or that he is the source of evil.

and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit. —No one can truly believe and say that Jesus is the Son of God, save as he is taught by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came to testify concerning Jesus, and all the testimony we have of him comes through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The word of God is the teaching given by the Spirit, and in it is contained all that man knows concerning Jesus. No man can believe that Jesus is the Christ save upon the testimony given in the word of God by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 4

1Co 12:4

1 Corinthians 12:4

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.—The Holy Spirit came to the apostles, and through them be­stowed a number of gifts or powers on others. The gifts differed in the work they enabled each to perform, and the de­gree of spiritual power they bestowed; but the same Spirit is the giver; it is he who is the immediate and proximate author of all these various endowments.

Verses 4-11

1Co 12:4-11

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ENUMERATED

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts,--Different miraculous gifts given to different people (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Not everyone in the early church received a gift, and probably few if any had all the gifts and likely most who received them (by the laying on of apostolic hands) had only one. They were distributed by the in such a way as to profit the whole church (v. 7) rather than just the receiving individual per se. but the same Spirit. - The gifts were different but they were all given by the HS. The contrast is between the variety of gifts and the one source from which they come - the Spirit, the Lord (v. 5), and God (v. 6). So all who spoke in tongues, or healed, or prophesied, or interpreted tongues, etc., did so by the supernatural power, and influence of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:5 And there are differences of administrations,--Distinctive ministries (BV). That is, a variety of services to be performed by means of the different (v. 28). Just as each member of the human body has its peculiar function and each member of the body of Christ serves a divine purpose, so it was with spiritual gifts and those who possessed them. but the same Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the gifts were made possible and for whom the services are administered.

1 Corinthians 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, - There are different kinds of working (NIV) or a variety of effects as a result of the spiritual gifts. This may have reference to the effects on the individuals possessing the but more likely the effects produced by the gifts (Hebrews 2:1-4). but it is the same God which worketh all in all. All the gifts are from the one God, the ultimate source of all power, spiritual or otherwise. No one reading vv. 4-6 should fail to see that Paul by design weaves together the divine trinity in the giving, service, and effects of the gifts, leaving no doubt but that he was a trinitarian. In v. 4, the Spirit bestows the gifts; in v. 5, the gifts are used in the service of Christ the Son; and in v. 6, they are all the work (accomplishment) of God the Father. Thus we see the HS as the supplier, the Son as the one served, and the Father as the source.

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit The exercise of spiritual gifts. Some see this as the Spirit making Himself known through His work; others see it as the manifestation of the works of the Spirit that which the Spirit makes known. I cannot say positively which Paul may have had in mind, but that should not hinder us from understanding the thrust of the passage because both are true (I do not say that Paul had both in mind here): the gifts manifest both the Spirit and the Spirit’s work. I lean toward the latter being the true sense. is given to every man - This must be understood in a limited sense. The gifts were not given to all men, both pagan and Christian. Nor were they given to all Christians. Paul is discussing those who possess spiritual gifts, and that is the total number the context has in view. Thus the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one who has a gift for the profit of the whole church. to profit withal--For the common good (RSV). That for the good of all (the whole church) and not just for the good of the receiver per se. While there can be no question but that the one who received the gift benefited from it to some extent, that benefit was not the primary purpose for which it was given. Except by serendipity, the gifts did not change one’s free will; they did not change his attitude; they did not give him a better understanding; they did not remove desires or temptations to sin; they did not make one stronger in the faith (faith is an exercise of the human will, not the exercise of the HS upon the human spirit); they did not make one less forgetful; they did not make one successful and happy. The gifts were always under the control of the receiver and not the other way around (1 Corinthians 14:32). One could neglect or fail to use it for its intended purpose (1 Timothy 4:14). Their primary purpose was to reveal, confirm, and deliver the truth. To go beyond this in applying the manifestations of the Spirit (spiritual gifts) is to miss what the Scriptures teach, here and everywhere.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 While these verses give a list of nine spiritual gifts, the list was not meant to be exhaustive (1 Corinthians 12:28-30). With the current information available to us, it is all but impossible to ascertain precisely in what all the gifts consisted their extent and limitations. But this should not disturb us, since it is not necessary for us to know anyway. The gifts belonged to the apostolic age and ceased when it ended. No man today, regardless of his claims or what others may think, possesses any of them (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). Thus we are not required to make a practical application of each one. It is enough, therefore, to know that each one had it with God, was given by the HS, and was used in the service of Christ (vv. 4-6). And besides this, Paul’s point is not so much to enumerate the gifts as it is to illustrate the fact that they are the work of the Spirit for the benefit of the whole body, the church.

1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit - One gift is given by the Spirit to one and another gift is given to another. All do not receive all the gifts nor do all receive the same gift. the word of wisdom; - The utterance (RSV) or message (BV) of wisdom. The best that I can determine this has reference to the gift by which one could receive and deliver the wisdom which is from above (James 3:14-18). Goodspeed translates it, "The power to speak wisely," that is, the power to speak by revelation or inspiration. Peter said that Paul taught according to the wisdom given to him (2 Peter 3:15) and Paul himself claimed to teach with all wisdom (Colossians 1:28). I conclude then that the word of wisdom is that word (in the final analysis, the gospel) by which God’s will is made known to man (under the direction of the HS). to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; - If it is correct to say that the word of wisdom is the power to receive and deliver revelation, then the word of knowledge is probably the power to retain in the memory the word of wisdom delivered. In this view the word of wisdom is the primary reception and delivery of saving truth, and the word of knowledge is the miraculous retention of that truth once it had been revealed. Such a gift would have been sorely needed in the early church because they did not have the complete NT to which they could go day by day and refresh their memory or against which they could test the truthfulness of anyone who claimed to be preaching the gospel. If I am correct here, the word of wisdom was received directly from God while the word of knowledge was received from the ones who spoke the word of wisdom. Both were miraculous but the former had to do with the original source and content while the latter with retaining and teaching the truth already revealed.

