1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12

OBSERVATION STAGE

I) [1 Cor 12:1-3 Commentary]:

(1 Cor 12:1 NASB) "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

(1 Cor 12:2 NASB) You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.

(1 Cor 12:3 NASB) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

[This letter from its beginning evidently deals with a number of irregularities in the Corinthian church - a number of subjects which Paul addresses in order to provide a resolution for the conflicts going on there - conflicts with the proper behavior toward God Whom they are to be honoring and worshipping and conflicts with one another whom they should be expressing agape / self-sacrificial love and fellowship with especially during services. These things may be of constructive / instructive value to other believers as well.

Paul apparently believed that some of the Corinthians' problems were due not entirely to their worldly attitudes (3:3) but also to the presence of false teachers who preyed on their spiritual immaturity and exacerbated the problems. The pagan background out of which many had come (and some were still coming; cf. 8:10; 10:14, 20-21) did not help them ascertain the presence of false prophets. When they were pagans, they had been influenced and led astray by their worshipping dumb idols (12:2). Certainly lifeless idols are totally helpless in such matters! (In the Corinthians' vaunted wisdom they showed themselves to be unusually gullible [cf. 2 Cor. 11:1-21, esp. 19-20.

So in 1 Cor 12:1 author and apostle Paul begins a new subject - separate from the previous one addressed in 1 Cor chapter 11, namely the subject of spiritual gifts which the Corinthian believers were evidently abusing and about which some of the leaders were inquiring about, for they had inquired about other subjects to which Paul answered those inquiries in this letter as well (cf. peri de, "now about," See 1 Cor 7:1, 25; 8:1; 16:1). His concern in 1 Cor 12 is that they not be unaware about spiritual gifts in the sense of the truth of the matter relative to now being Christians. For he will inform them further in this letter that the Lord has given them as believers, spiritual gifts and details on this very important subject for all believers.

Whereupon in 1 Cor 12:2, Paul addresses the fact that when the Corinthian believers were pagans, i.e., before they became Christians, they were led astray by others, especially by the pagan priests to believe in idols who were mute carvings, statues, etc. unable to communicate anything. They were dumb, inanimate objects, carved from stone or wood, etc.; albeit the demons were able and known to communicate evil somehow through idols to those who worshipped idols in the minds of those who were leading the people astray and evidently through the people who were pagans themselves. For that was the mindset of the believers before they became Christians.

Paul further added in 1 Cor 12:3, "Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus is accursed' in the sense that the idea of Jesus' Humanity was a false idea - that He was not a human being [as well as God]. So anyone who maintained that was not being led to speak such things by God the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Paul stipulated that no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit; in the sense that the truth about Who Jesus was and is inevitably comes from and by the Spirit of God / the Holy Spirit communicated to and therefore from within that person. So anything false about Who Jesus such that He is accursed cannot come from God out of the mouth of an individual. And Paul stipulates that the truth about Jesus is that Jesus is not accursed; but rather that He is Lord both ideas coming out of the individual - must be sourced solely via the leading of the Holy Spirit within that individual.

In writing this Paul established for the believers at Corinth and all believers a simple test to determine Who Jesus Christ is. This presumes that false ideas about Jesus were being circulated, most likely by false teachers who claimed to be from God and that their visions, revelations and messages, (cf. 2 Cor 12:1), were from God which denied the humanity of Christ. This indicates that these false teachers expressed statements to the effect that the idea that Jesus existed in His Humanity was not true with the negative statement, "Jesus be cursed!"

A) [(1 Cor 12:1-3) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

(1 Cor 12:1 NASB) "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

(1 Cor 12:2 NASB) You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.

(1 Cor 12:3 NASB) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

"1 This section presents a new subject and an answer to another question asked by the Corinthian delegation (cf. peri de, "now about," 1 Cor 7:1, 25; 8:1; 16:1).

[2-3] In saying that they had been "led astray to dumb idols," Paul implies that the Corinthians had experienced the effects of evil spirits in their former pagan worship. In contrast, he now stresses the twofold test of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Negatively, no person by the Spirit can curse Jesus; and positively, only by the Spirit can a person openly testify that Jesus is Lord (v. 3)."

