The Word Made Fresh
1Now, about spiritual gifts, friends, I don’t want you to be uninformed. 2You know that before you were believers you were lured astray to worship idols that couldn’t speak. 3That’s why I want you to note that no one who speaks by God’s Spirit ever says that Jesus should be cursed. And no one can say that Jesus is Lord unless led by the Holy Spirit.
4There are different kinds of gifts, but all are given by the same Spirit. 5And there are a variety of services, but the same Lord. 6And there are different kinds of actions, but the same God who summons all of them in all of you. 7The Spirit comes to each of you to serve the common good. 8One of you may receive wisdom from the Spirit; another the gift of sharing knowledge by the same Spirit; 9to still another, faith is given by the same Spirit; another may receive gifts of healing from the Spirit; 10to another the gift of working miracles; to another prophecy; to another the ability to test one’s frame of mind; to another the ability to speak different languages; to yet another the ability to interpret languages. 11All these gifts are granted by the Spirit; and each one receives what the Spirit chooses to give.
12The body is one but has many members, and in the same way all the members are one body together. That’s how it is through Christ. 13By the one Spirit all of us were baptized into the same body whether we are Jew or Gentile, servant or free, and each of us partakes of the one Spirit.
14Of course, the body has many members, not just one. 15If the foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I don’t belong to the body,” that declaration doesn’t make it any less a part of the body. 16If the ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I don’t belong to the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body. 17And if the entire body were nothing but an eye, how could it hear? Or if it were nothing but an ear, how could it smell? 18Of course, God has arranged the parts of the body exactly as needed. 19If they were all the same, where would the body be? 20But as it is, there are many members in each individual body. 21The eye can’t tell the hand, “I don’t need you. The head can’t tell the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22Instead, those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker ones are indispensable, 23and those parts of the body that we think of as less honorable we honor by covering them with clothing, and those “lesser” parts are treated with greater respect. 24The body parts we consider to be more respectable don’t need this, but God has so arranged the body that the “inferior” part is given greater honor. 25So, there shouldn’t be any argument within the body, but all the members should have the same care for one another. 26If one part of the body suffers, the rest of the body suffers with it. If one part is honored, the whole body rejoices.
27You are the body of Christ! Each individual is a member of Christ’s body. 28And in the church, God has chosen apostles, then prophets, then teachers, those who can work miracles, those who have the gift of healing, differing gifts of leadership and a variety of languages. 29Are they all apostles? Are they all prophets? Are they all teachers, or miracle workers? 30Do they all have the gift of healing? Or speak in different languages? Or interpret different languages?
31Of course not! But try to master the greater gifts; and I will show you an even more excellent way.
Commentary
1-3: Paul introduces the subject of spiritual gifts as if they have asked for instruction on the subject. All through the Bible the worship of idols is denigrated, and the primary reason given as proof that idols have no power is the simple fact that idols cannot speak. It is also a constant witness of the scriptures that God does speak, although God’s voice is usually heard through the messengers that God sends. The Corinthian Christians have no doubt been taught this, and so it would come as no surprise that they would be curious as to what God might say. Paul makes it clear that God would never have anyone say, “Jesus is cursed.” It is possible that this was the epithet Paul had in mind when he himself persecuted Christians and forced them under threat of torture to blaspheme (see Acts 26:11), obviously meaning to blaspheme the name of Jesus since no Jew would ever try to get someone to blaspheme God. On the other hand, the Corinthians were living in a world in which Caesar was Lord, and Paul believed that the courage it would take to say “Jesus is Lord” was evidence that the Holy Spirit had to be behind such a statement.
4-13: In the Corinthian world people believed in many gods. Paul insists that, although the Spirit of the one true God is manifested in a variety of gifts, it is still the work of but one Spirit, one God. He lists here nine spiritual gifts, but the list is not intended to be exhaustive, merely representative. There are other lists of spiritual gifts (see Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:11), and the idea of spiritual gifts is by no means unique to Paul. In fact, the so-called “Seven Gifts of the Spirit” in much Christian, particularly Roman Catholic, literature are derived from Isaiah 11:2-3. Paul’s point is that the Spirit builds up the church by granting different gifts to each of us rather than all spiritual gifts to each of us. He demonstrates by using the human body as an example of how each part has a different function and yet they operate together as a whole. This idea gives rise to the metaphor of the church as the “body of Christ” (see verse 27).
14-26: Each member of the church has his or her own special place and function, just as parts of the body. Paul inserts a comedic element, picturing parts of the body arguing about which is more important. His point is that in the church each member is carrying out a function of the Holy Spirit by virtue of whatever gift the Spirit has given each one. No one in the church is more important than others, regardless of how important we might deem some gifts to be.
27-31: Each one has a function to perform, and each is important. Nevertheless, Paul tells them to “strive for the greater gifts,” leaving us no clue which gifts he is referring to. He ends this section, though, with a tantalizing hint of “a more excellent way.” I, for one, believe that by “the greater gifts” he is referring to the three he will mention in the next section: faith, hope, and love.
Takeaway
We must pause here to examine ourselves; what part do you play in the church, the “body of Christ?” What are you doing to further the church’s health and impact on the surrounding community? If you honestly can’t think of anything, then find something! And if you can’t find anything, ask your pastor, or Sunday School teacher, or good Christian friend within the congregation. Ask, “What can I do? How can get I involved?” They may not be able to answer your question immediately, but they can help you in your search.