1 Corinthians 12

¹Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

Commentary · verse 1

Apparently, the church of Corinth wrote about spiritual gifts. The gifts mentioned in this chapter were the Manifestational Spiritual Gifts. These gifts were different from the Motivational (Romans 12) and Positional (Ephesians 4). These gifts only happened by the Holy Spirit flowing through a believer. Any of these Manifestational Spiritual Gifts could happen through any believer for the benefit of others, for the benefit of the church.

²Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.

³Wherefore 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.

²Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

³Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Commentary · verses 2-3

Doctrine: no man who is speaking by the Holy Spirit will say Jesus is cursed (anathema) and no man can say (as an effect of belief) that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

Commentary · verse 4

There are different gifts that are all from the same Spirit. Again, these gifts are directly from the Holy Spirit.

⁵And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.

⁶And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.

⁷But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.

⁵And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

⁶And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Commentary · verses 5-7

Again, these gifts only happened by the Holy Spirit flowing through a believer. Any of these gifts could happen through any believer for the benefit of others, for the benefit of the church.

⁸For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: ⁹to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; ¹⁰and 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:

⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

Commentary · verses 8-10

A list of gifts: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. All of these gifts were from the same Spirit.

¹¹but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.

¹¹But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Commentary · verse 11

These gifts were divided as God wills. They were manifested through believers who allowed the Holy Spirit to freely flow through them based on the need of the church.

¹²For 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.

¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Commentary · verses 13-27

Verses 13-27: concerned with the principle of uniqueness.

¹³For 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.

¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many.

¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

¹⁸But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.

¹⁹And if they were all one member, where were the body?

²⁰But now they are many members, but one body.

²¹And 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.

²²Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: ²³and 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; ²⁴whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; ²⁵that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

²⁶And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.

¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many.

¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

¹⁹And if they were all one member, where were the body?

²⁰But now are they many members, yet but one body.

²¹And 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.

²²Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

²³And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

²⁴For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

²⁵That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

²⁶And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Commentary · verse 27

The church is one body that has many parts (uniqueness) that all work together for the same good. God has set the parts of the body where it pleases Him. All parts of the body are connected: there are no divisions, all parts care for the others, suffer with the others, are honored together, and rejoice together. Notice, the parts of the body that are attractive (we think are honorable) are not necessary: eyes, ears, nose, hair, etc. However, the parts of the body that are not attractive (we think are uncomely) are necessary (more honorable): heart, lungs, brain, etc.

Doctrines on this passage

²⁸And 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.

²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Commentary · verse 28

Another list of gifts: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helps, governments, tongues. A church begins with an apostle and then a prophet. An apostle travels to a new place and begins the work. The prophet gets a message/revelation from God in this new place. Both apostles and prophets are called by God. Both are persecuted, even unto death.

²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

³⁰have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

³⁰Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Commentary · verses 29-30

Paul listed the gifts that not all of us were. The two Paul left out were "helps and governments":

Governments are the leaders in the church.
Helps is everyone else.

Everyone in the church is either in Governments or Helps.

³¹But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.

³¹But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Commentary · verse 31

Paul suspended this teaching on the Manifestational Spiritual Gifts and uniqueness by stating he would show a most excellent way. The next chapter was a parenthetical teaching during his explanation of spiritual gifts.

Theme of Chapter 12: Paul began another three chapter answer. This time the topic was spiritual gifts. Paul began his explanation of Manifestational Spiritual Gifts as gifts that happened by the Holy Spirit flowing through a believer. Any of these gifts could happen through any believer for the benefit of others, for the benefit of the church. Paul told people to desire the greater gifts, but paused in this answer to explain a most excellent way (HOW) to operate in spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12

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