Chapter Twelve

What spiritual gifts are in Christianity (1–3). The unity of spiritual gifts despite their diversity (4–13). The variety of gifts and ministries in the Church, analogous to the variety of members in the human body (14–31)

Preliminary remark. From ch. 12 through ch. 14 the Ap. speaks about what are called spiritual gifts (χαρίσματα πνευματικά), which manifested primarily in worship. Hence the connection of ch. 12 with ch. 11, which also dealt with worship, is clear. But what were these spiritual gifts? The expression “gift” (χάρισμα) denotes such a capacity of a person as is bestowed on him by divine grace (χάρις). Thus this term indicates more the origin of the gift. As for the expression “spiritual” (πνευματικός from πνεῦμα), this term describes the phenomenon in question more in terms of its essence, showing that it proceeds from the Holy Spirit and is centered in the human spirit. The Church is the body of Christ (see v. 27), i.e., the instrument through which Christ, after His ascension into heaven, carries out His plan on earth, just as formerly He executed His intentions through His own body. The ascended Christ lives in believers through His Spirit, and through this believers become active members of the body of Christ. But their activity is based on extraordinary powers that Christ communicates to them. At the same time, however, a person’s own capacities also matter: they are strengthened under the action of the Spirit of Christ and directed toward service to God’s purposes. But as long as the spiritual person has not attained perfect holiness, he cannot yet be wholly devoted to God and serve Him as he ought. Selfishness, pride, vanity, hypocrisy, lying, envy, and hatred significantly alter the character of spiritual gifts (cf. 2 Cor 7:1).

In Corinth such influence of passions and prejudices was especially strong. People who possessed spiritual gifts cared only about how to shine before others. Therefore those gifts were prized that manifested in particularly striking forms, while those that brought greater benefit to the Church but were not outwardly impressive were despised. The chief error of the Corinthians consisted in their belief that a person, through the action of the Spirit of God, must lose self-awareness, and that precisely in this loss of self-awareness the power of the Spirit’s action is revealed. Thus there arose the view that a teacher stands far below a prophet, and a prophet below one who speaks in tongues. One could say that the Corinthians established the rule: the more spirit (πνεῦμα), the less reason (νοῦς). Plato himself said in his “Phaedrus”: “We owe the highest blessings to madness,” and in the “Timaeus”: “No one who is in full possession of reason has true, divine inspiration.” Some passages from the Old Testament could also occasion such a view (e.g., Num 24:4; Amos 3:8; Hos 9:7). Against this tendency the Apostle Paul was compelled to struggle — he needed to channel a mighty, raging torrent, and this required on his part extraordinary energy and wisdom. Nevertheless he successfully resolved the difficult question before him, first — in ch. 12 — examining the matter from the standpoint of principle, then — in ch. 13 — pointing the Corinthians to the benevolent spirit under whose protection spiritual gifts should operate beneficially — namely, love — and finally — in ch. 14 — giving some practical instructions that Christians who possessed spiritual gifts were to observe.

1 Cor 12:1-3. Here is the opening of the discourse on spiritual gifts. The Ap. draws a clear dividing line between genuine spiritual gifts and phenomena resembling them — the religious enthusiasm of paganism — and indicates the common mark by which true Christian inspiration can be recognized: it is the reverent attitude of the one speaking in the Spirit toward Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:1. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. “I do not want” — more accurately: “but I do not want.” This “but” implies contrast with the closing words of ch. 11. The Ap. defers the discussion of “other matters” until a personal visit, but the question of spiritual gifts he considers so important that he proceeds to address it immediately. — “Concerning spiritual gifts” — in Greek, simply: “concerning the spiritual” or “concerning spiritual things” (περί τῶν πνευματικῶν). Some interpreters see here a reference to spiritual persons, others to spiritual gifts. The latter opinion, held by the ancient interpreters as well as by the Russian translation, seems the more natural one (the Rev. Fiveiskiy, in the cited work, p. 26, sees here a reference to “the spiritual in general,” i.e., to gifts, spiritual men, and the spiritual state of the Corinthians, etc. But, judging from the context, the Ap. had no intention of speaking “in general” about the phenomena of the spiritual life).