B) [(1 Cor 12:1-3) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:

(1 Cor 12:1 NASB) "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

(1 Cor 12:2 NASB) You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.

(1 Cor 12:3 NASB) Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

"c. The state of spiritual gifts (chaps. 12-14)

Related to the subject of irregularities in the worship of the Corinthian church, was a question on the nature of spiritual gifts and their exercise in the public assembly. This subject should also be considered under the broader rubric of Christian freedom which Paul had been qualifying and regulating by the principle of love (starting with 8:1). The need for such regulation was certainly evident. A self-indulgent spirit, which debauched the principle of freedom in other areas, found similar expression in the area of spiritual gifts, and produced selfishness and disunity (12:7, 25; 14:4) and apparent chaos in the assembly (14:23, 33, 40).

Paul dealt with the problem by describing the nature and purpose of gifts (12:1-30), the superiority of love (12:31-13:13), and the regulating of the exercise of gifts by love (chap. 14). As in other areas, so in using gifts in the church, believers should promote the glory of God and the good of others instead of self-satisfaction.

(1) Unity and diversity of gifts (12:1-31a).

12:1-3. Before Paul began his discussion of spiritual gifts he thought it necessary to confront, at the outset, any in the Corinthian assembly who might contradict his message (cf. 14:37). It is probably in this regard that 12:3 is to be understood. Many explanations of the verse have been offered (though most commentators "handle" the problem by ignoring it).

Paul apparently believed that some of the Corinthians' problems were due not entirely to their worldly attitudes (3:3) but also to the presence of false teachers who preyed on their spiritual immaturity and exacerbated the problems. The pagan background out of which many had come (and some were still coming; cf. 8:10; 10:14, 20-21) did not help them ascertain the presence of false prophets. When they were pagans, they had been influenced and led astray to dumb idols (12:2). Certainly lifeless idols are totally helpless in such matters! (In the Corinthians' vaunted wisdom they showed themselves to be unusually gullible [cf. 2 Cor. 11:1-21, esp. 19-20].)

Paul therefore laid down a simple test related to the person of Christ. The false teachers obviously claimed that their visions, revelations, and messages (cf. 2 Cor. 12:1) were from God, but they apparently denied the humanity of Christ, as expressed by the words Jesus be cursed. This may have been a factor in the Corinthians' aversion to Paul's "message of the Cross" (1 Cor. 1:10-4:13). It may be surprising today to realize that the earliest Christological heresy (Docetism) denied Jesus' humanity, not His deity. John had to deal with the same problem years later (1 John 4:1-3).

(1 Cor 12:4 NASB) "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

(1 Cor 12:5 NASB) And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

(1 Cor 12:6 NASB) There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons."

[So Paul now begins to address how the spiritual gifts are to function

He states in 1 Cor 12:4 that there are varieties of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit in the sense of the Holy Spirit of God Who administers those gifts to each member of the body of Christ, especially as to their function within the congregation and without as well.

Whereupon in 1 Cor 12:5 Paul stipulates that there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord Who administers over those ministries which it is implied includes the administration of the spiritual gifts.

Then in 1 Cor 12:6, Paul wrote that there are varieties of effects of those ministries, but the same God Who works all things in all persons in the sense that God is sovereign over all things including the administration and effects of the spiritual gifts in all believers. Notice that Paul stipulates the Spirit; the Lord and God, i.e., the three Personalities of the Trinity administering these gifts, (cf. 2 Cor 13:13 and Eph 4:3-6).

III) [(1 Cor 12:7-11]:

(1 Cor 12:5 NASB) And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

(1 Cor 12:6 NASB) There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

(1 Cor 12:7 NASB) But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

(1 Cor 12:8 NASB) For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;

(1 Cor 12:9 NASB) to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 

(1 Cor 12:10 NASB) and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

(1 Cor 12:11 NASB) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."

