Paul planned to return to the subject of glossolalia (ch. 14), but first he wanted to talk more generally about spiritual gifts. In the verses that follow he dealt with differences in gifts in the church.
"Having given the negative and positive criterion of genuine spiritual endowments as manifested in speech, the Apostle goes on to point out the essential oneness of these very varied gifts."276
Diversity, not uniformity, is necessary for a healthy church, and God has seen to it that diversity exists (vv. 6, 7, 11, 18, 24, 28). Notice that the Corinthians were doing in the area of spiritual gifts essentially what they were doing in relation to their teachers (3:4-23). They were preferring one over others and thereby failing to benefit from them all. This section of Paul's argument puts the subject of gifts into proper theological perspective whereas the previous pericope put it into its proper Christological perspective.
12:4 Although there is only one Holy Spirit He gives many different abilities to different people. Everything in this pericope revolves around these two ideas. "Gifts"(Gr. charismata, from charismeaning "grace") are abilities that enable a person to glorify and serve God. God gives them freely and graciously. That they are abilities is clear from how Paul described them here and elsewhere (Rom. 12).
12:5 Likewise there are different ministries or services (Gr. diakonia; opportunities for service) that the one Lord over the church gives.
12:6 Furthermore there are different effects or workings (Gr. energemata; manifestations of the Spirit's power at work) that the one God who is responsible for all of them bestows. Just as Spirit, Lord, and God are distinct yet closely related in verses 4-6, so are gifts, ministries, and effects. We should probably not view these words as representing entirely separate ideas but as facets of God's work in and through the believer. It is God who is responsible for our abilities, our opportunities for service, and the individual ways in which we minister including the results.
12:7 Each believer regardless of his or her gifts, ministries, and the manner and extent of God's blessing demonstrates the Holy Spirit through his or her life.277All three of these things manifest the Spirit's presence, not just the more spectacular ones in each category. Believers who have spectacular gifts, ministries, or effectiveness are not more spiritual than Christians who do not. Each believer makes a unique contribution to the common good, not just certain believers (cf. vv. 12-27; 3:4-10). Several examples of this fact follow in verses 8-10.
12:8 Paul mentioned nine ways in which the Spirit manifests Himself through believers. The list is representative rather than exhaustive as is clear when we compare this list with other similar ones (cf. vv. 28, 29-30; 7:7; 13:1-3, 8; 14:6, 26; Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 4:11).
In this verse there is no definite article before the word "word"in either of its uses. This probably points to Paul's referring to an utterance of wisdom or knowledge, namely a wise or knowledgeable utterance (cf. 1:17-2:16).278The difference in the utterances probably lies in wisdom representing a mature perception of what is true to reality (cf. 1:24; 2:6-13; 14:6) and knowledge standing for understanding of God's mysteries (revelations) in particular (cf. 13:2; 14:6).
"It is the discourse, not the wisdom or knowledge behind it, that is the spiritual gift, for it is this that is of direct service to the church . . ."279
12:9 Faith is trust in God. Every Christian has some faith just as every Christian has some wisdom and knowledge. However some believers have more God-given ability to trust God than others just as some have more God-given wisdom or knowledge than others. All believers should seek to cultivate wisdom, knowledge, and faith, but some have a larger God-given capacity for one or the other of them than other Christians do.
The "gifts of healings"(literally) by definition refer to abilities to cause healing to take place. Evidently there were various types of healings that those so gifted could produce, for example physical, psychological, and spiritual healings. Counselors and medical doctors have a degree of ability to produce healing today. However most Christians believe God has not given the ability to restore people to health instantaneously today as He did in the early church.280
12:10 Miracles are mighty works (Gr. dynameis) that alter the natural course of events. Probably all types of miracles beside healings are in view. God gave the ability to do miracles to His Son and to some Christians in the early church to signify that He was with them and empowering them (cf. Luke 4:14-9:50; Gal. 3:5; Heb. 2:4).281
Prophecy has a three-fold meaning in the New Testament. Prophets foretold future events. They also declared things known only by special new revelation from God. Third, they uttered under the Spirit's prompting some lofty statement or message in praise of God, or a word of instruction, refutation, reproof, admonition, or comfort for others (cf. 11:4; 13:9; 14:1, 3-5, 24, 31, 39). Evidently the first and second of these abilities passed out of existence with the composition of the New Testament books.282
"First, although prophecy was an especially widespread phenomenon in the religions of antiquity, Paul's understanding--as well as that of the other NT writers--was thoroughly conditioned by his own history in Judaism. The prophet was a person who spoke to God's people under the inspiration of the Spirit. The inspired utterance' came by revelation and announced judgment (usually) or salvation. Although the prophets often performed symbolic acts, which they then interpreted, the mainstream of prophetic activity, at least as it came to be canonized, had very little to do with ecstasy,' especially frenzy' or mania.' For the most part the prophets were understood only too well! Often the word spoken had a futuristic element, so in that sense they also came to be seen as predicters'; but that was only one element, and not necessarily the crucial one."283
The ability to distinguish between spirits (i.e., the spirit of the prophet through whom a higher spirit or the Holy Spirit spoke) was apparently a gift of discernment. It enabled a person to tell whether a propounded prophecy was genuine or counterfeit, from the Holy Spirit or a false spirit (cf. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20-21).
