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• 1 CORINTHIANS 12 – COMMENTARY

  Introduction:

  “Within chapter 12, Paul begins with an introduction highlighting the basic criterion for distinguishing the work of the Holy Spirit from that of other spirits (vv.1-3). Verses 4-6 then ground the diversity of spiritual gifts within the unity of the Triune Godhead. Verses 7-11 offer samples of the diverse gifts, while stressing that each comes from the same sovereign Spirit.  Verses 12-26 develop in more detail the metaphor of the body of Christ, while verses 27-31 bring the chapter to a close with a second representative list of gifts which stresses that not one of them is given to all Christians. ‘The successive waves of Paul’s argument may be summed up as follows: (1) not disunity, but (2) unity; yet unity (3) not uniformity, but (4) of mutual concern and love.’”[1]

  v.1 “A ‘spiritual’ gift is some capability given through the Holy Spirit that enables one to minister to the needs of Christ’s body, the church.”[2]

  v.3 “The word for Lord was kurios and it was a tremendous word.  It was the official title of the Roman Emperor. The demand of the persecutors always was, ‘Say, “Caesar is Lord (kurios).”’ It was the word by which the sacred name Jehovah was rendered in the Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures. When a man could say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ it meant that he gave to Jesus the supreme loyalty of his life and the supreme worship of his heart. It is to be noted that Paul believed that a man could say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ only when the Spirit enabled him to say it. The Lordship of Jesus was not so much something which he discovered for himself as something which God, in his grace, revealed to him.”[3]

  vv.12-20 “‘You,’ he says, ‘are the body of Christ.’  There is tremendous thought here.  Christ is no longer in this world in the body; therefore if he wants a task done within the world he has to find a man to do it.  […]  Literally, we have to be the body of Christ, hands to do his work, feet to run upon his errands, a voice to speak for him.  […]  Here is the supreme glory of the Christian man–he is part of the body of Christ upon earth.”[4]

  “So Paul draws a picture of the unity which should exist inside the Church if it is to fulfill its proper function.  A body is healthy and efficient only when each part is functioning perfectly.  The parts of the body are not jealous of each other and do not covet each other’s functions.  From Paul’s picture we see certain things which ought to exist in the Church, the body of Christ.”[5]

  vv.12-26 “Paul develops the extended metaphor of the church as the body of Christ.  […]He follows up an initial statement of the metaphor (v.12) by moving from the theme of unity (v.13) to diversity (v.14), and then describes in more detail first diversity (vv.15-21) and then unity (vv.22-26).”[6]

  vv.21-26  “We ought to realize that we need each other.  There can be no such thing as isolation in the Church.  […] In the body there is no question of relative importance.  If any limb or any organ ceases to function, the whole body is thrown out of gear.  It is so with the Church.  ‘All service ranks the same with God.’  Whenever we begin to think about our own importance in the Christian Church, the possibility of really Christian work is gone.”[7]

  v.28 “To take ‘first,’ ‘second,’ and ‘third’ in verse 28 as a ranking in significance would clearly violate the whole point of Paul’s discussion thus far. So it is best to see in this enumeration a chronological priority (cf. Eph 2:20). To establish a local congregation requires a church-planter. Then the regular proclamation of God’s Word must ensue. Next teachers must supplement evangelism with discipleship and the passing on of the cardinal truths of the faith. Only at this point does a viable Christian fellowship exist to enable all the other gifts to come into play.”[8]

  v.31 “The most excellent way.  Paul now shows the right way to exercise all spiritual gifts—the way of love.  He does not identify love as a gift; rather, it is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).”[9] 

  [1] Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 242-243.

  [2] The NIV Study Bible, Study Notes (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002) 1804.

  [3] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Daily Study Bible Commentary (Philadelphia, PN: Westminster Press, 1975) 107.

  [4] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Daily Study Bible Commentary (Philadelphia, PN: Westminster Press, 1975) 113-114.

  [5] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Daily Study Bible Commentary (Philadelphia, PN: Westminster Press, 1975) 114.

  [6] Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 245-246.

  [7] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Daily Study Bible Commentary (Philadelphia, PN: Westminster Press, 1975) 114.

  [8] Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994) 247.

  [9] The NIV Study Bible, Study Notes (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002) 1793.

• BIBLE TEXT:

  1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (ESV)

  ¹ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

  ⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

• God [What truths about God’s person, activity or character does the text reveal?]

• Lessons/insights 

• Apply and obey [How does today’s text apply to me? How will I obey or respond to the truths from today’s text?]

• Prayer