1 Corinthians 12:2. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. The meaning of this verse can be rendered as follows: “when you were pagans, you went to worship mute idols that could say nothing to you in response to your prayers. This going, however, continued — something drew you to these idols, you felt as though you were under their power.” The state of pagans in relation to idols was one of complete passivity, and for this reason pagans, and above all pagan oracles who spoke under the influence of a special enthusiasm, easily became instruments of the dark, demonic forces that stood behind these idols.

1 Corinthians 12:3. Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now, in Christianity, there is no need to fear this demonic influence. One need not suppose that Christians, whose ecstatic state might remind the Corinthians of pagan oracles’ enthusiasm, have become playthings in the hands of demonic power. For no one speaking in the Spirit of God in a worship assembly “will pronounce a curse on Jesus” — there is no fear that demonic power will move one who speaks in the Spirit of God to do such a thing. On the other hand, one should not despise those teachers of faith who in plain words confess in the Church the divine dignity of Jesus Christ. Although they are not in the same ecstatic state as those who spoke in the Spirit of God in various tongues, they too are moved to this confession by the Holy Spirit. Thus the Corinthians can be at peace, seeing such a powerful influx of spiritual gifts in the Church, while on the other hand they must learn to value every confession of Christ, even one not clothed in the brilliant forms that characterized the speech of those who spoke in the Spirit of God in various tongues. — “Therefore” — i.e., in view of the associations with pagan oracles’ speeches that accompanied the appearance of spiritual gifts in the Church. — “Speaking in the Spirit of God” — i.e., being in a state of spiritual ecstasy, when will and self-awareness are nearly lost. — “A curse on Jesus” — i.e., will not say that the name of Jesus ought to be erased from human memory. The word ανάθεμα in the Septuagint and in the New Testament denotes an object that God has condemned to destruction (Deut 7:25: Gal 1:8). The Ap. speaks of a curse “on Jesus” rather than “on Christ” — because he has in view the possible speech of some Jewish fanatic about Christ in a gathering of Jews. Such a fanatic would of course call Christ simply “Jesus.” — “To call” — in the sense of “to confess” — to confess from the whole heart and with full conviction, as did the deacon and first martyr Stephen, who confessed Jesus as Lord (Acts 7:59). 1 Cor 12:4-13. The spiritual gifts in the Christian Church are extraordinarily varied: there is, first of all, a great difference between gifts, ministries, and divine operations. Even more: within each of these forms, various types and kinds can be distinguished. Yet for all this diversity, all of them have one and the same source and one and the same goal: their source is in God, and their goal is the good of the Church. Furthermore, as regards “gifts” (or gifts of grace) in particular, the Ap. enumerates nine kinds of them and notes that all of them likewise derive from the Holy Spirit and should operate in the same direction.

