1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Applebury's Comments

Maintaining the Unity of the Church (12-31)

Text

1 Corinthians 12:12-31. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the-hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now they are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: 23 and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; 24 whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; 25 that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31 But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.

Commentary

so also is Christ.Division threatened the life of the church at Corinth. It was divided over men and doctrine; it was divided over custom and conduct; it was divided over the abuse of the spiritual gifts. The latter produced the most serious schism. This section of the epistle was written to prevent splits over the possession of these gifts. They were not given as a token of personal honor of the one who received them, but for the building up of the body of Christ through promoting the preaching of the gospel. Paul used the figure of the human body to illustrate the lesson they needed so much. Just as the body is one and has many members, so Christ has one body of believers made up of many members with different tasks. There was no more reason for schism in the church than there was for such an unthinkable thing as strife and division among the members of the human body.

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.The oneness of the church was produced by allwhether Jew or Greek, whether bond or freebeing baptized in one spirit into one body. On the Day of Pentecost, the three thousand who were either Jews or proselytes were baptized in water in the name of Christ for the remission of their sins. On the occasion of Peter's speaking to the household of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit fell on all that heard his word. Because God had poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit on that group of Gentiles, Peter asked, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:44-48). Thus both Jews and Gentiles were brought into the body of Christ by the act of baptism in water. See Acts 18:8 and 1 Corinthians 1:14-17 for additional information about the baptism of the Corinthians. Paul wrote to the Galatians and said, Ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). There is no doubt that the expression baptized into Christ refers to their baptism in water in the name of Christ for the remission of their sins.

What, then, is the meaning of the expression, in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body? To answer this question, we must consider this important fact: The Book of Acts, which gives the history of the founding and progress of the church in the first century, records only two cases of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The first was that of the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, and the second was that of the Gentile household of Cornelius (Acts 2:1-4; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 11:1-18).

The following facts of Scripture on the subject of the baptism in the Holy Spirit will help to answer our question:

1. Christ is the administrator of baptism in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). Baptism in the Holy Spirit and in fire are two different baptisms. Since the burning up of the chaff can only refer to the destruction of the wicked in hell, the gathering of the wheat into the garner must refer to the baptism in the Holy Spirit that enabled the apostles to reveal the terms of salvation. See Jesus-' promise, its fulfillment, and its effect as given in Acts 1:5; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:37-39.

2. The Holy Spirit is the element in which this baptism took place (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5). Just as water was the element in which John baptized, so the Holy Spirit was the element in which Christ baptized the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. But this expression must be figurative since the Holy Spirit is a person. The literal meaning of it is to be found in Jesus-' own words when He spoke of the power which the apostles were to receive when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). They were immersed in that power.

3. According to Acts, the apostles and the household of Cornelius were the only ones baptized in the Holy Spirit. Christ promised this baptism to the apostles (Acts 1:5). Only the twelvenot the hundred and twentywere present when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:26; Acts 2:1-4). Only the apostles spoke in tongues on that day and performed miracles (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:14; Acts 2:43). Only the apostles who had been baptized in the Holy Spirit laid hands on others to give them miraculous powers (Acts 8:18; 2 Timothy 1:6). Peter clearly states that the Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit while he was speaking to them (Acts 10:44-47; Acts 11:15-16).

4. The purpose of the baptism of the apostles in the Holy Spirit was to enable them to recall what Jesus had said (John 14:26); to guide them into all the truth (John 16:13-14); to speak in other languages (Acts 2:4; Acts 2:11); to perform signs to confirm their spoken message (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 2:3-4).

The purpose of the baptism of the Gentiles in the Holy Spirit was to prove to those who accompanied Peter and to the apostles at Jerusalem that God had granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles (Acts 10:47-48; Acts 11:1-18).

Since in one Spirit refers to all who were baptized into the one body of Christ, it cannot mean baptism in the Holy Spirit. Both the King James and the R. S. V. translate by one Spirit. But the fact remains that the Greek says in. While there are situations in which this Greek preposition must be rendered by or with in English, it seems most doubtful that this is one of them. Those English versions that have by seem to suggest that this has something to do with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But the context has to do with the spirit of oneness of the believers in Christ who were baptized in water into His body. It makes good sense if we translate in one spiritsmall sall were baptized into one body. That spirit was not the spirit of a Jew or the spirit of a Gentile, it was not the spirit of a slave or a free man, but it was the spirit or attitude of faith in Christ which characterized all who were baptized into the one body. Since it was in this attitude of oneness that they were baptized, the apostle urges them to maintain this unity and overcome the jealousy and faction that had arisen over the abuse of the spiritual gifts. This one spirit forbids the unchristian conduct of the ear that would say, I am not a part of the body because I am not the eye.

drink of one Spirit.All that has been said to indicate that the word spirit in this context is to be spelled with the small s applies here. All who were members of the body of Christ were made to share in this oneness in Christthe great spiritual blessing that removed all distinctions such as Jew or Gentile and made one new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:15).

