1 Corinthians 12:27-31

Butler's Comments

SECTION 3

Singleness in Diversity (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30 The Reality: Paul says, Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Whether men like it or not, understand it or not, God has appointed (Gr. etheto, placed, set, deposited, constituted, ordained) in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, etc.

The way in which God created the human body and how it is to function is a fact that has to be accepted. The same holds true in the spiritual body of Christ, the church. The appointments and gifts God gives to the various members of the church are to be accepted. God ordained the varieties of functions in the church to produce singleness (unity) of purpose and practice. There is one body. But there is still individuality. And the oneness of the body is sustained only when there is surrender of the members to Christ's revealed will concerning variety and individuality. We dare not try to fit all members of the body into one mold of functioning. Sameness is not necessaryin fact, it is unhealthy. Sameness in miraculous gifts would never have produced a strong, growing body of Christ in the first century. Sameness in non-miraculous functioning will not produce spiritual increase and development. It is not sameness of function which produces unity in the body. Unity comes by obedience to the Head!

1 Corinthians 12:31 The Route: Singleness in diversity is attainable! There is a way for a multi-talented church in any cultural, social, economic, educational and political circumstance to be one body of Christ. That way is agape-love!

Paul has not yet discussed the idea that some supernatural gifts were greater than others. He went to great lengths (1 Corinthians 12:1-31) to demonstrate that each member (gifted or not) is as important to the body as any other. But, in chapter 14, he categorizes the usefulness of miraculous gifts, declaring that the gifts which edified and gave a steadying influence on the whole congregation (such as prophecy) were the greater gifts. The Corinthians apparently had a mania for the more spectacular, exhibitionist gifts such as speaking in tongues. In chapter 14, Paul reprimands that attitude. He may be rebuking it here in 1 Corinthians 12:31.

... in 1 Corinthians 12:31 perhaps we should read a mild rebuke. It could just as accurately be translated, But you are zealously seeking the greater gifts. In the second person plural of the present tense, indicative and imperative forms (in Greek) look alike. The context and line of thought must indicate which it is. In view of the overall teaching of 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, rebuking pride in some gifts, and expressing the same divine source for all different gifts, and teaching to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7 RSV), is it not more likely that Paul is disapproving of their desire for the greater gifts?

It seems clear that in these Chapter s he is teaching against both selfish pride in some gifts as greater and failure to use the gifts for others.

Learning From Jesus, by Seth Wilson, pub. College Press Publishing Company, pp. 471-472.

Paul's main concern was that the whole church be edified (see 1 Corinthians 14:18-19; 1 Corinthians 14:26). All supernatural gifts were to be practiced solely to that end. And some gifts were more apt to produce edification of the body than others.

Prompted by the Spirit of Christ the apostle declares there is yet a more excellent way I will show you to produce unity in the body. That, of course, is the way of agape-love. Paul elucidates on the superiority of love over supernatural gifts in chapter 13. Agape-love is a virtue every Christian must have. To have a supernatural gift and not have agape-love makes the supernatural gift less than useless. Supernatural gifts were temporary. They were endowed by God for a specific time and place in the infancy of the Church. They were destined to become obsolete and vanish. Not so with agape-love. The completed New Testament scriptures and Christians practicing agape-love is all the church now, in its manhood, needs. Love is far superior to miraculous gifts. Love is able to overcome, to produce, and to sustain where miraculous gifts alone never could. Love alone will produce oneness in the body of Christ whether there is ever a miraculous gift or not. Supernatural gifts alone will not produce oneness. Indeed, gifts alone will produce pride, jealousy and division.

The doctrine Paul introduces here (and amplifies in chapter 13) applies at all times, in every circumstance, for the body of Christ. It matters not in a congregation how erudite the preacher, how rich and influential the members, oneness is the consequence of agape-love, The body of Christ must have oneness! It is not his body if it doesn-'t!