1 Corinthians 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; - In the NT, faith may either be subjective (one’s own belief of testimony, John 20:30-31; Romans 10:17), objective (the testimony Judges 1:3), or miraculous (which manifest itself in the performance of miracles, Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21). Here Paul means miraculous faith, faith that enabled the receiver to exert supernatural power (cf. 13:2). Undoubtedly it had some visible results or function but exactly how it manifested itself (other than in the performance of miracles) to benefit the whole church I am unable to say. to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; The power to restore the sick to health by the direct power of God, exercised frequently by Christ and His apostles (e.g., Matthew 8:16; Mark 16:17-20; Acts 3:1-9; Acts 14:8-10). The plural probably indicates the wide variety of diseases healed.

1 Corinthians 12:10 To another the working of miracles; - To another miraculous powers (BV). While all the gifts are miraculous in nature, Paul obviously had in mind some manifestation of supernatural power not covered by the other Miracles in the NT can be classed into five categories: power over (1) disease (Matthew 8:23), (2) nature (Matthew 8:26), (3) demons (Matthew 8:16), (4) material things (Matthew 14:9; Matthew 15:32), and death (John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40-41). Since Paul had named healing (power over disease), it seems reasonable to conclude that he meant to include one or more of the remaining in this gift. to another prophecy; - Another can speak God’s word (Beck). A prophet is God’s spokesman. He receives the divine will directly and infallibly communicates it to man (see notes on 1 Corinthians 11:4; Romans 12:6). to another discerning of spirits; - The power to discriminate between the Spirit and false spirits (Williams). Perhaps the exercise of this gift was twofold: (1) to distinguish by divine insight whether those who claimed to speak by inspiration were doing so or not. (2) To determine the kind of spirit (disposition) one was, regardless of his claims or action (e.g., Peter in Acts 5:1-11 and Paul in Acts 14:8-10). to another divers kinds of tongues; - Another can talk strange languages (Beck), that is, languages strange to him. Or as MacKnight translates it. "Foreign languages." I believe Barnes is precisely right in saying, "The power of speaking various languages." It was a gift that enabled one to speak in a language he had never learned or studied. Contrary to many modern interpreters, it was not an ecstatic utterance, wrought by a high emotional charge. Rather, it was a real language that could be understood by those who spoke it and could be interpreted or translated into another language by one with the gift of interpretation (or by one who knew both languages). The first occurrence of speaking in tongues was on the day of Pentecost and the Scriptures leave no room to doubt that it was a language understood by someone present. Observe that when the apostles spoke in other tongues the multitude was confounded because every man heard them speak in his own language (Acts 2:6). The men who spoke were all Galileans, yet every man heard them speak in his own tongue, wherein he was born (Acts 2:7-8). All the nations present on that day were amazed because they heard the apostles speak in their own tongue (Acts 2:9-13). Peter said that which was happening on Pentecost was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that both men and women would prophesy. For prophecy to fill its purpose (to reveal the will of God to man) it must be understood. Thus the gift of tongues on Pentecost was the gift to a language which was unknown to the speaker. Unless there were two of tongues (one the gift of language and the other the gift of ecstatic utterance), which there was not, then every time the gift of tongues is mentioned in the NT it means the gift of language. to another the interpretation of tongues: The gift to translate unknown languages into one that was understood by those to whom it was addressed. This also proves that it was a language: ecstatic utterances have no meaning and are thus not susceptible of interpretation.

1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, ­ But all these effects are produced by one and the same Spirit (Moffett). The HS worked the various gifts in all who received them. See note on v. 4. dividing to every man severally Distributing to each one individually (NASV) or separately. Every man is limited to the context to those who had received a gift. as he will. - The HS is not only the author of the various gifts, He also deter­ mines who will receive each gift for the good of the whole body (v. 7). The fact is here stated; the method by which the distribution was made was through the apostles: for it was by the laying on of their hands that the Spirit imparted the gifts.

Verse 5

1Co 12:5

1 Corinthians 12:5

And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.—There are different services, such as rendered by apos­tles, prophets, teachers, discerners of spirits; but they are all from the same Lord in whose service and by whose authority these various gifts are exercised.

Verse 6

1Co 12:6

1 Corinthians 12:6

And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.—It is the same God, who hav­ing exalted the Lord Jesus, and “put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23), and having sent the Holy Spirit, works all these things.

Verse 7

1Co 12:7

1 Corinthians 12:7

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.—But whatever gifts or manifestations of the Spirit are given to any one, are given for the instruction and profit of all. No gift was bestowed by the Spirit for the per­sonal good of him alone on whom it was bestowed. These gifts were never so used. The most highly gifted suffered persecution, hunger, and sickness; but no one used the gifts for personal relief or help. Nor did the possession of the gift bestow moral strength or spiritual power to free from or resist temptation, save as it gave them knowledge of the will of God and left them to contend with the temptations the same as those not gifted. Hence Peter dissembled and did wrong (Gal. 2; 11, 12), and Paul prayed that he might not, after hav­ing preached to others, be rejected (1 Corinthians 9:27). The gift bestowed on each one was for the instruction and help of all the church, and not for the private benefit of the gifted. The apostle now gives the separate gifts bestowed by the Spirit. It is difficult to define the scope, as they have all disappeared in the appear­ance of the completed word of God contained in the New Tes­tament.