So on the matter of the gifts of the Spirit, Paul continues in 1 Cor 12:7 with, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Notice that Paul stipulates that each believer is given the manifestation of the Spirit of God in the sense that God the Holy Spirit gives each believer the capacity to exercise one or more gifts of the Spirit at the direction of God the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the common good, i.e., for the  good of the body of believers and for anyone whom the believer is in contact with.

In view of the repetition of the source of these gifts, there is emphasized a unity of source for reception of these gifts in God the Holy Spirit alone - no one else. And in addition there is emphasized a unity in purpose, i.e., the gifts were to be for the common good. They were not given for personal enrichment, (cf 14:4; 1 Pet 4:10), as some contend; but for the common good of the body of Christ - the building up of those comprising the individuals of the body of Christ, the church, cf. 1 Cor 10:24; 14:12).

Note that Paul listed some of the gifts in this chapter but not all of the gifts. Others, alone with some of these are listed in Ro 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:28-31; Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 4:10-11.

Then in 1 Cor 12:8-10, Paul begins to delineate the gifts:

(1 Cor 12:8 NASB) "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit:"

[Notice that different gifts are given to different people - not all are given the same gifts, (cf. 12:29, 30)]

A) [Compare 1 Cor 12:29-30]:

(1 Cor 12:29 NASB) "All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?

(1 Cor 12:30 NASB) All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?"

So Paul begins with the word of wisdom. This gift is evidently the most important one - the ability to express the message of God's wisdom, i.e., doctrinal truth, especially God's wisdom relative to the gospel of salvation unto eternal life through a moment of faith alone in His Son, Jesus Christ alone. Paul exercised and expressed this gift in this letter (e.g., 2:6).

This gift is then followed by another, the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit. The second one is the ability to communicate with knowledge by the Spirit. Knowledge refers to the ability to communicate and apply doctrinal truth to others and to ones life. Notice the recurrence of the phrase "Do you not know" in 1 Cor 3:16; 5:6; 6:2-3, 9, 15-16, 19; 9:13, 24; also cf. 8:1-3, 10-11. Paul also exercised and expressed this gift in this letter (e.g., 12:1-3; 11:3). Note that the Greek word "gnosis" rendered "knowledge" is to be taken as the knowledge of God's way of salvation through the cross, not the secret heretical gnostic teaching about working one's way to heaven, as some contend.]

(1 Cor 12:9 NASB) "to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,"

[Then Paul in 1 Cor 12:9 lists faith as the next spiritual gift reiterating that this gift is given to one "of [by] the same Spirit of God." The spiritual gift of faith does not here refer, nor include the moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, as some maintain. Rather it refers to the ongoing faithfulness - an unusual measure of trust in God beyond that exercised by most Christians (e.g., 13:2); i.e. of believers, such as faithfully undergoing hardships, martyrdom, etc. Note that the gift of faith does not refer to the gifts of healing, tongues, etc. in order to attach to these gifts an element of believing in order to possess and activate these gifts, as some contend. Paul writes of these gifts of healing and tongues in vv. 9 & 10 separately.

Lastly, in 1 Cor 12:9, Paul lists another set of spiritual gifts: "and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit." Healing is the ability to restore health (e.g., Acts 3:7; 19:12) and also to hold off death itself temporarily (Acts 9:40; 20:9-10)]

(1 Cor 12:10 NASB) "and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues."

[Then in 1 Cor 12:10, Paul refers to first of all, the effecting of miracles in the sense of outwardly demonstrable miracles of healings and other miracles such as exorcising demons (Acts 19:12) or inducing physical disability (Acts 13:11) or even death (Acts 5:5, 9) all of which were demonstrable and which Paul himself so often demonstrated as well as the other apostles, (cf. Acts 19:11, 12; 28:7-9; 2 Cor 12:12). The Greek word "dynameis" which literally means "acts of power" (cf. Acts 1:8) indicate this demonstrability and is aptly translated "miracles" in 1 Cor 12:10 as well as in 1 Cor 12:28-29.

