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1 Corinthians 12

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Introduction to Spiritual Gifts 1–3

1
Now concerning spiritualgifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. ​
2
Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led. ​
3
Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit. ​

Unity in Diversity: The Source of Gifts 4–11

4
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ​
5
And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. ​
6
And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. ​
7
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. ​
8
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: ​
9
to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
10
and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues: ​
11
but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will. ​

The Church as the Body of Christ 12–26

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. ​
13
For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. ​
14
For the body is not one member, but many.
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. ​
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.
17
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ​
18
But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. ​
19
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20
But now they are many members, but one body.
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. ​
22
Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: ​
23
and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; ​
24
whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; ​
25
that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. ​
26
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ​

Structure and Ordering of Gifts in the Church 27–31

27
Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. ​
28
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues. ​
29
Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? ​
30
have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31
But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 12

Verse 1

spiritual gifts — Pneumatikos means 'spiritual', and 'gifts' is the KJV's own addition, so the phrase can be read 'spiritual things'. The word returns in 14:1, 'desire spiritual gifts', while the gifts themselves are called charismata in v.4. 'I would not have you ignorant' is how Paul opens a point (Rom 1:13; 1 Cor 10:1).

Verse 2

dumb idols — Aphonos means voiceless. The LORD's charge against idols is the same: 'They have mouths, but they speak not' (Ps 115:5); 'the maker… to make dumb idols' (Hab 2:18). The Corinthians had been 'carried away' to them; Thessalonica also 'turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God' (1 Thess 1:9).

Verse 3

Jesus is the Lord — Kyrios, 'Lord', is the confession on which Rom 10:9 rests salvation: 'confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus'. 'Accursed' is anathema, used by Paul of any other gospel (Gal 1:8–9) and of the one who loves not the Lord (1 Cor 16:22). John gives the matching test of spirits (1 John 4:1–3).

Verse 4

diversities of gifts — Diairesis, a dividing out, is found only in vv.4–6, three times, and its verb diaireo returns in v.11, 'dividing to every man severally'. 'Gifts' is charisma, a thing given by charis, grace: 'gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us' (Rom 12:6). The Giver here is 'the same Spirit'.

Verse 5

administrations — Diakonia is service, the word rendered 'ministry' in 'the work of the ministry' (Eph 4:12), where Christ 'gave some, apostles; and some, prophets' for that work (Eph 4:11). The gifts are services done under 'the same Lord'. Vv.4–6 name the Spirit, the Lord and God in turn.

Verse 6

operations — Energema, a thing worked out, occurs only here and in v.10; its verb energeo is 'worketh'. God is the one who 'worketh all in all', as he 'worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure' (Phil 2:13). Every gift is an effect of his working, whoever carries it out.

Verse 7

manifestation of the Spirit — Phanerosis, a making visible, occurs elsewhere only in 2 Cor 4:2, 'manifestation of the truth'. 'To profit withal' is sympheron, what is profitable, the word of 10:33, 'not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many'. The gift is given 'to every man' (hekastos, each one), and for the good of others.

Verse 8

word of wisdom — 'Word' is logos, 'wisdom' sophia, 'knowledge' gnosis. Paul had already said he spoke 'wisdom among them that are perfect' (2:6) and that God 'hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit' (2:10). The pair stands together in Col 2:3, 'the treasures of wisdom and knowledge', which are hid in Christ.

Verse 10

discerning of spirits — Diakrisis, a distinguishing, is the word of Heb 5:14, 'to discern both good and evil'. It answers the call to 'try the spirits whether they are of God' (1 John 4:1) and the test given in v.3. 'Interpretation' (hermeneia) occurs only here and in 14:26, both times beside tongues.

Verse 11

dividing to every man severally — Diaireo, to distribute, occurs elsewhere only in Luke 15:12, where the father 'divided unto them his living'. 'As he will' is boulomai, to purpose: the Spirit gives by his own decision, as Heb 2:4 also says, 'gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will'.

Verse 12

so also is Christ — 'Christ' is used here for the body joined to him: the church is 'one body in Christ' (Rom 12:5), and he is 'the head of the body, the church' (Col 1:18). 'Members' is melos, a limb, which is why the parts that follow, foot, hand, ear, eye and head, are named as limbs.