Verse 8

1Co 12:8

1 Corinthians 12:8

For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wis­dom;—The word of wisdom is generally construed to mean the gospel, which is the power of God to save. It is God’s wisdom. [This was the gift which enabled its recipients to reveal the whole plan of salvation. It stands first in the list of spiritual gifts as the most important, as the characteristic gift of the apostles, and was peculiar to them, having been prom­ised to them by Christ, as the effect of the constant indwelling of the Spirit. (John 14:17; John 15:26-27; John 16:13-15). And of Paul an apostle has said: “Account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you.” (2 Peter 3:15). And besides this, Paul says: “We have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16).]

and to another the word of knowledge,—The word of knowledge enabled the gifted to understand and teach the truths revealed by the apostles.

according to the same Spirit:—[The Spirit governs these manifestations giving the law of them. The fact, that in the same Spirit in all these manifestations, is emphasized throughout the paragraph, in order to show the unity as well as purpose of these gifts.]

Verse 9

1Co 12:9

1 Corinthians 12:9

to another faith, in the same Spirit;—A faith that enabled one to remove mountains, of which Jesus speaks. It enabled one to exert power.

and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;—The gift of healing diseases is one of the powers bestowed by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 10

1Co 12:10

1 Corinthians 12:10

and to another workings of miracles;—All the gifts here enumerated enabled them to work miracles as we use the term. To know all things without learning, to heal diseases, to speak with tongues, to discern spirits are all miracles. Why, then, among these should one special gift be called the working of miracles? The word here translated “working” literally means the “inworking” of powers. That is, the be­stowing on persons the ability to impart the power of working miracles to others. Simon Magus offered Peter money for this power. (Acts 8:18-19).

Macknight says: “The word energius does not signify to work simply, but to work in another. Thus verse 11: ‘All these (gifts) the one and the same Spirit (energei) inworketh,’ namely, in the spiritual men.” One and the same Spirit inworks all the different powers into the gifted persons, dis­tributing to each severally as he will. It is generally con­tended that none save the apostles could impart the power to work miracles. That they possessed it in common with all Spiritual powers is not doubted. The apostles were endowed with all the power and gifts of the Spirit. But to others these gifts were distributed. All other gifts of the Spirit were dis­tributed to one or another person, why not this also? Ananias, having been instructed by the Lord to go to the house where Saul abode, “departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17-18). While it is not said that the Holy Spirit was imparted by the imposi­tion of his hands, it is certain that he was to be filled with the Holy Spirit by the coming of Ananias, and that Ananias laid his hands on him, and he did receive his sight and a gift of the Spirit that enabled him at once to proclaim Jesus, “that he is the Son of God.”

And when Simon the sorcerer proposed to purchase the power to bestow miracle working power on others, Peter did not tell him that no one but an apostle could have such power. But he said to him: “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter.” (Acts 8:21). This implies that it might have been possible for him to have part or lot in the matter had his heart been right in the sight of God.

Once more, I quote from Macknight: “Though the inwork­ing of powers be the spiritual gift which most forcibly struck the minds of mankind, and raised the apostles highest in their estimation, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and faith, are placed before it in the catalogue. The reason is, by these gifts the gospel was communicated to the world; whereas it was only confirmed by the inworking of powers.” Those placed before the inworking are greater than this. If the apostles bestowed the greater gifts, why not this less one?

and to another prophecy;—[This was the speaking of the message of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whether with reference to the past, the present, or future. The purpose of this ministry was to edify, to comfort, and to encourage the believers (1 Corinthians 14:3), while its effect upon unbeliev­ers was to show that the secrets of man’s heart are known to God, to convict of sin, and constrain to the worship of God (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). With the completion of the canon of Scripture this gift passed away. (1 Corinthians 13:8-9). In his measure the teacher has taken the place of the prophet. The difference is that, whereas the message of the prophet was a direct revelation of the mind of God for the occasion, the message of the teacher is gathered from the completed revelation contained in the Scriptures.]

and to another discernings of spirits:—The power bestowed on certain persons by the Spirit to discern the secret disposi­tions of men. It was one of the gifts peculiar to that age, and was especially necessary at a time when God’s revelation was not fully established or generally understood, and when many deceivers were abroad. (2 John 1:7). This seemed to have been exercised chiefly upon those who came forward as teachers of others, and whose real designs it was important that the church should know.

to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the inter­pretation of tongues:—The ability to speak different tongues. Some spoke in tongues they did not understand and could not interpret, and so Paul commanded them to be silent, unless they or some one else present could interpret. (1 Corinthians 14:28).

Verse 11

1Co 12:11

1 Corinthians 12:11

but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.—This unity of the source of all spiritual gifts, in the midst of their variety, he presses as against those who valued some and undervalued others, or who deprecated them all.

Verse 12

1Co 12:12

1 Corinthians 12:12

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.—He now introduces the human body with the differ­ent members performing different offices, yet altogether com­posing the one body, to illustrate the body of Christ or the church with its different members, and these different gifts performing the different offices needful to the well-being of the body.

Verses 12-13

1Co 12:12-13

UNITY OF THE BODY

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

1 Corinthians 12:12 For - Connects what follows with the preceding discussion of spiritual gifts. Thus the unity of the one body with its many members illustrates how the various gifts were the work of the one Spirit. as the body - The human body. is one, - A single unit made up of many parts. and hath many members, Such as eye, ear, hand, foot, etc., each having its own peculiar function within the body. and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: - And though all the parts are many, they form one body (NIV). A single member does not constitute the body; nor can a group of members separate themselves from the body and still function for it. The body is formed by the unity of all the members. so also is Christ. - So also is the body of Christ, the church. As the human body is one but yet with many members, so also the church is a single unit formed by one head and many members. All the members constitute only one body. There is no function of a member outside or apart from the body. This the divided religious world needs to learn, and with that knowledge they need to banish from the earth, once and for an, every religious body, whether great or small, that differs from the one body, whether in organization, name, doctrine, or practice, revealed in the NT.