Whereupon Paul next lists in 1 Cor 12:10 the gift of prophecy which is the ability given to individuals in accordance with the Sovereignty of God in accordance with the Hebrew Bible's description of the prophet which is confirmed throughout the Bible from the beginning throughout the ages even into the "Old Testament" and "New Testament" prophets especially including John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to declare a message from / of God and authenticate that message by predicting future events accurately. Contrary to opinions, there is neither differentiation between Old & New Testament prophets nor separate offices of apostles vs prophets vs those who perform miracles in the sense that one is either one or the other as some contend. An individual may have the gift of apostle and the gift of prophet and the gift of miracles and any of the other gifts as the apostle Paul and Jesus Himself in His Humanity were given depending upon the sovereignty of God.

Furthermore, we have listed in 1 Cor 12:10 the spiritual gift of the distinguishing of spirits. By the gift of distinguishing between spirits (v. 10b), Paul must be indicating a distinct ability beyond that which the apostle John calls on Christians in general to exercise (1 John 4:1). The ability to distinguish between spirits includes the ability to differentiate the Word of God proclaimed by a true prophet from that of a satanic deceiver (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14-15; 1 John 4:1).

(1 Cor 12:10 NASB, cont.) "and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues."

[And finally, at the end of 1 Cor 12:10 we have two gifts remaining: that of speaking in tongues and that of the interpreting of tongues. The gift of speaking in tongues refers to miraculously and instantly having the ability to speak and understand one or more actual / known languages of the world which the recipient of the gift did not know beforehand and which languages are spoken and understood by others. The subject of speaking and understanding previously unknown languages of the world and the rules by which believers are to follow therein is addressed in 1 Cor 14 in detail. The interpretation of tongues is clearly a proper interpretation of tongues as spoken which should be done immediately as tongues are spoken, especially in the congregation. Paul hastens to add that such speaking in tongues should be accompanied by interpretation or translation by someone with that ability. This subject is expanded in 1 Corinthians 14]

(1 Cor 12:11 NASB) "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."

[So in 1 Cor 12:11 Paul summarizes a key point on the distribution of spiritual gifts to individual believers, i.e., that it is the one and the same Spirit of God Who [exclusively] works all these things, distributing spiritual gifts to each individual just as He wills." So it is not a matter of the will of man or anything men do which generates man's reception and his use of those particular spiritual gifts. It is all by the sovereignty of God]

IV) [1 Cor 12:12-13]:

(1 Cor 12:12 NASB) For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

[Paul gives us a perspective of God's giving believers of this age of the church spiritual gifts in that all believers are part of one body - the body of Christ; yet at the same time each is an individual member with his / her own responsibilities to exercise those particular spiritual gifts that they receive from God as well as generally and at all times supporting one another as part of that one body. The phrase rendered "so also is Christ" makes the point "and so it is with Christ," in the sense of just as it is with the different functions of the human body all working together as one, so it is with the body of Christ - that He as the Head of the body is comprised of individuals who are part of the Church, the body of Christ of which Christ is the Head. And each individual has his set of gifts to be exercised for the common good of the body as a unity all functioning together as one.

(1 Cor 12:13 NASB) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

[Paul continues to elaborate on believers being part of one body, that is Christ; indicating that it is by one Spirit Who has baptized them in the sense of joined all individual believers into the one body - the body of Christ together as a unity - a spiritual unity yet including how each of the believers conducts himself individually, whether Jew or Greek, slaves or free. So all believers of all walks of life throughout the age are in view - bodily and spiritually. And all have the Holy Spirit indwelling within, joining them all into one body and leading them in their individual endeavors by virtue of Holy Spirit baptism, i.e., having become indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. But it is up to each believer to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit voluntarily. Note that it is not only the local Corinthian church that is in view here but the entire organization of the church and throughout the age - the entire body of Christ throughout the age that is in view - the church universal - throughout the world, throughout the age. Furthermore, water baptism and Holy Communion - the Lord's Supper are NOT in view here as some contend. For these are figurative expressions of the reality of actually being indwelt by God the Holy Spirit at the point of faith alone in Christ alone for salvation and of Christ's actual sacrifice of His body and blood for the sins of the whole world.

