1Cor 12:1-12 | Clarke | STEP | The apostle proceeds to the question of the Corinthians concerning spiritual gifts, . He calls to their remembrance their former state, and how they were brought out of it, , . Shows that there are diversities of gifts which proceed from the Spirit, . Diversities of administrations which proceed from the Lord Jesus, . And diversities of operations which proceed from God, . What these gifts are, and how they are dispensed, . Christ is the Head, and the Church his members; and this is pointed out under the similitude of the human body, , . The relation which the members of the body have to each other; and how necessary their mutual support, . The members in the Church, or spiritual body, and their respective offices, . We should earnestly covet the best gifts, . Verse 1 Now concerning spiritual gifts - This was a subject about which they appear to have written to the apostle, and concerning which there were probably some contentions among them. The words περι των πνευματικων may as well be translated concerning spiritual persons, as spiritual gifts; and indeed the former agrees much better with the context. I would not have you ignorant - I wish you fully to know whence all such gifts come, and for what end they are given, that each person may serve the Church in the capacity in which God has placed him, that there may be no misunderstandings and no schism in the body.

1 Corinthians 12:1-12

Introduction

The apostle proceeds to the question of the Corinthians concerning spiritual gifts, 1Cor 12:1. He calls to their remembrance their former state, and how they were brought out of it, 1Cor 12:2, 1Cor 12:3. Shows that there are diversities of gifts which proceed from the Spirit, 1Cor 12:4. Diversities of administrations which proceed from the Lord Jesus, 1Cor 12:5. And diversities of operations which proceed from God, 1Cor 12:6. What these gifts are, and how they are dispensed, 1Cor 12:7-11. Christ is the Head, and the Church his members; and this is pointed out under the similitude of the human body, 1Cor 12:12, 1Cor 12:13. The relation which the members of the body have to each other; and how necessary their mutual support, 1Cor 12:14-26. The members in the Church, or spiritual body, and their respective offices, 1Cor 12:27-30. We should earnestly covet the best gifts, 1Cor 12:31.

Verse 1

Now concerning spiritual gifts - This was a subject about which they appear to have written to the apostle, and concerning which there were probably some contentions among them. The words περι των πνευματικων may as well be translated concerning spiritual persons, as spiritual gifts; and indeed the former agrees much better with the context.

I would not have you ignorant - I wish you fully to know whence all such gifts come, and for what end they are given, that each person may serve the Church in the capacity in which God has placed him, that there may be no misunderstandings and no schism in the body. Verse 2

Ye were Gentiles - Previously to your conversion to the Christian faith; ye were heathens, carried away, not guided by reason or truth, but hurried by your passions into a senseless worship, the chief part of which was calculated only to excite and gratify animal propensities.

Dumb idols - Though often supplicated, could never return an answer; so that not only the image could not speak, but the god or demon pretended to be represented by it could not speak: a full proof that an idol was nothing in the world. Verse 3

No man speaking by the Spirit of God - It was granted on all hands that there could be no religion without Divine inspiration, because God alone, could make his will known to men: hence heathenism pretended to this inspiration; Judaism had it in the law and the prophets; and it was the very essence of the Christian religion. The heathen priests and priestesses pretended to receive, by inspiration from their god, the answers which they gave to their votaries. And as far as the people believed their pretensions, so far they were led by their teaching.

Both Judaism and heathenism were full of expectations of a future teacher and deliverer; and to this person, especially among the Jews, the Spirit in all the prophets gave witness. This was the Anointed One, the Messiah who was manifested in the person of Jesus of Nazareth; and him the Jews rejected, though he proved his Divine mission both by his doctrines and his miracles. But as he did not come as they fancied he would - as a mighty secular conqueror, they not only rejected but blasphemed him; and persons among them professing to be spiritual men, and under the influence of the Spirit of God, did so. But as the Holy Spirit, through all the law and the prophets gave Testimony to the Messiah, and as Jesus proved himself to be the Christ both by his miracles and doctrines, no man under the inspiration of the Divine Spirit could say to him anathema - thou art a deceiver, and a person worthy of death, etc., as the Jews did: therefore the Jews were no longer under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. This appears to be the meaning of the apostle in this place. No man speaking by the Spirit, etc.

And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord - Nor can we demonstrate this person to be the Messiah and the Savior of men, but by the Holy Ghost, enabling us to speak with divers tongues, to work miracles; he attesting the truth of our doctrines to them that hear, by enlightening their minds, changing their hearts, and filling them with the peace and love of God. Verse 4

There are diversities of gifts - Χαρισματων· Gracious endowments, leading to miraculous results; such as the gift of prophecy, speaking different tongues, etc. And these all came by the extraordinary influences of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5

Differences of administrations - Διακονιων· Various offices in the Church, such as apostle, prophet, and teacher; under which were probably included bishop or presbyter, pastor, deacon, etc.; the qualifications for such offices, as well as the appointments themselves, coming immediately from the one Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 6

Diversities of operations - Ενεργηματων· Miraculous influences exerted on others; such as the expulsion of demons, inflicting extraordinary punishments, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas the sorcerer, etc., the healing of different diseases, raising the dead, etc.: all these proceeded from God the Father, as the fountain of all goodness and power, and the immediate dispenser of every good and perfect gift.