1 Corinthians 12:13 This verse has been a fertile field for those who consider the work of the HS as some kind of mysterious influence, especially those who have used it as a proof text pertaining to the baptism of the HS. With little or no consideration for the contextual impact, those who believe-- that the baptism of the Spirit is a perpetual blessing given (or at least potentially so) to an Christians use it in total disregard to the internal difficulties it presents to them. For example, they believe that Christians, those already in the body, should seek HS baptism. According to them, some receive it; some do not. Yet they quote this passage to prove that it is for all. But in doing so they overlook an obvious fact: the baptism of this v. is the means of entrance into the one body. It is not something that is sought or received by those already in the body. If this verse actually teaches HS baptism, no one is in the body who has not been so baptized. "For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body." It is conclusive then that HS baptism is not meant. The passage teaches that one is baptized into the one body where he is made to drink of the Spirit - the baptism puts one into the one body and after he is the body he then drinks of the one Spirit. Only those in the body drink of the Spirit, and only the baptized (with the baptism of the great commission) are in the body. But in addition to this, baptism in the Spirit could not be meant here because of its purpose. The baptism of this v. puts one into the body of Christ, that which the baptism in the HS was never designed to do. While there are cases of baptism in the HS recorded in the NT, nowhere is it said that it puts the receiver into Christ, which is the same as being baptized into the body. The baptism that puts one into Christ is water baptism (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-4; Acts 8:35-39). While the HS authorizes this baptism, He is neither the administrator nor the element. The purpose of water baptism and the purpose of HS baptism are entirely different.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit - By the teaching or authority of the HS. When one is taught by the Spirit (through the Spirit-inspired Scriptures) to be baptized in the name of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20), he is baptized by the Spirit, not in the sense that the Spirit is the administrator or the element, but as the one who has revealed (authorized or directed) the baptism. are we all baptized - Baptized in compliance with the Spirit’s teaching (as stated in the great commission and practiced by the early church). The Spirit’s teaching on baptism contains at least nine components: (1) It is a command given by Jesus Himself (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:48) - HS baptism was not a command; it was a promise; (2) it is a command to believers in Christ as God’s Son (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:35-38); (3) it is a command to a penitent believer (Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30); (4) it is a burial into the death of Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12); (5) it is a burial in water John 3:23; Acts 8:35-39; Acts 10:47-48) - water, not the HS, is the element; (6) it is a command to be obeyed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the HS (Matthew 28:18-20) - it is in the name of the Spirit, not in the Spirit as the element; (7) it is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) - Few if any claims HS baptism is for the remission of sins; (8) it puts the penitent believer into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3) - that is, into His body; (9) from it, one arises to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-5) that is, baptism is the point where the new life begins. There can be no question then but that the baptism here is the baptism taught by the HS throughout the NT - the baptism of the great commission, the baptism in water, the only baptism ever authorized for all by the Father, Son, and HS. into one body, ­ Into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27) or His church, which is His body (Ephesians 1:22-23). whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; - All are brought into the one body by baptism. There are no exceptions--no national, racial, or class limitations. All who are in the one body (that is, all Christians) have been baptized by the Spirit’s authority into the one body. There is no other way of entrance. Thus the number who have received this baptism is as extensive as the number in the body - there is no one in the body who has not been baptized into it. But no one should be so foolish as to claim that every Christian has been baptized in the HS. and have been all - All (not just a selected few) who have been baptized with the baptism taught by the HS. made to drink into one Spirit. - Made to drink of one Spirit (ASV). Everyone baptized into the one body drinks of (receives) the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; Acts 2:38). Or as Vincent says, "The reference is to the reception of the Spirit in baptism." This is just another way of saying that when one is in the body of Christ he has access to all the spiritual benefits provided by the Spirit in the scheme of human redemption. Thus rather than teaching HS baptism (the Spirit as the element), this v. actually teaches that those who are baptized (in water for the remission of their sins) receive the Spirit after they are baptized into the one body. (For a lengthy discussion of this v. see the chapter in my book The Work of the Holy Spirit entitled "The Spirit and Baptism Into One Body.")

Verse 13

1Co 12:13

1 Corinthians 12:13

For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free;—As the body is animated by one spirit and under the guidance of one spirit, the different members of the body act, so guided or ruled by the one Spirit, all the members of the church, the body of Christ, were baptized into the one body, whether Jews or Greeks or bond or free.

The baptism is that commanded by Christ and the Holy Spirit, but inasmuch as it is done by the disciples under the direction of the Holy Spirit, it is said that the Spirit baptizes. God sent his Son, his Son sent the Holy Spirit as the abiding guest of the church of God, and he is ever present to guide and help every one walking under the guidance of the word of God. If we could realize that in deed and in truth Jesus bap­tizes every one that is baptized according to his will, that we are baptized by the directions of the Spirit, that this is God’s work, it would be a security and safety to us, and would help us to walk with him that he might be our God and dwell in and with us.

Some expositors think that being baptized in one Spirit re­fers to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The example of the body led by one Spirit does not bear this interpretation. For it could not be said that they were all made to drink of one Spirit if they had all been baptized or overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit as the apostles had been on the day of Pentecost. Beside this, there is no evidence that all the disciples at Cor­inth had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. There is no evi­dence whatever that any of them had been.

and were all made to drink of one Spirit.—The drinking into one Spirit is gradually imbibing the Spirit of Christ that we may be animated and led by it and become like him in character.