The gift of tongues, about which Paul would say much more in chapter 14, was the ability to speak in one or more languages that the speaker had not learned. However the languages do not seem limited to human languages (cf. 13:1). Nevertheless they were intelligible with interpretation (14:10-14). They were not just gibberish.
It should be noted . . . that only tongues is included in every list of gifts' in these three chapters [12:8-10, 28, 29-30; 13:1-3, 8; 14:6, 26]. Its place at the conclusionof each list in chap. 12, but at the beginning in 13:1 and 14:6, suggests that the problem lies here. It is listed last not because it is least,' but because it is the problem. He always includes it, but at the end, after the greater concern for diversity has been heard."284
The person with the ability to interpret tongues could translate what a tongues-speaker said accurately so that others present could know the meaning of what he or she said. Presumably some Christians with the gift of tongues also had the gift of interpreting tongues so they could explain what they had said.
12:11 This section concludes with another reminder that though these manifestations of the Spirit vary they all indicate the presence and working of the Spirit of God. Paul also stressed again the Spirit's sovereignty in distributing the gifts (cf. John 3:8). The Corinthians should not try to manipulate the Spirit but accept and submit to His distribution of the gifts as He saw fit.
There is a general progression in this list from the more common to the more uncommon and esoteric gifts (cf. v. 28). The more unusual gifts that appear toward the end of this list attracted the Corinthians. Some gifts were probably more common at one place and in one church than were others depending on the Spirit's sovereign distribution (cf. 1:4-5). Some were probably more common at some times than at others, too, as the Spirit bestowed them.
Paul now compared the body of Christ, the universal church, though by extension the local church as well, to a human body. Again his point was not that the church needs to have unity but that it needs to have diversity.
12:12 The apostle spoke of this comparison in other epistles as well (Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 4:11-13; Col. 1:18; 2:19). He probably adapted the idea of the body politic, an essentially secular but commonly understood concept, to illustrate the church. There can be unity in a body without uniformity. Here the apostle stressed the fact that diversity among the members is an essential part of a unified body. Evidently the Corinthians were striving for unanimity and did not appreciate that there can and must be diversity in a "spiritual"church.
12:13 The baptism of the Spirit took place initially on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:33; 11:16). Subsequently individual believers experienced Spirit baptism when they personally trusted Christ as their Savior (Acts 11:15-17).
In Spirit baptism the Holy Spirit baptizes (Gr. baptidzo, lit. submerges) the believer into the body of Christ. He makes us a part of it. Water baptism illustrates this. Every believer experiences Spirit baptism regardless of his or her race or social status. We are now on equal footing in the sense that we are all members of the body of Christ.
The figure of drinking of one Spirit recalls John 7:37-39 where Jesus invited the thirsty to come and drink of Him to find refreshment. Baptism and drinking are both initiation experiences and take place at the same time. In the first figure the Spirit places the believer into Christ, and in the second the Spirit comes into the Christian. This is probably a case of Semitic parallelism in which both clauses make essentially the same point.
". . . the Spirit not only surrounds us, but is within us."285
12:14 Both bodies, the physical human body and the spiritual body of Christ, consist of many members. This fact helps us realize our limited contribution to the larger organism. A body composed of only one organ would be a monstrosity.
The modern church often uses this pericope to stress the importance of unity, which is a great need today. However, Paul's emphasis originally was on the importance of diversity.
Paul proceeded to elaborate his analogy.
12:15-16 Perhaps Paul chose the feet, hands, ears, and eyes as examples because of their prominence in the body. Even though they are prominent and important they cannot stand alone. They need each other.