1 Corinthians 12:4. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 1 Corinthians 12:5. and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 1 Corinthians 12:6. and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. In v. 3 the Ap. directed the readers’ attention to only two gifts — speaking in the Spirit (glossolalia) and the confession of Christ by teachers of faith. But besides these gifts — he says here — there are many other gifts, there are “ministries” and “activities.” What “gifts” are was said above (preliminary remark). The chief of these gifts are enumerated in vv. 8–10. The “Spirit” that unites them is the Holy Spirit. “Ministries” (διακονίαι) are the second category of extraordinary phenomena standing under the special action of divine Providence for the Church. This includes the ministries of apostles and evangelists (missionaries), which have significance for the whole Christian Church, and also ministries of more limited scope, such as the episcopate or diaconate in one of the individual churches. The higher of these ministries probably also had their basis in a special spiritual endowment of those who held them, recognized as such by the Church, while others, of lower rank, consisted in the discharge of certain duties entrusted to certain Christians by authorization of the Church. Just as there are gifts that could not serve as the basis for a person’s assumption of one or another ministry (e.g., the gift of tongues or prophecy), while others could readily become a permanent function (the gift of teaching), so among the ministries — some had an outward character (e.g., oversight of the Church’s external affairs), while others required a certain inner power given only by a special grace of the Holy Spirit (e.g., the apostolate). However, all the ministries were also united among themselves by the unity of purpose they had before them: all of them were directed toward the realization of the will of the “Lord,” i.e., of Jesus Christ. The third category of manifestations of the power of God’s Spirit in the Church is formed by the various activities (ενεργήματα) that proceeded from these gifts and ministries. These are, properly speaking, the same forces that were present in the gifts and ministries, but now transformed into definite concrete facts or actions. For example, the Holy Spirit gives power for the preaching gift to flourish in some Christian. The Church recognizes this Christian as possessing such a gift and entrusts to him the ministry of preaching. He begins to discharge his duty and to deliver edifying sermons, which will represent his “activity” (ενέργημα). Another Christian has the gift of healing, but this gift cannot become a regular ministry, taking on the character of something permanently performed. Its purpose is to manifest itself in particular emergency situations. The “activity” of this gift will be, for example, the restoration of health of one or another member of the Christian community. All these “activities” are once again unified by the unity of their source: God, who through His Spirit bestows gifts and establishes ministries for the fulfillment of the plan of Christ the Savior, also gives power to certain Christians to perform the activities mentioned above. He works “all” — i.e., both gifts and ministries and activities — “in all,” i.e., both in those who perform the activities and in those upon whom these activities are performed. — There is no doubt that in vv. 4–6 the Apostle clearly indicates a distinction of persons in the Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. However, as is evident from the expression in v. 6, “God is the same,” the Ap. hardly intended to restrict the activity of each person of the Holy Trinity to the bestowal of a certain class of gracious powers. “What the Spirit does, the Lord also does by His lordship and God by His divinity. In such activity of the Spirit, the lordship of the Son and the divinity of the Father are also present” (Photius). Therefore gifts, ministries, and activities can be considered manifestations of one and the same grace of God.

1 Corinthians 12:7. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. In proceeding to discuss gifts, the Ap. says that these gifts are given not for some trivial, vain purposes of human vanity, but for the true benefit of the Church. — “To each.” Every member of the Church, however insignificant, has his own special gift from God. — “The manifestation of the Spirit,” i.e., an outward, visible manifestation whose source is the Holy Spirit (“of the Spirit” — πνεύματος — genitivus subjectivus).

1 Corinthians 12:8. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, The Ap. enumerates various gifts of the Holy Spirit — though very possibly not all of them (the Rev. Fiveiskiy). He places “the word of wisdom” (λόγος σοφίας) in the first place. By this expression the Ap. designates a form of speech that illuminates both the theoretical and practical teachings of Christianity deeply and broadly, its exposition rising to the level of the finest oratorical works. Alongside this gift of the Holy Spirit stands “the word of knowledge” (λ. γνώσεως). If “wisdom” denotes something given and permanent in a person, then “knowledge” will contain the idea of personal searching, of a particular exertion of human intellectual powers. All the same, it must be noted, knowledge too is acquired by a person with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The object of knowledge is the same as the object of wisdom. The Ap. takes this gift at the moment when it is applied for the edification of the Church. He therefore speaks of the “word” of knowledge.

1 Corinthians 12:9. to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, “Faith” — not the faith common to all Christians, not faith in the doctrines of Christianity, but miracle-working faith (cf. Matt 17:20), when a person is so certain of his communion with God that in the name of God — in emergency situations, of course — he ventures to enter into struggle with all the obstacles that the ordinary law of natural life places before him, and performs miracles. — “Gifts of healing” (χαρίσματα ιαματων). This is a kind of miracle-working faith, and not just one kind but many, as the use of both nouns in the plural indicates. There were various diseases, and there were various healers, each possessing the gift of healing one disease but not possessing the gift of healing others.