Verse 13

baptized into one body — The baptizing is 'by one Spirit', as John said of Christ: 'he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost' (John 1:33). 'Gentiles' here is Hellen, a Greek, as in Gal 3:28, 'neither Jew nor Greek'. 'Made to drink' is potizo, the verb Paul uses of Apollos in 3:6, 'Apollos watered'.

Verse 15

If the foot shall say — Paul gives the members speech. The foot reasons that because it is not the hand it is not of the body, and the question 'is it therefore not of the body?' answers that belonging does not rest on having the same task: 'all members have not the same office' (Rom 12:4).

Verse 17

where were the hearing? — Akoe, hearing, is the word of Rom 10:17, 'faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God'. 'Smelling' (osphresis) occurs only here in the New Testament. A body that was one member throughout would have lost every other kind of work, and so the whole.

Verse 18

hath God set the members — Tithemi, to place, the same verb as 'God hath set some in the church' (v.28), so the church's offices are placed as the body's limbs are. 'As it hath pleased him' (thelo, to will) answers in sense to the Spirit's 'as he will' (v.11, a different verb, boulomai): the placing is God's choice, not the member's.

Verse 21

The eye cannot say unto the hand — The second pair reverses the first. The foot and ear spoke from a sense of lack (vv.15–16); the eye and the head speak of having 'no need' (chreia). The Corinthians had said as much in effect: 'Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us' (4:8).

Verse 22

more feeble — Asthenes, weak, is the word of 1:27, 'God hath chosen the weak things of the world', and 4:10, 'we are weak, but ye are strong'. The members that 'seem' (dokeo) weaker are 'necessary' (anagkaios), so the principle laid down in 1:27 holds inside the church too.

Verse 23

upon these we bestow more abundant honour — 'Less honourable' (atimos) and 'uncomely' (aschemon, found only here) name the parts usually covered. 'Bestow' is peritithemi, to place around, as the scarlet robe was put on Christ (Matt 27:28). The need to cover goes back to Gen 3:7, when the man and woman 'knew that they were naked'.

Verse 24

God hath tempered the body together — Sygkerannymi, to blend, occurs elsewhere only in Heb 4:2, 'not being mixed with faith'. The blending is God's act, and its result is more honour 'to that part which lacked' (hustereo). The 'comely' parts (euschemon) need nothing added.

Verse 25

no schism — Schisma, a rent, is the word for the divisions Paul named at the opening of the letter: 'that there be no divisions among you' (1:10) and 'I hear that there be divisions among you' (11:18). The remedy is that the members 'have the same care one for another' (merimnao, to be concerned for).

Verse 26

suffer with it — Both verbs are compounds of syn, 'with': sympascho, found only here and Rom 8:17, 'we suffer with him', and synchairo, which also gives 'rejoiceth in the truth' (13:6). 'Be honoured' is doxazo, to glorify. The command is spelled out in Rom 12:15, 'Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.'

Verse 27

the body of Christ — The comparison of v.12 is now stated outright and addressed to the Corinthians. Elsewhere 'we are members of his body' (Eph 5:30), built up for 'the edifying of the body of Christ' (Eph 4:12). 'In particular' comes from meros, a part, the word of 13:9, 'we know in part'.

Verse 28

God hath set some in the church — Tithemi, the verb of v.18. 'First… secondarily… thirdly' number only the first three, apostles, prophets and teachers; apostles and prophets are the 'foundation' in Eph 2:20. 'Helps' (antilepsis) and 'governments' (kubernesis, steering) occur nowhere else in the New Testament. Eph 4:11 gives another list.

Verse 29

Are all apostles? — Each of these questions begins with me, the particle that expects the answer 'No'. Paul puts the offices of v.28 to the whole church and the answer is the one he gave in vv.4–6: one Spirit, one Lord, one God, and many gifts. 'Workers of miracles' is literally 'powers' (dynameis), as in v.28.

Verse 31

covet earnestly — Zeloo, to be zealous for, is the verb of 14:1, 'desire spiritual gifts', and 14:39, 'covet to prophesy'. 'More excellent' is hyperbole, 'beyond measure', as in 'far more exceeding' (2 Cor 4:17). The way is love, agape: 'the greatest of these is charity' (13:13).