1 Corinthians 12

1 But of spiritual things, brethren, I will not that ye not know [I will not you to unknow].

2 For ye know, that when ye were heathen men, how ye were led going to dumb maumets. [Soothly ye know, for when ye were heathen men, as ye were led going to dumb simulacra.]

3 Therefore I make known to you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God, saith parting from Jesus; and no man may say the Lord Jesus [is], but in the Holy Ghost.

4 And diverse graces there be, but it is all one Spirit [but the same Spirit is];

5 and diverse services there be, but it is all one Lord; [and partings of servings be, but the same Lord is;]

6 and diverse workings there be, but it is all one God [and partings of workings be, but the same God is], that worketh all things in all things.

7 And to each man the showing of Spirit is given to profit.

8 And the word of wisdom is given to one by Spirit [To another forsooth by Spirit the word of wisdom is given]; to another the word of knowing, by the same Spirit;

9 faith to another, in the same Spirit; to another, grace of healings [+grace of healths/grace of heals], in one Spirit;

10 to another, the working of works of power; to another, prophecy; to another, very knowing of spirits; to another, kinds of languages; to another, expounding of words. [to another, the working of virtues; to another, prophecy; to another, discretion, or very knowing, of spirits; to another, kinds of tongues, or languages; to another, interpreting, or expounding, of words.]

11 And one and the same Spirit worketh all these things [Forsooth all these things one and the same Spirit worketh], parting to each by themselves as he will.

12 For as there is one body, and hath many members, and all the members of the body when those be many [when they be many], be one body, so also Christ.

13 For in one Spirit all we be baptized into one body, either Jews, either heathen, either servants, either free; and all we be filled with drink in one Spirit. [And soothly in one Spirit all we be baptized into one body, either Jews, or heathen, or servants, or free; and all we have drunk in one Spirit.]

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

15 If the foot shall say, For I am not the hand, I am not of the body; not therefore it is not of the body [not therefore is it not of the body(?)].

16 And if the ear saith [And if the ear shall say], For I am not the eye, I am not of the body; not therefore it is not of the body [not therefore is it not of the body(?)].

17 If all the body is the eye [If all the body were the eye], where is [the] hearing? and if all the body is hearing, where is [the] smelling?

18 But now God hath set members, and each of them in the body, as he would.

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

20 But now there be many members, but one body.

21 And the eye may not say to the hand [Forsooth the eye shall not be able to say to the hand], I have no need to thy works; or again the head to the feet, Ye be not necessary to me.

22 But much more those that be seen to be the lower members of the body [But much more those that be seen to be more sick, or lower, members of the body], be more needful;

23 and those that we guess to be the unworthier members of the body, to them we give more honour; and those members that be unseemly, have more seemliness. [+and to them that we guess to be unnobler members of the body, we give more honour about; and those members that be unhonest, have more honesty.]

24 For our seemly members have need of none; but God tempered the body, giving more honour to it, to whom it failed, [Forsooth our honest members of none have need; but God tempered the body, giving more worship to it, to whom it failed,]

25 that debate be not in the body, but that the members be busy into the same thing each for other [but that the members be busy into the same thing for each other].

26 And if one member suffereth any thing [And if one member suffer any thing], all members suffer therewith; either if one member joyeth [either if one member glorieth], all members joy together.

27 And ye be the body of Christ, and members of member. [Forsooth ye be the body of Christ, and members of members.]

28 But God set some men in the church, first apostles, the second time prophets [And soothly God put some in the church, first apostles, the second prophets], the third teachers, afterward works of power, afterward graces of healings, helpings, governings, kinds of languages, interpretations of words.

29 Whether all [be] apostles? whether all [be] prophets? Whether all teachers? whether all works of power?

30 whether all have grace of healings? whether all speak with languages? whether all expound [whether all interpret, or expound]?

31 But follow ye the better ghostly gifts. And yet I show to you a more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

The variety of use of spiritual gifts are shown. (1-11) In the human body every member has its place and use. (12-26) This is applied to the church of Christ. (27-30) And there is something more excellent than spiritual gifts. (31)

Verses 1-11 Spiritual gifts were extraordinary powers bestowed in the first ages, to convince unbelievers, and to spread the gospel. Gifts and graces greatly differ. Both were freely given of God. But where grace is given, it is for the salvation of those who have it. Gifts are for the advantage and salvation of others; and there may be great gifts where there is no grace. The extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were chiefly exercised in the public assemblies, where the Corinthians seem to have made displays of them, wanting in the spirit of piety, and of Christian love. While heathens, they had not been influenced by the Spirit of Christ. No man can call Christ Lord, with believing dependence upon him, unless that faith is wrought by the Holy Ghost. No man could believe with his heart, or prove by a miracle, that Jesus was Christ, unless by the Holy Ghost. There are various gifts, and various offices to perform, but all proceed from one God, one Lord, one Spirit; that is, from the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the origin of all spiritual blessings. No man has them merely for himself. The more he profits others, the more will they turn to his own account. The gifts mentioned appear to mean exact understanding, and uttering the doctrines of the Christian religion; the knowledge of mysteries, and skill to give advice and counsel. Also the gift of healing the sick, the working of miracles, and to explain Scripture by a peculiar gift of the Spirit, and ability to speak and interpret languages. If we have any knowledge of the truth, or any power to make it known, we must give all the glory of God. The greater the gifts are, the more the possessor is exposed to temptations, and the larger is the measure of grace needed to keep him humble and spiritual; and he will meet with more painful experiences and humbling dispensations. We have little cause to glory in any gifts bestowed on us, or to despise those who have them not.