V) [Commentary on 1 Cor 12:14-20]:

(1 Cor 12:14 NASB) For the body is not one member, but many. 

[Paul elaborates on what he wrote previously, namely that just as the physical body does not consist of one member, i.e., part, but many parts as follows in the next verse:]

(1 Cor 12:15 NASB) If the foot says, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,' it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

[So Paul is indicating in the phrase rendered 'If the foot says, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,' because the foot is not a hand, does that mean that I am not a part of the body?' Answer implied is no. Hence Paul is writing that a foot is not any the less a part of the body because the foot is not a hand. BOTH are essential.]

1 Cor 12:16 NASB) And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 

[Whereupon Paul provides another example of the many diverse yet essential parts of the body of Christ as exemplified with the human body: the ear and the eye: "And if the ear of that body says, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body?????' Implied answer: of course not! Hence Paul is writing that an ear is not any less a part of the body because the ear is not an eye: BOTH are essential.]

(1 Cor 12:17 NASB) If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

[And Paul explains that if the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? And if the whole body were all about hearing, where would the sense of smell be? No physical human body can function as all eye, all hearing, or all smelling. In the same way, for the church to function properly, it must have different gifts and offices all working together to function properly as God has designed it - each congregation and the whole body of Christ together throughout the age.]

(1 Cor 12:18 NASB) But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

[Then Paul concludes: It is all about the sovereignty and plan of God when he writes, "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired."]

(1 Cor 12:19 NASB) If they were all one member, where would the body be?

[Whereupon Paul asks, "If they were all one member" in the sense that they all had one sole and the same function, "where would the body be?" Answer essentially, functionally no where]

(1 Cor 12:20 NASB) But now there are many members, but one body.

[Instead, Paul concludes that as God designed the body of Christ, "But now there are many members, but one body," in the sense of that many members are needed to function together as each member is equipped by God to do in order for the one body to function properly as a unity comprised of all of those members.

Expositor's writes, "Each part (such as the eye or the ear) must be willing to perform its own function and not seek to function in a role for which it was not made. The whole body cannot be a single part, or it would not be a functioning body. So it is with the church. Members with one gift should not repudiate that gift and complain that they do not have some other gift [as Paul's letter indicates about the congregation at Corinth]. The apostles were to function as apostles, the elders as elders (1Pet 5:5), the deacons as deacons (Acts 6:1-6), etc. In vv. 18-20 Paul brings the believers back to the sovereign purposes of God. It is God who has organized the body in the way he wants it. The implication is that it is the same with the church; according to God's will, it is composed of many parts, so that it may function as one body—the body of Christ.]

VI) [Commentary on 1 Cor 12:20-26]:

(1 Cor 12:20 NASB) But now there are many members, but one body.

(1 Cor 12:21 NASB) And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 

[In view of the previous verses - 1 Cor 12:14-20, Paul concludes that the individual members of the human body provide an example of how to describe the body of Christ: just as '''the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you" '''; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you;" so members of the body of Christ cannot say to other members of that body, "I have no need of you," either.

Here the emphasis is on the mutual dependence and concern of the various members of the body. As the organs of the human body - such as the eye, hand, head, and feet - need each other, so the members of the church with their various functions need each other. So the less inconspicuous members of the church are essential - those who pray, those who work with their hands and bring their meager tithes into the church, etc. So in the diversity of the bodily parts there was a corresponding mutual dependence.]

(1 Cor 12:22 NASB) On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

[Paul then stresses the truer - in the sense of greater - necessity to the body of Christ of those members who seem to be weaker - seem in the sence of in the perspective of other members who look down upon others as weaker / not so essential / of less importance to the body of Christ]

(1 Cor 12:23 NASB) and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,

[And Paul goes on to make his point that those members of the body of Christ which other members deem less honorable in their own misguided opinions about the so called "less honorable" members, Paul states that it is these "less honorable"members upon whom are to be bestowed more abundant honor. Hence the less presentable members become much more presentable.]