In the three preceding verses we find more than an indirect reference to the doctrine of the sacred Trinity.

Gifts are attributed to the Holy Spirit, 1Cor 12:4.

Administrations to the Lord Jesus, 1Cor 12:5.

Operations to God the Father, 1Cor 12:6.

He who may think this fanciful must account for the very evident distinctions here in some more satisfactory way. Verse 7

The manifestation of the Spirit - Φανερωσις του Πνευματος. This is variably understood by the fathers; some of them rendering φανερωσις by illumination, others demonstration, and others operation. The apostle's meaning seems to be this: Whatever gifts God has bestowed, or in what various ways soever the Spirit of God may have manifested himself, it is all for the common benefit of the Church. God has given no gift to any man for his own private advantage, or exclusive profit. He has it for the benefit of others as well as for his own salvation. Verse 8

Word of wisdom - In all these places I consider that the proper translation of λογος is doctrine, as in many other places of the New Testament. It is very difficult to say what is intended here by the different kinds of gifts mentioned by the apostle: they were probably all supernatural, and were necessary at that time only for the benefit of the Church. On the 8th, 9th, and 10th verses (1Cor 12:8-10), much may be seen in Lightfoot, Whitby, Pearce, and others.

1. By doctrine of wisdom we may understand, as Bp. Pearce and Dr. Whitby observe, the mystery of our redemption, in which the wisdom of God was most eminently conspicuous: see 1Cor 2:7, 1Cor 2:10; and which is called the manifold wisdom of God, Eph 3:10. Christ, the great teacher of it, is called the wisdom of God, 1Cor 1:24; and in him are said to be contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col 2:3. The apostles to whom this doctrine was committed are called σοφοι, wise men; (Mat 23:34); and they are said to teach this Gospel according to the wisdom given them, 2Pet 3:15.

2. By the doctrine of knowledge we may understand either a knowledge of the types, etc., in the Old Testament; or what are termed mysteries; the calling of the Gentiles, the recalling of the Jews, the mystery of iniquity, of the beast, etc., and especially the mystical sense or meaning of the Old Testament, with all its types, rites, ceremonies, etc., etc.

3. By faith, 1Cor 12:9, we are to understand that miraculous faith by which they could remove mountains, 1Cor 13:2; or a peculiar impulse, as Dr: Whitby calls it, that came upon the apostles when any difficult matter was to be performed, which inwardly assured them that God's power would assist them in the performance of it. Others think that justifying faith, received by means of Gospel teaching, is what is intended.

4. Gifts of healing simply refers to the power which at particular times the apostles received from the Holy Spirit to cure diseases; a power which was not always resident in them; for Paul could not cure Timothy, nor remove his own thorn in the flesh; because it was given only on extraordinary occasions, though perhaps more generally than many others.

5. The working of miracles, ενεργηματα δυναμεων, 1Cor 12:10. This seems to refer to the same class as the operations, ενεργηματων, 1Cor 12:6, as the words are the same; and to signify those powers by which they were enabled at particular times to work miraculously on others; ejecting demons, inflicting punishments or judgments, as in the cases mentioned under 1Cor 12:6. It is a hendyadis for mighty operations.

6. Prophecy. This seems to import two things: 1st, the predicting future events, such as then particularly concerned the state of the Church and the apostles; as the dearth foretold by Agabus, Act 11:28; and the binding of St. Paul, and delivering him to the Romans, Act 21:10, etc.; and St. Paul's foretelling his own shipwreck on Malta, Act 27:25, etc. And 2ndly, as implying the faculty of teaching or expounding the Scriptures, which is also a common acceptation of the word.

7. Discerning of spirits. A gift by which the person so privileged could discern a false miracle from a true one; or a pretender to inspiration from him who was made really partaker of the Holy Ghost. It probably extended also to the discernment of false professors from true ones, as appears in Peter in the case of Ananias and his wife.

8. Divers kinds of tongues. Γενη γλωσσων, Different languages, which they had never learned, and which God gave them for the immediate instruction of people of different countries who attended their ministry.

9. Interpretation of tongues. It was necessary that while one was speaking the deep things of God in a company where several were present who did not understand, though the majority did, there should be a person who could immediately interpret what was said to that part of the congregation that did not understand the language. This power to interpret was also an immediate gift of God's Spirit, and is classed here among the miracles. Verse 11

But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit - All these gifts are miraculously bestowed; they cannot be acquitted by human art or industry, the different languages excepted; but they were given in such a way, and in such circumstances, as sufficiently proved that they also were miraculous gifts. Verse 12

For as the body is one - Though the human body have many members, and though it be composed of a great variety of parts, yet it is but one entire system; every part and member being necessary to the integrity or completeness of the whole.

So also is Christ - That is, So is the Church the body of Christ, being composed of the different officers already mentioned, and especially those enumerated, 1Cor 12:28, apostles, prophets, teachers, etc. It cannot be supposed that Christ is composed of many members, etc., and therefore the term Church must be understood, unless we suppose, which is not improbable, that the term Ὁ Χριστος, Christ, is used to express the Church, or whole body of Christian believers.