1 Corinthians 12:10. 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. “The working of miracles” (ενεργήματα δυνάμεων). Here the Ap. has in view a broader gift, namely the ability to perform all kinds of miraculous actions for the benefit of the Church — raising the dead, casting out demons, inflicting miraculous punishments on unbelievers, saving those in mortal danger. — “To another prophecy” (προφητεία). This is none other than a speech in which an inspired Christian, for the edification of the Church, speaks of the mysteries of the past and future of the Church of Christ revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, while also clarifying much about the events of his own contemporary life. Through such speeches of the prophets, church life was enlivened and elevated. Many members of the Church found in these speeches relief from anxieties and consolation in sorrows (cf. 1 Cor 14:3). — “The ability to distinguish between spirits” (διακρισις πνευμάτων). By “spirits” here the Ap. has in view generally those people who are in a state of enthusiasm or inspiration, which could be the result of the action of the Holy Spirit upon the human spirit, but could sometimes arise from other causes (e.g., autosuggestion or under the influence of demonic power). Therefore the spirits — i.e., the inspired persons who appeared in worship assemblies — stood in need of special oversight; this oversight could of course be exercised by all Christians using the marks of true inspiration indicated by the Apostle in v. 3, but in difficult cases only those people who had received special grace from the Holy Spirit for this purpose could discern the spirits. “Various kinds of tongues” — more precisely: “genera of tongues” (γένη γλώσσων). This gift has continued to puzzle interpreters of Scripture, who make every effort to determine its essence. 1) Some understand the expression “genera of tongues” as indicating archaic, unusual expressions used in the speech of an inspired person; 2) others see in these genera various dialects of the same Greek language; 3) others — chiefly ancient church interpreters — explained this expression as denoting the gift of speaking in one or several foreign languages. This gift — said those interpreters — was especially useful in those times when preachers of the Gospel had to address peoples of various foreign nations. Thus this gift is identified with the one that all the believers gathered in the upper room received on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, when they began to speak “in various tongues” (Acts 2:4). But this view is difficult to accept. What need, first of all, would even preachers of the Gospel have had for such a gift? With two languages — Greek and Latin — they could boldly go to any province of the Roman Empire without fear of being misunderstood. Then, what benefit would this gift bring to the Corinthian Church, where, it appears, it manifested with particular force and very frequently at the worship assemblies of Christians? Would the Corinthians have understood if one of their fellow citizens suddenly began to speak in Chinese or Indian? Furthermore, with such a supposition it would be impossible to explain why the Ap. did not simply say “tongues” but used the expression “genera of tongues.” Even less convincing is the first opinion, because in the church community of Corinth, consisting mainly of uneducated people, familiarity with archaisms and provincialisms can scarcely be assumed. And could an inspired Christian, who himself had no clear account of what he was saying (1 Cor 14:14), deliberately select in his speech such obsolete expressions? The same can be said regarding the second opinion. Among more recent views on this gift, two deserve attention: the first (Godet) sees in “the genera of tongues” a speech created immediately by the Holy Spirit Himself. In this speech the speaker expressed his feelings that had seized his soul when the consciousness of his adoption by God became established in him, when he felt himself saved. This speech was something intermediate between singing and conversation, resembling what is called recitative... But this view also fails to explain how such speech could serve as a sign for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22), and furthermore, why an interpreter would be needed for its hearers (1 Cor 14:13). According to another view (the Rev. Fiveiskiy), the expression “genera of tongues” has a “hymnological” meaning. The word “genus” is a musical-hymnological technical term, just as the word “tongue” in the Old and New Testaments had hymnological meaning and usage. Thus the Ap. here points to the ability to sing praises to God in the most varied tones and forms... With this view, again, it is difficult to agree, for the same reason that it does not explain why the gift of tongues was a “sign for unbelievers” and why hymns, psalms, and other musical compositions, if that is what is meant here, received this strange name “tongues” (γλωσσων). From all that has been said, it is clear that none of the existing explanations of this gift is convincing. Equally impossible is it to say with any degree of probability what the gift of “interpretation of tongues” (ερμηνεία γλεσσων) was. What is beyond doubt is that the interpreter, through the action of the Holy Spirit, was able to penetrate the mysteries spoken by the one possessing the gift of tongues and to convey the content of his speech to the listeners. — As for the question of what categories the nine spiritual gifts mentioned in vv. 8–10 can be arranged into, this question too can hardly be resolved. All the attempts of interpreters made in this direction fail to provide a satisfactory explanation. It is observed only that similar gifts are placed together by the Apostle, namely: 1) the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge; 2) faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles; 3) prophecy, distinguishing of spirits; 4) various tongues, interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:11. But all these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who distributes to each one individually as he wills. The Ap. attaches special importance to the fact that, for all the diversity of gifts, there is unity among them as to their origin from the one Holy Spirit. — “Distributing” (διαιροῦν), i.e., distributing gifts with discrimination, in proportion to the capacities of each recipient. But often even a person who is naturally capable is not counted worthy of receiving a spiritual gift, because the Holy Spirit acts “as he wills,” i.e., in accordance with the fundamental properties of His being: wisdom, goodness, and justice.

