1 Corinthians 12:12-31

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Continuing from the previous passage Paul gives this analogy of a human body for the Corinthians to show them how the body of Christ is one and not divided amongst themselves. It doesn’t matter whether they were Jewish or if they are Gentile, God is not partial to anyone but accepts them all into his kingdom. All of them were baptised into the same Holy Spirit although each of them may have different gifts. Paul doesn’t want them to be confused with idolizing different gods for each of the different gifts they received, but that all the gifts came from the same one God.

 ¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 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? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Paul describes the different parts of the human body in likeness to how the church ought to view each other. Although they are all different, they all need each other to become a functioning church. They are all dependant upon each other and carry each others burdens and joys as he mentions in v26 if one suffers all suffer with it, and if one is honored everyone rejoices with it. Everyone has a place and are all important in God’s church. 

 ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Paul goes through a list of different types of people in the church and gives them a hierarchy depending on the type of work they would be doing. First are the apostles, second prophets, teachers, miracles, healing, helping, guidance, and tongues. All of them have a place and are all important to the working of the church. In verses 29-30 Paul poses these questions asking if everyone in the church were apostles, prophets, teachers etc. In the case that they all have acquired the same gifts they should all then desire the greater gifts.

Filed under: 1 Corinthians, Apostle Paul, Bible study, Christianity, God, Jesus, New Testament, Scripture