(1 Cor 12:24 NASB) whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

(1 Cor 12:25 NASB) so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another."

[And on the other side of the argument, Paul states "whereas our more 'presentable' members - those wh o had more honor / position in the body due to their respective positions within the Body have no need of being more presentable / more honorable in the sense of having no need of having more abundant honor than has been given to them by God. On the other hand others who are less presentable / less honorable in the Body might have a need for more honor. Paul's point is that God has so composed the body of Christ - the Church, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked a certain amount of honor that others had. For fellow members who had more honor / position in the Body should not view themselves as better / more superior to those who have less honor / position which would diminish others' importance / lack of honor in the Body. All are equally important in the Body of Christ, for it is God who grants honor and position in a manner in which all are of great importance in the Body of Christ. For it is God Who is the One Who gives each member the honor, not fellow members of the Body that God has appointed each one them to have, and not what fellow members have decided to assign to themselves and others. And He does this so that as it stipulates in 1 Cor 12:25 there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one anot without regard for their respective positions in the Body]

(1 Cor 12:26 NASB) And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

[And this is the goal within the Body of Christ: "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it [= that member]; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it [= that member]." A person with a seemingly greater gift should not imagine that he could function alone since a bodily member cut off from the natural body would cease to exist. More importantly, one thought to possess a lesser gift should in fact be accorded greater attention by the other members of the body; i.e., that members of the body of Christ would demonstrate a mutual concern for the well-being of others (12:25b-26; 10:24, 33) so that rivalry would cease (so that there should be no division in the body; 1:10; 11:18) and genuine unity would exist (12:26).]

VII) [(1 Cor 12:27-31)]:

(1 Cor 12:27 NASB) Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. 

[Paul announces to the individuals in Corinth who became believers, "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it," announcing the results of that moment of faith alone in Christ alone of having become part of Christ's body and individually members of it - both a corporate and individual reality and more important, established to become a growing spiritual unity from congregation to congretation and throughout the world. Note that 1 Cor 12:27 has in view the entire body of Christ, not just one congregation as some contend. Note the word "apostles" in the next verse which corroborates the entire body of Christ throughout the age - all congregations all over the world is in view.

(1 Cor 12:28 NASB) And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 

[As author Paul writes about the spiritual unity of the body of Christ which God has set up for believers to follow, Paul declares that each Christian has his function as a part of that body. He illustrates this by a selective list of church offices and spiritual gifts (cf. Rom 12:3-8; Eph 4:11). So Paul stipulates a number of positions in the church [not all of them]; beginning first and foremost with apostles. The entire body of Christ throughout the world and throughout the age of the church is evidently in view, for the plural "apostles" corroborates this. Note the preeminate position of apostles as designated by the word "first" in the phrase "first apostles." Also note that the position of apostle was only for the beginning of the church - a first century position - a temporary position largely appointed to establish the church in the world to a point where the other positions would continue in history . Thereafter there were no apostles appointed. Second came prophets, which position was likewise to serve at the beginning until the so called "New Testament" - the Greek text / bible - was written in Greek and translated into the languages of the world . Thereafter, Paul listed a number of the other gifts God gave to individual members of the church - the worldwide group of believers in Christ in this age: "third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues." Note that the sign and wonder gifts were given to authenticate the individual believer as providing new revelation from God to others which later in the first century became available when the 27 books of the Greek Bible, the so-called New Testament, was written and copied and passed around the world beginning at that time. Thereafter these miraculous gifts ceased because the believers in the first century only provided an incomplete message by virtue of their limited personal accounts [Compare 1 Cor 13:8-13 ] which completed message would now be fully contained in the Greek Bible [often called the New Testament] when it was completed and passed out amongst the population and which needed no authentication or additional messages to provide God's completed revelation to mankind until Christ comes again in His Second Coming to provide more new revelation as described in Joel 2 .]