1 Corinthians 12:12. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. The Ap. proceeds to a comparison between the human body and the Church. The body with its members serves here as an illustration for developing the idea of the spiritual relations in which the members of the Church, endowed with various gifts, should stand to one another. Specifically, all of them should remain in unity with one another, though they are many and though their gifts are various. — “So also is Christ.” Here the word “Christ” is placed in lieu of the word “Church” (Chrysostom). According to the Apostle (Eph 1:23), the Church is the body of Christ, and he expresses this thought here as well, substituting for that expression the more concise: “Christ.” — “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Here the Ap. undoubtedly refers to baptism, which, as can be concluded even from this passage, was a foundational Christian institution. It is significant that in baptism all believers received one and the same Holy Spirit — this is the basis for their unity, an incentive for them to actually conduct themselves as members of one body. — “Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.” Baptism equalizes even all social distinctions and ethnic differences in the Church. All the more should those baptized not be divided over some difference in spiritual gifts. — “And all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Here, in all probability, the sacrament of chrismation is intended. — “Were made to drink” — the word is placed in the aorist in the Greek text, signifying a one-time action, and moreover the word “all” is added, indicating that the reference is not to special gracious spiritual gifts but to such as are imparted to every believer, just as the grace of baptism is also imparted to every believer. The image of being “watered” or “drinking” of the Spirit appears also in the prophets (Isa 44:3; Joel 2:29) and in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 7:37). It is clear that the Ap. mentions this sacrament in order once again to urge believers to maintain unity with one another, as those who have received the necessary gifts of the Spirit — equal for all Christians. 1 Cor 12:14-31. Although the body has many members, they all belong, despite their diversity, to one body. As for their diversity, it is necessary and established by the Creator Himself. Moreover, even the needier members prove to be more indispensable, and the unseemly members are, so to speak, more honored by us with special care for them (by covering them with clothing). So also the Corinthian Church represents the body of Christ — it has various members with various ministries of differing importance, each having its own task and not encroaching on another’s sphere.

1 Corinthians 12:14. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. The Ap. takes up again the image of the body as a living organism. But now this image serves him no longer to clarify the unity of the various spiritual gifts, but to explain the necessity of their diversity.

1 Corinthians 12:15. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” does that make it any less a part of the body? 1 Corinthians 12:16. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” does that make it any less a part of the body? 1 Corinthians 12:17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? All that is said here by the members of the human body is only metaphor. In reality, these thoughts were voiced by Corinthian Christians. Some of them, annoyed at being deprived of the most brilliant gifts, did not want to do anything at all or serve the Church in any way. — “Because” — i.e., by reason of the fact that it occupies a subordinate position. — “Where would hearing be?” For the perfection of the body it is necessary that both sight and hearing and other functions operate within it. A body deprived of the diversity of members would be frightfully monotonous.