". . . Chrysostom remarks that the foot contrasts itself with the hand rather than with the ear, because we do not envy those who are very much higher than ourselves so much as those who have got a little above us . . ."286
12:17 Different functions as well as different members are necessary in the body (cf. v. 4). Paul's point was not the inferiority of some members but the need for all members.
12:18 Paul again stressed God's sovereignty in placing each member in the body as He has chosen in this verse. We need to discover how God has gifted us and to become as effective as possible where He has placed us. We should concentrate on using the abilities we have received rather than longing to be different or insisting on doing things that God has not gifted us to do (cf. 7:26-27).
"Whenever we begin to think about our own importance in the Christian Church, the possibility of really Christian work is gone."287
12:19 If all the members of the human body were the same, it would not be able to function as a body. It would be incapable of getting anything accomplished. For example, if all had the gift of tongues, the gift that the Corinthians valued so highly, the body would not function.
12:20 This is not the case in the human body, however. It has a variety of members, but it is one unified organism.
12:21 It is interesting that Paul used the head and the feet as examples, the top of the body and the bottom. He was reminding those who felt superior that those whom they regarded as inferior were also necessary (cf. 11:17-34). Too often because we differ fromeach other we also differ witheach other.
12:22 Rather than regarding themselves as superior, the "haves"in the church needed to remember that the "have nots"were important for the effective operation of the whole organism. Even the little toe, or the pancreas, plays a crucial role in the physical body.
12:23-24a When dealing with our human bodies we bestow more honor on our less honorable parts by covering them up. This makes our unseemly members more seemly. Paul may have been referring to the sexual organs.288On the other hand, the more honorable parts, such as our face, do not require special covering. The point is that we take special pains to honor our less esteemed physical members, and we should do the same in the church rather than neglecting or despising them. When is the last time your church gave public recognition to the nursery workers or the clean up crew?
12:24b-25 God has constructed bodies, both human and spiritual, so the different members can care for one another. He does not ignore any member but makes provision for each one. We do not always see this in the human body, but it is true. Likewise God's honoring the less prominent members in the church may not be apparent now, but it will be at the judgment seat of Christ if not before then.
God does not want dissension (Gr. schisma) in His body. There was some in the Corinthian church (1:10; 11:18). Rather (strong contrast in the Greek, alla) the members should have anxious care for one another. Paul illustrated this attitude with what follows.
12:26 The suffering of one means the suffering of all, and the well-being of one means the well-being of all.
"Plato had pointed out that we do not say, My finger has a pain,' we say, I have a pain.'"289
In view of this we can and should honestly rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15).
Paul's preceding comments about the body (vv. 12-26) are applicable to both the physical body and the spiritual body of Christ. However, he was speaking about the human body primarily, as an illustration of the spiritual body.
Next, the apostle spoke more specifically about the members of the body of Christ again (cf. vv. 1-11).
12:27 "You"is emphatic in the Greek text and is plural. The Corinthian Christians are in view, but what Paul said of them applies to all groups of Christians. Together we make up the body of Christ, and each of us is an individual member in it. Again, what Paul said of the church is true of it in its macro and in its micro forms, the universal church and the local church.
12:28 Paul listed eight kinds of members with special functions. This list differs somewhat from the one in verses 8-10 where he identified nine manifestations of the Spirit's working. This list, as the former one, is selective rather than exhaustive.
The ranking of these gifted individuals is evidently in the order of the importance of their ministries. When Paul said all the members were essential earlier (v. 21) he did not mean some did not have a more crucial function to perform than others. He did not mention this distinction there because he wanted each member to appreciate the essential necessity of every other member. In another sense, however, some gifts are more important than others (v. 31; 14:1).
God called and gifted the apostles to plant and to establish the church in places the gospel had not yet gone. Apostellomeans to send out, so it is proper to think of apostles as missionaries. Prophets were the channels through whom God sent His revelations to His people (cf. Eph. 2:20). They wrote the books of the New Testament. Teachers gave believers instruction in the Scriptures. Teachers were more important in the church than the prophets who simply gave words of edification, exhortation, and consolation (14:3), but they were less important than the prophets who gave new authoritative revelation. The latter type of prophet is in view in this verse.