Verse 14

1Co 12:14

1 Corinthians 12:14

For the body is not one member, but many.—The human body, like the church, is not all one member, but is composed of many different members. [The word members means a constituent part having a function of its own.]

Verses 14-26

1Co 12:14-26

FUNCTION OF THE BODY

1 Corinthians 12:14-26

1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body - The human body, but by analogy the church (v. 27). is not one member, but many. - The body is a unit made up of many members, each filling the purpose for which it was made, but working in complete cooperation with the other members (vv. 15-16). So in the church, every member has a God-given function to perform but in cooperation with the function of the whole body. No member, however, either of the human body or of the church, can function apart from the body.

1 Corinthians 12:15-16 If the foot One part of the body. shall say, Because I am not the hand, - Another part of the body. I am not of the body; ­ Separate from the body and thus not necessary to its function. is it therefore not of the body? That does not make it any less a part of the body (Williams). Saying it does not change the fact nor does it relieve it from its prop­ er function. "The body is not one member, but many" (v. 14). And each member is designed to serve its own peculiar function. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? - The ear cannot see, but neither can the eye hear, but both seeing and hearing are vital to the body. The point is that each part of the body is a vital part of the whole. It is not another part and it cannot replace another part, but it has its own role in the body’s service. So it is in the body of Christ. Each member serves the appointed function assigned to him by God (v. 18). Thus no member of the body should be envious of the service (in context, a spiritual gift or gifts) rendered by another member, nor should he seek the office or work God has given to another. The whole body functions as a unit. Or as Willis observes: "For a deacon to complain that he is not an elder, for a teacher to complain that he is not a preacher, or for one who had the gift of healing to complain because he could not speak in tongues is no less absurd than for a foot to complain because it is not a hand."

1 Corinthians 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?­ If the whole body were an eye, how could we hear (Beck)? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? - A body composed of only one member could not function. One part of the body is not independent of other parts. The eye sees and the ear hears but they could not see and hear without the brain. The brain could not speak without the tongue. The foot could not walk without the leg. The point here is that every part of the body has its own vital function which the body depends upon. So it is in the church: every member has his own place in God’s scheme of things, but in order to fill that place he must depend upon the remainder of the body working as a unit. For example, all are not evangelists, but the evangelists depend upon the church for their support; the evangelists may not add greatly to the local program of work, but the church depends upon them to carry the message of truth to places where Christ has not been named, to convert souls, and to start more churches. The church and the evangelists are interdependent, as are all members and functions of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God--The Designer and Creator of the body (Genesis 1:26-28). set the members everyone of them in the body, He arranged the members in the body so that each could serve its creative purpose. as it hath pleased him. Just as He saw fit (BV) or just as He wanted them to be (NIV). If the ear pleased God as a hearing instrument, why should it desire to be an eye? If one’s function in the church pleases God, though lowly it may seem, why should he complain and why should he desire the work God has given to another? His own work is that for which the Lord saved him and added him to the church (d. Acts 2:47).

1 Corinthians 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?--The human body is an organism made up of numerous parts, each depending upon the others. There could thus be no body if there was only one part or function.

1 Corinthians 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. Here he reaches a climax in his emphasis. The subject matter is the human body, but by analogy it means the church. While there were many members, each had his God-given function (v. 18). There was only one church. That is the way it was then; that is the way it should be now. Sectarian division arose in the church soon after apostolic times and has grown increasingly worse with the passing centuries. It was neither born, grew, nor maintained by God’s design or approval. It should therefore be abandoned and left to die. All God’s people should stand together in one united body upon the basis of the Bible and the Bible alone; they should be one body, directed by one Spirit, having one hope, serving one Lord, living by one faith, entering the body by one baptism, and glorifying one God (Ephesians 4:4-6). The church can never be what Christ meant it to be until every member forms one united whole -- until there is one body, one fold, one church, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:21--And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you--Members of the body are interdependent, and in the final analysis one is as needful as the other. The body is a unit made up of many members (v. 20), and it would be absurd for one member to repudiate another as a part unneeded. So it is in the church, every member, regardless of how insignificant he may appear, is vital to the proper function of the body. It would therefore be absurd for one member to reject another as a useless appendage in the body of Christ. The church is not one member but many members perfectly joined together, each one working to benefit, not itself alone, but the whole body (Ephesians 4:11-16).

1 Corinthians 12:22-23 Nay, much more - No, to the contrary. Rather than rejecting one another, all the parts of the body should be recognized for their contribution to the whole. those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, - Weak or more delicate. This is the first of three classes of members listed that might be looked upon, if judged by appearance only, as unnecessary: (1) the more feeble; (2) the less honorable; and (3) the uncomely. I do not profess to know precisely which members Paul might have had in mind in each class, but undoubtedly they would include the weak or sickly, the mind (which must be protected by the skull cap), the heart (which is encased by the ribs), and the genitals (which cannot be publically exposed). are necessary: Essential or indispensable to the function of the body. And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; - Greater care is given to make them more presentable. Among other things, this may have reference to clothing the body. and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. And our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty (RSV). The point is that the most likely parts of the body to be rejected as unnecessary are the very ones on which the most care is bestowed and the ones without which the body cannot survive. Take for example the hand. How many times have you heard someone say, ’’Small thumbs," meaning that the thumb is always getting in the way? But the hand would be far less useful without the thumb. In fact, it is the most important part of the hand. (At this point, I tried to write without using the thumb. It was an experience! I could not even pick up the pen, and after using the thumb to help pick it up and place it between the fingers, I could not hold it, much less write.) So in the body of Christ, the most obscure member may be the one who keeps the church alive and active. The popular evangelist, the elder, the deacon, the song leader may receive more public praise, but back of them are scores of quiet Christians at work who go unobserved, but who are the light of the world and the salt of the earth - the very life of the church.