1 Corinthians 12:18. But God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1 Corinthians 12:19. If all were a single member, where would the body be? 1 Corinthians 12:20. As it is, there are many members, yet one body. Here the Ap. reminds Christians who have not received a certain gift they desired that in this case, just as in the arrangement of members of the body — some higher, others lower — the wise will of God has manifested itself. Moreover, the Ap. repeats in v. 19 the thought of v. 17, that the reduction of all spiritual gifts to just one would deprive church life of the desirable diversity that serves as a mark of its perfection. The Ap. speaks even more forcefully here: the very body would cease to exist in such a case — or, what amounts to the same thing, church life would fall into a condition of terrible one-sidedness, and the interaction of various gifts, in whose joint and parallel operation the life of the Church consists, would come to an end. Fortunately — the Ap. concludes in v. 20 — this did not happen: God established various ministries in the Church, through which the Church, like the body, has not lost its unity. — The conclusion the Corinthians were to draw from this is perfectly clear: however insignificant their gifts might be, they must not despise them and bury them in the ground, like the lazy servant in the parable who received one talent.

1 Corinthians 12:21. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you. 1 Corinthians 12:22. On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, From here the Ap. begins to address those Corinthians who have received higher gifts. He teaches them not to despise those below them in spiritual endowment. — “Indispensable.” This translation cannot be considered accurate, because it gives the impression that weak members are more necessary for the Church than strong ones. The expression “far” or, better, “far more” should be placed at the beginning of v. 22, and the entire verse translated as: “but, far more — or, more accurately speaking — the members of the body considered more feeble prove to be necessary.”

1 Corinthians 12:23. and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, 1 Corinthians 12:24. and our less presentable members receive greater care, while our more presentable members do not require it. But God has composed the body in this way, giving greater honor to the part that lacks it, Here the Ap. points to the instinct by which we try to cover and warm those organs of our body that seem unseemly to us. Take, for example, the stomach and the intestinal tract, which we keep warm while not particularly caring about keeping the eyes or forehead warm. This thought is contained in the Russian translation of these verses. But instead of the expression “we take care,” it would be more accurate to translate from the Greek: “we clothe with honor,” or simply, “we honor.” Similarly, the expression in v. 24 “do not need it (i.e., covering)” should better be replaced with “do not need special honor.” The word translated “giving” (δούς) should replace the word “inspiring,” and the word “less authoritative” should replace “less perfect.” Finally, “greater care” should be replaced with “greater honor.” Thus, vv. 23–24 should be rendered as: “And those which we consider dishonorable in the body — these we clothe with particular honor, and our unseemly members receive special honor, while the seemly ones do not need such honor from us. But God has skillfully joined the body together, giving to the one that lacks honor an abundant portion.” By the “unseemly” or “lacking” (honor) members of the body one may understand Christians who lack outward brilliance or prominence, who endure various privations but bear all this patiently for the sake of Christ. Such was the Apostle Paul himself (cf. 1 Cor 1:27-29; 2 Cor 11:5; Phil 4:12; Rom 3:23).

1 Corinthians 12:25. so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:26. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. In view of the factionalism that had appeared in the Corinthian Church with respect to the teachers of faith, the Ap. here considers it necessary to mention that God is generally averse to all divisions and discord. God arranged even the human body in this way, and not otherwise, so that there would be no divisions among the members, and so that, on the contrary, every member would care for the well-being of the other members. Their health and sufferings, on the other hand, should also affect the other members. So also the members of the Church should, avoiding divisions, live in unity, and take whatever happens to their brothers as something having the most direct and immediate bearing on their own interests.

1 Corinthians 12:27. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Here the Ap. indicates the basis for why what he said above about the human body can be applied to the readers of the letter. They are the body of Christ (σώμα Χριστού — the Ap. does not place the article before σώμα, but it must be understood in accordance with the meaning of the context and the images used by the Apostle in other places, e.g., Eph. 1:21; 2 Cor. 6:18). As the body of Christ, all believers must represent something unified and perfect. — “And individually members of it,” i.e., you, the Corinthians, are members of the local church, which is a part of the universal Church.