Verses 12-26 Christ and his church form one body, as Head and members. Christians become members of this body by baptism. The outward rite is of Divine institution; it is a sign of the new birth, and is called therefore the washing of regeneration, ( Titus 3:5 ) . But it is by the Spirit, only by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, that we are made members of Christ's body. And by communion with Christ at the Lord's supper, we are strengthened, not by drinking the wine, but by drinking into one Spirit. Each member has its form, place, and use. The meanest makes a part of the body. There must be a distinction of members in the body. So Christ's members have different powers and different places. We should do the duties of our own place, and not murmur, or quarrel with others. All the members of the body are useful and necessary to each other. Nor is there a member of the body of Christ, but may and ought to be useful to fellow-members. As in the natural body of man, the members should be closely united by the strongest bonds of love; the good of the whole should be the object of all. All Christians are dependent one upon another; each is to expect and receive help from the rest. Let us then have more of the spirit of union in our religion.

Verses 27-31 Contempt, hatred, envy, and strife, are very unnatural in Christians. It is like the members of the same body being without concern for one another, or quarrelling with each other. The proud, contentious spirit that prevailed, as to spiritual gifts, was thus condemned. The offices and gifts, or favours, dispensed by the Holy Spirit, are noticed. Chief ministers; persons enabled to interpret Scripture; those who laboured in word and doctrine; those who had power to heal diseases; such as helped the sick and weak; such as disposed of the money given in charity by the church, and managed the affairs of the church; and such as could speak divers languages. What holds the last and lowest rank in this list, is the power to speak languages; how vain, if a man does so merely to amuse or to exalt himself! See the distribution of these gifts, not to every one alike, ( 1 Corinthians. 12:29-30 ) body were all ear, or all eye. The Spirit distributes to every one as he will. We must be content though we are lower and less than others. We must not despise others, if we have greater gifts. How blessed the Christian church, if all the members did their duty! Instead of coveting the highest stations, or the most splendid gifts, let us leave the appointment of his instruments to God, and those in whom he works by his providence. Remember, those will not be approved hereafter who seek the chief places, but those who are most faithful to the trust placed in them, and most diligent in their Master's work.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 12

In this chapter the apostle discourses concerning spiritual gifts, showing the author, nature, use, and excellency of them; compares the church to an human body, and in a beautiful manner sets forth the symmetry and subserviency of the members of it to one another, being set in different places, and having different gifts; and enumerates the several offices and gifts in the church, and yet suggests there is something more excellent than them. He intimates, that spiritual gifts are valuable things, and should be taken notice of; nor would he have the saints ignorant of them, and therefore gives the following account, 1Co 12:1 and yet he would not have those that have them be proud of them, and lifted up with them; for which reason he puts them in mind of their former state in Heathenism, to make and keep them humble, 1Co 12:2 and points out such who have the Spirit of God, the author of all gifts and grace; not such who call Jesus accursed, but they that call him Lord, 1Co 12:3 which Holy Ghost, who is called Spirit, Lord, and God, is the author of the different gifts bestowed upon men, 1Co 12:4-6 the end of bestowing which gifts is the profit of others, 1Co 12:7 of which gifts there is an enumeration in nine particulars, 1Co 12:8-10 of each of which the Spirit of God is the worker and giver, according to his sovereign will and pleasure, 1Co 12:11 and which are all for the good of the whole community; which is illustrated by the simile of an human body, which as it consists of many members, and is but one, so Christ mystical, or the church, though it consists of divers persons, yet they are all one in Christ, and all their gifts are for the service of each other, 1Co 12:12 which unity is proved and confirmed by the saints being baptized by one Spirit into one body, the church, and by drinking of him, or partaking of the same grace, 1Co 12:13 and in order to show the usefulness and profit of every spiritual gift, even the meanest, to the churches of Christ, and that none might be despised, he enlarges upon the metaphor of the human body he had compared the church to, and by it illustrates the unity of the church, and the members of it, 1Co 12:14 and shows that the inferior members should not envy the superior ones, or be dejected because they have not the same gifts: and conclude from hence, that they are not, or deserve not, to be of the same body, 1Co 12:15,16 seeing it is convenient and absolutely necessary that there should be many members, and these set in different places, and have different gifts and usefulness; and particularly what should make them easy is, that God has placed them according to his will and pleasure, 1Co 12:17-20. And, on the other hand, he shows, that the more noble, and excellent, and useful members, ought not to despise the lower, meaner, and more ignoble ones, partly because of the usefulness and necessity of them, they cannot do without them, 1Co 12:21,20 and partly because of the honour put upon them, 1Co 12:23,24, and all this is so ordered, that there be no schism, but that there should be a mutual care of one member for another, and that they should sympathize with each other, 1Co 12:25,26. This simile the apostle more plainly and particularly accommodates and applies to the church, the body of Christ, and the members of it, and of one another, 1Co 12:27 and gives an enumeration of the several officers and offices in the church, set there by God himself; and there are no less than eight of them, some greater than others, most of them proper and peculiar to the primitive church, though some perpetual, and which still continue, 1Co 12:28 but in the times in which they were all of them in being and use, every member of the church was not possessed of them, only some, though all had more or less the advantage of them, 1Co 12:29,30. Wherefore, he concludes with an exhortation to the saints to covet the best of those gifts; and yet observes that there was something more excellent than them, and preferable to them, which he was about to show them, 1Co 12:31 and hereby he makes an easy transition to the next chapter, in which he recommends charity, and prefers it to gifts.