1 Corinthians 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: - While our presentable parts need no special treatment (NIV). The opposite of the uncomely parts (vv. 22-23). but God hath tempered the body together, - God has constructed (or blended together) the body so that all the members grow together. the honor of the comely depend upon them honoring and giving special treatment to the uncomely.--having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:--Those parts, unlike the comely, which need special attention (see note on vv. 22-23), God has given the greater honor. While the greater honor probably refers to the special need that the less comely parts require, and while the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth need no such special attention (e.g., covering as does the genitals), God has given to the less comely greater honor. For example, the sex organs have the vital function of reproducing life itself.

1 Corinthians 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; - God blended the body together so there would be no division or disharmony in it so that every part is made for every other part. For this reason division in the human body is un­ thinkable. But is division in the body of Christ less incongruent? Division among Christians (into different sectarian bodies) is nothing short of mutiny against heaven. but that the members should have the same care one for another. So that the parts of the body should be characterized by a mutual concern for each other. It is the will of God for this to be true in the church as well. Division was never a part of God’s divine scheme for His people. Nor can indifference of one member toward another be justified.

1 Corinthians 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; - God has tempered the body together into such a connective unit that one part cannot suffer without the other parts suffering along with it. I am writing this note in a motel room while away from home in a meeting. This morning I woke up at 4:00 a.m. with a kidney stone attack. But the kidney alone is far from being the only part of my body affected. My whole body is miserable with the pain. It is difficult for the mind to concentrate on anything but the pain; the ears have shut out other sounds that I would ordinarily hear; the eyes wander, making it all but impossible to read, even if the mind could concentrate; the tongue wants to do nothing but groan; the movement of the feet and legs are only to try to get in a less painful position. The whole body is in disarray because one member is suffering. or one member be honoured,-- Healthy and filling its proper function; recognized for its achievement, such as the head crowned with glory or the intellect praised. all the members rejoice with it. - Every part shares in the happy experience. The point here is that when one member of the body of Christ suffers, all ought to suffer with hinl; when one is honored (with a spiritual gift) all should rejoice. No member should be envious of what God has given to another.

Verse 15

1Co 12:15

1 Corinthians 12:15

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.—There seems to have been some strife between the spiritually en­dowed as to the standing of each. Some seemed to contend that because they did not have certain of the more important gifts, they were not essential to the body. He corrects this by saying that each of the members of the human body consti­tutes an important part of it.

Verse 16

1Co 12:16

1 Corinthians 12:16

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.—All the members are essential to the performance of all the functions of the body. [The point is that the humble members as well as the more honored are all members of the body. Each, because of this fact, must perform his function to the best of his ability.]

Verse 17

1Co 12:17

1 Corinthians 12:17

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?—[The very existence of the body as an organism depends on the union of the members of the body endowed with different functions, and it would be absurd to require or expect all the members to perform the same function; and the application to the church is equally plain. It, like the human body, requires a diversity of gifts and offices; all, therefore, are to be satis­fied with their allotment; all are to be honored in their proper place.]

Verse 18

1Co 12:18

1 Corinthians 12:18

But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.—God set each in its proper place in the body, to perform a needed office as God saw was good, and if they were all one member, even the most impor­tant or honorable, they could not constitute the body.

Verse 19

1Co 12:19

1 Corinthians 12:19

And if they were all one member, where were the body? —The different members, with their distinct functions and offices, are each needful to the completion of the body.

Verse 20

1Co 12:20

1 Corinthians 12:20

But now they are many members, but one body.—[He here repeats this truth, for on it everything which he desires to indicate turns. From the oneness of the whole the mutual dependence of the parts follows of necessity.]

Verse 21

1Co 12:21

1 Corinthians 12:21

And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.— One member of the body cannot do without another. The eye needs the foot, the hand, the head. The eye is a member of the body, and depends upon the health and life of the body for its own good and vigor. The body could not maintain its life without the offices of the hands and feet. So the eye depends on the hands and feet for ability to perform its office. So of the ear. So of all the members. They depend one upon the other as members of the body.

Verse 22

1Co 12:22

1 Corinthians 12:22

Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary;—The vital organs, as we call them, are the more weak and helpless, and must be carried, protected, supplied by the other members, yet the body is more dependent upon these members for life and strength than upon others. The body can lose the hand, the foot, the eye, and live; but it cannot lose any of those depen­dent organs and live.

Verse 23

1Co 12:23

1 Corinthians 12:23

and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor;— [Naturally no member of the body is dishonorable or un­comely, since God has made each and all to subserve the pur­poses for which the whole frame of members is put together; but we esteem some members less honorable than others.] The honor which seems to be comparatively wanting to the parts themselves we clothe, giving them in the clothing we put on them and the body a more comely appearance.

and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;— [The parts referred to, that in themselves are unseemly and immodest, have for that very reason more pains bestowed on them to give them seemliness.]

Verse 24

1Co 12:24

1 Corinthians 12:24

whereas our comely parts have no need:—-The comely parts of the body—the ear, the eye, the nose, the mouth—add of themselves comeliness to the body, so do not need to be or­namented or covered up.

but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked;—God has put the members of the body in such relation to each other that the stronger and the more beautiful are compelled, for their own good and indeed for their existence, to defend and care for, and thus to honor, the weaker members.