For the body.There are three steps in the apostle's argument for the necessity of preserving the unity of the body of Christ: (a) the body is not one member, but many (1 Corinthians 12:14); (b) they are many members, but one body (1 Corinthians 12:20); (c) ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof (1 Corinthians 12:28). No one member, regardless of the gift he possessed, could say that he was the body. There were many members with many gifts and functions, but there was just one body. The church is the body of Christ, and each member is a part of that body, not the whole body.

God set the members, each one of them, in the body.Just as God had a purpose for each member of the human body, so He had a purpose for each of the gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit to the various members of the church.

God tempered the body together.Just as honor to one member honors all the body, so the gifts given to any one honors the whole church.

God hath set some in the church.If one member said, I am not a part of the body that did not make it so. The member can-'t exist apart from the body. Why then should some assume a spirit of arrogance instead of the spirit of faith and trust in Christ because they had gifts that differed? What if the whole body were an eye? What if all spoke in tongues? What would become of other functions such as helping the sick and needy? No member of the human body could say, to another, I have no need of you. Yet some of the people of Corinth seemed to think that they could get along without the others. Speaking in tongues was their only concern, but Paul reminded them that God had placed all the gifts in the church for a purpose.

apostle, prophets, teachers.The history of the church in Acts shows that these were the ones to carry most of the work in the beginning. As the work grew and spread throughout the world, others were given the necessary gifts to assist in the work of the church. The impersonal reference to gifts seems to indicate that the gift, rather than the person who received it, was the important thing. This left no cause for division over gifts.

helps, governments.Helps were the various kinds of helpful deed which were done by deacons. The term governments comes from the word that among other things referred to the piloting of a ship. In some way, it had to do with those who gave leadership and direction to the work of the church. It may suggest the work of elders and deacons.

Are all apostles?Each in this series of questions requires a negative answer. If all were apostles, where would the church be? If all spoke in tongues, what would become of edification?

But desire the greater gifts.Each gift served a purpose, but some brought greater benefit to the church than others. The latter were the ones to be sought although the others were not to be neglected. Prophecy, for example, was of greater benefit to the church than speaking in a foreign language unless the message was translated for the edification of all.

a most excellent way.Paul is now prepared to present a superior way to a strife-torn congregation. They had been following the way of jealousy and division over spiritual gifts. The way he is about to show them is the way of love.

Summary

Up to this point, Paul has dealt with the problems of divisions and derelictions as reported by those from Chloe; he has answered the questions raised in the letter of the Corinthians about marriage, meats, and worship. The two remaining problems of major importance that require his attention are spiritual gifts and the resurrection of the dead. The familiar now concerning seems to connect this section with the portion of the epistle that began in 1 Corinthians 7:1.

As he begins the chapter, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the days when they were being led away to the speechless idols that were supposed to give them divine guidance and instruction. They now face the privilege of being led by the inspired message from the Holy Spirit. Their problem was how to know when one was speaking under the direction of the Holy Spirit. The criterion by which they were to determine the source of a message was what the speaker said about the Lord Jesus. There were two tests to be applied: No one under the control of the Holy Spirit could say, Let Jesus be accursed. No one could say, Jesus is Lord except under the control of the Holy Spirit. These words, of course, could be uttered by anyone, but God did not permit an unclean spirit to speak through a man and say these things. The case of Balaam illustrates this point.
This chapter presents a comprehensive view of the miraculous activities in the church at Corinth. There were the gifts distributed through the Spirit; there were the services distributed through the Lord; and there were the workings distributed by God. Nine gifts are mentioned. For convenience, they may be presented in three groups: (1) Those that have to do with the revelation of the will of God: wisdom and knowledge; (2) those that were given to confirm the Word: faith, healings, miracles; (3) those that were used in the proclamation of the Word: prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and discerning of spirits. All these gifts were distributed by the one Spirit as He determined and for the benefit of the whole church. But these gifts that were given in order that the gospel might be revealed, established, and proclaimed became an occasion for dividing the Corinthian church.
Paul uses the human body with its many members to show that the spiritual body of Christ with its many members should preserve the unity of Christ's followers. All of them in one spirit were baptized into the one body of Christ. In the church, there cannot be a spirit of the Jew and a spirit of the Gentile. There can only be the spirit of faith in the Lord Jesus which characterizes every one who is baptized into the one body. This spirit should be the controlling factor in the life of the church to make division impossible. Just as the hand and the foot have different functions, so the various members of the church had different gifts and different functions, but they still belonged to the same body. The fact that one had the gift of tongues and another the gift of healings was no ground for assuming a spirit of arrogance that led to the division of the church. Apparently, however, this was the thing that was done, and it was for this reason that Paul wrote these Chapter s to correct the strife and faction in the church at Corinth.
By a series of questions that called for negative answers, he showed how impossible it was for all to be apostles, or prophets, or teachers. He did not say that these gifts were not to be desired for they had been given for the benefit of the church, but he did indicate that there was a superior way for them to follow which he was about to show them, the way of love.