(1 Cor 12:29 NASB) All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 

(1 Cor 12:30 NASB) All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 

[Whereupon Paul continues to write on the same matter in 1 Cor 12:29, "All are not apostles, are they? and "All are not prophets, are they?" and "All are not teachers, are they?" And even more on the same theme, Paul wrote, "All are not teachers, are they?" Then in 1 Cor 12:30, Paul writes "All do not have gifts of healings, do they?" (Notice that there is more than one gift of healing); and "All do not speak with tongues, do they?" and "All do not interpret, do they?" Notice that Paul is saying that each individual receives the particular set of spiritual gifts from God that He has designated for them and each individual does not always if ever receive the same set of spiritual gifts as others receive. And each spiritual gift that the individual receives as designated by God is to be used in accordance with the particular leading of God the Holy Spirit - unique to him. So each believer is unique to the body of Christ in this respect. And no believer is above or below other believers in this respect. The order in which the gifts are listed is in accordance with their importance, yet no believer is above or below other believers in their role within the body of Christ. So the more important the spiritual gift is, the more the believer who possesses that spiritual gift is to serve others with it.]

(1 Cor 12:31 NASB) But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

[Gifted apostles, prophets, and teachers characteristically ministered to a whole church, and so would engender unity and mutual edification. The gift of tongues, on the other hand involved self-expression and the pursuit of personal freedom. Paul evidently is specifically addressing the issue of the Corinthian believers who were obsessed with speaking in tongues and acting like they were superior to others who did it less or not at all - especially to those who were members / believers in their congregation. For Paul immediately begins addressing this subject in the next chapter, (1 Cor 13) - that of speaking in tongues which they were not only abusing but fabricating it and breaking the rules which governed its , (cf 1 Cor 14). So in 1 Cor 12:31 Paul encourages believers to "earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I [will] show you a still more excellent way." For tongues was evidently one of the lesser of the gifts in his list - especially in terms of its value to everyone in the congregation. It was not one of the greater gifts. It did not serve the entire body of believers as well as the other gifts listed:

(1 Cor 12:28 NASB) "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues."

A) [(1 Cor 12:28-31) Expositor's Bible Commentary]:

(1 Cor 12:28 NASB) "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

(1 Cor 12:29 NASB) All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 

(1 Cor 12:30 NASB) All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

(1 Cor 12:31 NASB) But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way."

"28 Paul is saying that it is the sovereign God who dispenses (etheto; cf. Acts 20:28; 1Tim 1:12; 2:7; 2Tim 1:11) offices and gifts to his church. The order of the gifts is instructive. The first three—apostles, prophets, and teachers—are in the same order as in Ephesians 4:11 (cf. Rom 12:6, 7) and, as placed first, are to be considered of greatest importance. The next gifts are set off from the first three by epeita ("then") and range in order from miracles to the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, which, being mentioned last, seem to be of least importance. The office of apostle was all-encompassing, including the gifts of prophecy, teaching, miracles, and the rest. But the prophetic gift (cf. Acts 11:24; 13:1; 15:32; 21:10) did not include apostolicity, though it did include teaching. The teacher class did not compare, per se, with that of apostles or prophets. Paul speaks of the first three—apostles, prophets, and teachers—as classes of persons ruling in the church. The rest of the list includes gifts given various members of the church—gifts that, while of lesser significance, are yet of importance.

Those having the gift of antilempsis ("those able to help others," NIV) are persons gifted in helping the church officers deal with the poor and sick. Those with kybernesis ("administration") have ability to govern and manage affairs in the church.

29, 30 By these rhetorical questions, all of which imply "no" for an answer, Paul stresses the principle of divine selectivity. He is saying that not all believers function in each of the ways listed. God selects individuals and gives them their specific gifts (v. 28).

[Not the other way around]

Paul ends v. 30 with the gift of interpretation of tongues, because he is to comment on this in chapter 14. As in v. 28, so in v. 30, "tongues" comes last in his list.

31 Having mentioned tongues and their interpretation, Paul urges Christians to seek the better gifts—not that of speaking in tongues, which the Corinthians apparently wanted to have more fully. The possession of specific gifts, says Paul, is not so important as the way in which the gifts are exercised. Verse 31b serves to introduce chapter 13."

Continue to 1 Cor chapter 13