1 Corinthians 12:28. And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who do miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. In enumerating the various gifts and offices existing in the universal Church, the Apostle aims to show by this that all these gifts and offices hold a high significance, since they came into existence by the will of God. Some of them, however, hold a higher significance, others a lower one. — “First.” Without doubt, by this addition the Ap. wished to say that the apostolate is the first in importance among the ministries in the Church. After it follow two other important ministries, the second and the third: prophecy and teaching. The remaining ministries and gifts he no longer marks with a number, showing by this that they do not stand on the same level with the first three. — “Apostles.” By the name “apostle” here one should understand such a Christian as took part in the founding of one or another local church. Such were, for example, James, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and other evangelists (cf. Acts 14:4; Rom 16:7). That the Ap. here has in view the apostolate as a permanent institution existing after the death of the twelve Apostles of Christ is evident from the fact that the Ap. was speaking here not of Christ, who chose Himself twelve and seventy disciples, but of God, who appointed the Apostles. From the ancient church document known as “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” it is evident that the apostolate continued to exist in the second century, when this work appeared. “Prophets.” These are persons who received revelations that God deemed necessary for the Christian Church. The speeches of these persons, usually delivered in worship assemblies at which the prophets received their revelations, served to clarify the position in which Christians found themselves and to inspire Christians with courage in the face of impending persecutions. The ministry of the earliest of these prophets had significance not for one particular church alone but for all of Christianity (Acts 13:1). In some passages of the Apostle Paul’s letters they are nearly identified with the Apostles (Eph 2:20), with whom together they founded churches. This gift, like the apostolate, is mentioned in “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” and thus continued to exist into the second century. “Teachers.” These were people who had the gift of expounding the teaching of the faith in calm and coherent speech and giving practical counsel to Christians. This ministry was more tied to a particular place than the ministry of the prophets, as is evident from the fact that in the letter to the Ephesians it is placed in close connection with the ministry of pastor (Eph 4:11), which of course related only to individual churches (Acts 20:28).

Philippians 1:1. “Working of miracles — gifts of healing” — see v. 10. — “Helping.” These are various forms of help to those in need, the sick, and strangers — in other words, the ministry of deacons and deaconesses. — “Administrating” — i.e., the duties of those persons who were entrusted with supervising the outward order in the Church, and chiefly with care for places of worship. This duty initially lay, in all probability, on bishops and presbyters, which two ministries were not yet distinguished from each other (Phil. 1:1 — commentary of John Chrysostom, Theodoret). — “Various kinds of tongues.” The Ap. places this gift at the very end in order to show the Corinthians, who were so taken with this gift, that it does not hold a particularly important significance in church life. The conclusion to be drawn from this enumeration of gifts and ministries is clear: no gift or ministry should be despised simply because it lacks particular brilliance. 1 Corinthians 12:29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 1 Corinthians 12:30. Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? God did not give one and the same Christian all the gifts necessary for the development of church life, for in such a case every Christian by himself would constitute the church body and would be wholly independent of other Christians. Through this the very body of the Church would be destroyed. No, God arranged things so that Christians are dependent on one another. Thus those who are not apostles have need of brothers who have received the gift of the apostolic ministry. Therefore — such is the conclusion to be drawn from this second enumeration of gifts and ministries — no one should think that he can live by himself alone, or that he combines in his person all that is needed for the life of the Church.

1 Corinthians 12:31. But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. “Earnestly desire.” More accurately: “but earnestly desire” (ζηλοῦτε δέ). The Ap. wishes to say that he does not forbid the Corinthians from striving to obtain the greater (or, according to another reading, the better) gifts. But if they are to be zealous, let them be zealous for the highest — i.e., for the gifts of prophecy and teaching. — “And I will show...” — The Ap. transitions from the discussion of gifts to the discussion of Christian love. The entire verse can be rendered as: “strive for the better, the most useful-for-the-Church gifts, and I now want to show you a way of life far better and more worthy than the use of all gifts, even the best ones — a way by which one can profitably employ all the various gifts one possesses.” This “way” the Ap. shows in ch. 13. * * * Notes Some interpreters try to assign special meanings to the expressions εν πνευμ, δια πνευμ, κατα πνευμ, (in the Spirit, by the Spirit, according to the Spirit), but all their explanations are extremely artificial; it is difficult to doubt that all these prepositions in the Apostle Paul here make no distinction among themselves. Some remarks on this gift — see the note at the end of ch. 14.