". . . a scholar will learn more from a good teacher than he will from any book. We have books in plenty nowadays, but it is still true that it is through people that we really learn of Christ."290
Workers of miracles and healers gave dramatic proof that the power of God was working in the church so others would trust Christ. They may have ministered especially to the Jews since the Jews looked for such indications of God's presence and blessing (cf. 1:22). Helpers seem to have provided assistance of various kinds for people in need. Administrators managed and directed the affairs of the churches. Tongues speakers bring up the rear in this list as being the least important of those mentioned. Paul said more about their relative importance in chapter 14.
"The shortness of the list of charismata in Eph. iv. II as compared with the list here is perhaps an indication that the regular exercise of extraordinary gifts in public worship was already dying out."291
12:29-30 These two verses contain a third list of gifts in a descending order of priority. Each of Paul's seven questions expects a negative answer. The apostle's point was that it would be ridiculous for everyone to have the same gift. Variety is essential. It is wrong to equate one gift, particularly speaking in tongues, with spirituality.
12:31 Paul advised the Corinthians to seek some gifts more than others because some are more significant in the functioning of the body than others. While the bestowal of gifts is the sovereign prerogative of the Spirit (vv. 8-11, 18), human desire plays a part in His bestowal (cf. James 4:2). This seems to indicate that the Spirit does not give all His gifts to us at the moment of our salvation. I see nothing in Scripture that prohibits our viewing the abilities God gives us at birth as part of His spiritual gifts. Likewise a believer can receive a gift or an opportunity for service or the Spirit's blessing on his ministry years after his conversion. Everything we have or ever will have is a gift from God.292
God did not give the gift of apostleship in the technical sense to any other than those whom Christ Himself selected who had seen the risen Lord. It went to a small group in the first generation of the church's history. Apostleship in the general sense of one sent out with a message continues today. Normally we refer to these gifted people as missionaries to distinguish them from Paul and the 12 apostles.
Likewise we use the term prophet in a technical and in a general sense today. Usually we think of prophets as people who gave new revelation from God or predicted the future. As I have pointed out, prophets also spoke forth a word from the Lord by exhorting or encouraging the church. The Greek word prophetesmeans "one who speaks forth."In the first technical sense prophets have ceased in the church. In the second general sense they are still with us.293We usually refer to them as preachers to distinguish them from first century prophets who gave new revelation and predicted the future.
Today some people who desire to sharpen their ability to preach and teach the Scriptures enroll in seminary to do so. This is one example of zealously desiring the greater gifts.
However, Paul said there is an even more important discipline that a believer should cultivate to reach the goal of being maximally effective. That way involves valuing and cultivating love (ch. 13). The apostle did not mean, of course, that one should disregard the most important gifts but seek love. We should give attention to cultivating love and cultivating abilities that are strategically important in Christ's body. Nevertheless as important as sharpening abilities is, it is even more important that we excel in loving.
"The most excellent way' which Paul will now show his friends at Corinth is not one more gift among many, but a way beyond all this.' That extraordinary way is, of course, the way of agape, that fruit of the Spirit which is of primary importance to every believer and to the body of Christ."294
"What Paul is about to embark on is a description of what he calls a way that is beyond comparison.' The way they are going is basically destructive to the church as a community; the way they are being called to is one that seeks the good of others before oneself. It is the way of edifying the church 914:1-5), of seeking the common good (12:7). In that context one will still earnestly desire the things of the Spirit (14:1), but precisely so that others will be edified. Thus it is not love versus gifts' that Paul has in mind, but love as the only context for gifts'; for without the former, the latter have no usefulness at all--but then neither does much of anything else in the Christian life."295
Chapter 12 is a chapter that stresses balance. On the one hand each Christian is only a part of a larger organism, but each is an indispensable part. In one sense we are equally important because we all serve an essential function, but in another sense some are more crucial than others. God determines our gifts, ministries, and individual differences, yet our desire and initiative do have something to do with our service as well. Ability, ministry opportunity, and individuality are very important, but love is even more important. A good measure of our personal maturity as Christians will be how well we can keep these paradoxes in balance in our personal lives and ministries. The Corinthians needed help in this area.
"The Church is neither a dead mass of similar particles, like a heap of sand, nor a living swarm of antagonistic individuals, like a cage of wild beasts: it has the unity of a living organism, in which no two parts are exactly alike, but all discharge different functions for the good of the whole. All men are not equal, and no individual can be independent of the rest: everywhere there is subordination and dependence. Some have special gifts, some have none; some have several gifts, some only one; some have higher gifts, some have lower: but every individual has some function to discharge, and all must work together for the common good. This is the all-important point--unity in loving service."296