Verse 25

1Co 12:25

1 Corinthians 12:25

that there should be no schism in the body;—That there should be no divisions in the body, and that all the members mutually depending one upon the other for its own good would look to the common good of all.

but that the members should have the same care one for an­other.—[Each member should be moved by anxious care for the well-being of all. And it was in order to evoke this har­mony and mutual care that God so joined the members to­gether that we are compelled to treat them not according to their beauty but their need; and has done this that [here may be complete harmony in the body, and that each member may put forth its peculiar powers for the general good, thus secur­ing for every part of the body the benefit of all the various powers with which its various members are endowed.]

Verse 26

1Co 12:26

1 Corinthians 12:26

And whether one member suffereth, all the members suf­fer with it;—[So wonderfully is the nervous system diffused through the body that every part sympathizes with every other part, and the whole with any part. They are not only physically joined together, but they are so united as to feel to­gether.]

or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.—[All the members partake of the benefit. If one member is sound and healthy, the benefit extends to all. If the hands, the feet, the heart, the lungs, the brain be in a healthy condi­tion, the advantage is felt by all the members, and all derive advantage from it.]

Verse 27

1Co 12:27

1 Corinthians 12:27

Now ye are the body of Christ,—-The ye referred to the membership at Corinth as a whole. They constituted the body of Christ. Not a part of it, but the body complete and entire, within itself a complete body of Christ. To another church Paul says: “In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22). The Bible clearly recognizes each separate congregation as the body of Christ, as builded together for a dwelling place in the Spirit. So that God in his Spirit dwells in each distinct and separate church. The church is the body of Christ in the community in which it is situated. It is not a foot in Corinth, an arm in Colosse, an eye in Ephesus, and an ear in Thessalonica; but each was a complete integral body of Christ composed of all the different members needed to make up his body. Take the church at Jerusalem, it was in existence before any other church. Was it not the body of Christ when it was the only church on earth? Did the planting of another and another church take from it any of its parts, and of its functions, de­spoil it of its integralism and completeness as a body of Christ? Certainly not.

What about the eunuch? My conviction is that he pos­sessed within himself all the elements of a church of Christ when no other churches were in reach of him, and the multi­plication of the seed or the word of God in him would produce a church of God wherever he went, and the same is true of every child of God. A child of God in a strange land has only to worship God himself, multiply the word of God in the hearts of others and the result is a church of the living God, complete in itself without reference to any other organism in the world.

and severally members thereof.—That is, each has his own place and function in the body of Christ. All the members constitute the one body as the human body is composed of the separate and distinct members and is dependent upon the oth­ers for happiness, and should have the same care one of an­other as the members of the fleshly body. One cannot suffer but all must suffer with it. The members that are most lack­ing in Christian graces, that are most helpless, need our care. And those most helpless are necessary for the good of all. This may seem strange at first, but the object of church serv­ice is to discipline the members into characters that please God and make the persons like unto Jesus Christ in character.

The poor, the sickly, the helpless, the wayward, and sinning are needful to school the more comely members. Without the patience and self-denial developed in looking after and helping the poor, the sick, and the wayward, the members of the church could never be fitted in character to dwell with God.

As the church, the body of Christ, is here compared to the human body, an apologist for the innovations that are being introduced into the churches makes the following argument: “The human body is composed of different organs and mem­bers. Some of these organs or members are vital, necessary to the life of the body—such as the heart, the liver, the lungs, and the stomach. Without these the body cannot live or exist. Then there are other members—as the hands, the feet, and the eyes—that are not vital organs; they are not neces­sary to the life or existence of the body. The body may exist and live without these. So the church, as the body of Christ, is composed of parts or organs. Some of these are vital, nec­essary to the existence of the church- -such as faith, repent­ance, and baptism. Others are not vital or necessary to the life or sustenance of the church—such as instrumental music, so­cieties, etc.”

The illustration is an apt one if properly applied. In the first place, every organ or member set in the human body by God is vital or necessary to the performance of the work God appointed it to perform. The foot is essential to walking; the eye, to seeing; and the hand, to doing the work of the hand.

That work of God ceases when the member God appointed to do it is destroyed. Sometimes when the member God ap­pointed is destroyed, an artificial or man-made member is sup­plied, but fails to do the work the natural or God-made member performs. An artificial foot or hand is a poor substitute for a God-given one. An artificial eye may deceive the people, but can never see. What this man calls the organs not vital to a church are not organs or members of the church, or body of Christ. They are artificial, man-made members. The or­gans God gave to do the work are the churches themselves, with the members for the work and the human voices for the worship. These, like the hands and feet of the human body, may not be necessary to the bare life or existence of the body, but are vital and necessary to the work and vigor of the body.

Sometimes the church fails to use its natural members to do the service God ordained them to do, and then substitutes arti­ficial members or man-made substitutes to do the work the real organs or members fail to do. The whole thing is a miser­able makeshift and a failure. No life or warmth or vigor can ever dwell in or pass through these artificial limbs; no spiri­tual life or warmth or vigor can ever dwell in or pass through these artificial additions to the church of God. The whole work of substituting these man-made or artificial organs, or works, to do the work of the church of God destroys the true work of God, drives out the Spirit and life of God. The whole business of mending the body of Christ, or patching up or changing the church of God, drives out the Spirit, and is an insult to God.

Verses 27-31

1Co 12:27-31

THE BODY IS THE CHURCH

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye The Corinthian Christians, but in principle all Christians. are the body of Christ, - The church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Paul thus makes application of the analogy he had given of the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Just as each part of the human body is an integral part of the whole, each member of the congregation at Corinth helped form the body of Christ in that community. and members in particular. - That is, each individual member has his God-given place in the body (vv. 18, 24) and in that place he serves his function. Members do not serve their function for their benefit alone, but for the benefit of the whole body. The work of each member is the work of the church through that member.

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, - In tempering the body together (v. 24) or by placing each member in it, God appointed each a particular function. The context is concerned with miraculous gifts, but by principle the same would be true after the miraculous ceased. first apostles,--First in order and in spiritual power. The apostles were chosen by Christ (Matthew 10:1-4) and commissioned by Him (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16) to be His ambassadors to the world (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). He endowed them with power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 2) to reveal an. 1 Corinthians 16:13), confirm (Mark 16:17-20; Hebrews 2:1-4), and deliver the truth (Judges 1:3), the divine plan to save. While they had power to confer on others certain miraculous gifts (Romans 1:11), no one else received the power or the authority of an apostle. They were the first and the last of their order. (Paul’s call and commission came later than the others, but he was an apostle nonetheless, 1 Corinthians 15:8-11). secondarily prophets, - Second prophets (NASV). Those who spoke for God (see note on v. 10). thirdly teachers, - Those who were miraculously endowed to teach, probably including those with the gift of knowledge (see note on v. 8). Teachers remain in the church today but here Paul has in view, not the teacher who uses his natural ability to learn and then to impart knowledge, but the one to whom God had divinely endowed with this gift. after that--Then (AS V). That in declining order. miracles,-- A miracle is a direct act of God an effect in the natural realm without the use of natural causes. When one was given the gift of miracles in apostolic times he was empowered to work wonders by the direct power of God exerted through him (v. 10). then gifts of healings, See note on v. 9. helps, Helpers (Williams). This has reference to one empowered to assist others. Probably a similar if not identical work assigned to a deacon (1 Timothy 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-6). governments, Administrations (NASV). Directors, counselors, or advisers. Probably those who led the church (by miraculous endowment) until elders were developed and appointed. At any rate, their work seems to have been similar to if not identical with that of elders (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4). diversities of tongues.-- The gift to speak in different languages (see note on v. 10).

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 These vv. are composed of seven rhetorical questions, each demanding a negative answer. Are all apostles? - No. Are all prophets? - No. Are all teachers? - No. Are all workers of miracles? - No. Have all the gifts of healing? No. Do all speak with tongues? -No. Do all interpret? No. Each member has his own function in the body, and one should not be envious of the gift or gifts of another. Nor should one conclude that he is not needed because his is not the function of another that is, the teacher should not conclude that because he is not an apostle he is therefore inferior and could easily be dispensed with. It takes all the members, each performing his own God-given function, to make up the body of Christ, the church.

1 Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly - But earnestly desire (NASV). This expression may be either indicative (and would thus translate, "Because you earnestly desire," as in BV and MacKnight) or imperative (as in the KJV, ASV, NASV and others). The imperative rendering is more in harmony with the context. It was thus not wrong for them to have aspirations for spiritual gifts; it was wrong however for them to conclude that the gifts were primary and the most important aspect of Christianity. the best gifts: - The greater, higher, or more useful gifts of prophecy and teaching (v. 28). But even if they desired, sought, and received the higher gifts, there was still something in Christianity far superior (something beyond comparison) to them, something available to everyone, not just to a selected few. and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. - A way that is far better than the highest or greatest gifts; it is the way of love (see chapter 13), the way par excellence.

Verse 28

1Co 12:28

1 Corinthians 12:28

And God hath set some in the church,—This is the order in which these gifts bestowed by the Spirit are set in the church.

first apostles,—The apostles were the first and highest, en­dowed with the fullness of the Spiritual gifts and knowledge. They were sent as ambassadors of Christ, to be witnesses of what he did and taught. Jesus said to his apostles: “Ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48). “And ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the begin­ning.” (John 15:27). When one was to be chosen to take the place of Judas, Peter said that he must be one that had been “with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one be­come a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22). So, too, Paul had to see Jesus after his resurrection and in his glorified state before he could be an apostle. Ananias said to him: “The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-15); and Jesus said: “I have appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a min­ister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee.” (Acts 26:16). No one could be an apostle unless he had seen Jesus after his resurrection from the dead.

secondly prophets,—The prophets were inspired to make known the will of God after it had been revealed through the apostles.

thirdly teachers,—Those endowed to feed and teach those already Christians the duties and obligations resting on them as the children of God.

then miracles,—The inworking of powers. (See note on 12:10).

then gifts of healings,—The power which enabled them to heal diseases.

helps,—This denotes the various kinds of relief which it was sought to procure for all sufferers, widows, orphans, and others in need.

governments,—Wise counselors, and advisors of the weak and erring.

divers kinds of tongues.—This was to speak in tongues they had never learned. It was the least and lowest of all gifts. The New Testament enumerations all begin with the greatest and end with the least. In the beginning of the church, men were enabled by the Holy Spirit to do what they were after­ward trained to do by the word of God.

Verses 29-30

1Co 12:29-30

1 Corinthians 12:29-30

Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpet?—These questions were in answer to the complaint that they all did not have the higher gifts. As in other things, the fewest number attained to them, and these questions were to impress on them this truth; and yet, all were required to make one body.

Verse 31

1Co 12:31

1 Corinthians 12:31

But desire earnestly the greater gifts.—If they desired the greater gifts, they must fit themselves to use them. God bestows honors and privileges as men are fitted to use them. While he admonishes them to seek the greater gifts, he tells them there is a better way than seeking or using any gifts. The gifts were temporary and would soon pass away.

And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.—The more excellent way is doing the will of God to all “out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned.”