1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12:1-13

The apostle comes to treat on spiritual gifts; and introduces what he had farther to say concerning them, by observing, that, various as they are, they all proceed from the same sacred Agent, an are intended for the edification of the same body, in which all Christians are united. 1 Cor. XII. 1—13.

1 CORINTHIANS XII. 1.

IT is now time I should proceed to speak something concerning those spiritual [gifts,] with which God hath been pleased so abundantly to bless you, my Corinthian brethren; and as to the right use and improvement of which, I would not by any means have you ignorant. Upon this head you in the general know, that during your natural state, before the cheering rays of the gospel broke in upon you, ye were heathens, without any knowledge of the true God, and carried by a blind implicit credulity after dumb idols; which were so far from being able to bestow on their votaries any supernatural endowments, by which they might be enabled to speak extraordinary truths, or in languages before unknown, that they were themselves destitute of the common powers of speech, or any capacity of perception and action. Yet you were blindly enslaved to the worship of such stupid forms, degrading as it evidently is to the rational nature of man; [just] as you were led by the artifice of your priests, who found their account in your delusions. And I hope therefore, you will always remember, that the unmerited goodness of God in bestowing such gifts on persons who could pretend so little claim to them, lays you under a lasting obligation to use them in the most dutiful and grateful manner.

And thereforeᵃ I hope you will not allow yourselves to despise any of your brethren, on

ᵃ Therefore.] The force of this particle calling you from idolatry to such extraordinary privileges and endowments, I am you the following hints concerning spiritual solicitous you may be preserved from abusing them, and engaged to improve them in the wisest and most faithful manner.

, that none by the Spirit calls Jesus accursed.

account of their deficiency in them; since there is an important sense in which they may all be said to have been enriched by Divine and supernatural influences. For I give you to know, and desire you to admit and retain it, as a principle equally certain and weighty; that, as no one, speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed; and consequently all pretences made to the Divine Spirit by the Jews are notoriously false and detestable; so, on the other hand, no one can sincerely say, [that] Jesus [is the] Lord: none can embrace his religion, and support the profession of it in truth, but by the powerful operation of the Holy Ghost on his heart; and therefore, as you are all in a sense spiritual, it would be highly unreasonable, that the greatest should despise the least, on account of any distinction which may have been made in his favour; especially, when you consider who is the great Source of all. Now there are diversities of gifts in different persons, but there is one and the same Divine Spirit, from whom they are all derived; And though there are diversities of administrations, there is one and the same common Lord, who appoints his ministers under their distinct offices, and gives them their powers, their

b Calleth Jesus accursed.] Mr Nathaniel Taylor, (on Deism, p. 60, 61,) thinks this refers in general to the test put on Christians, by their persecutors, that they should not only deny, but blaspheme Christ. This the Gentiles indeed required, (see Plin. Epist. x. 97 Euseb. Eccles. Hist. iv. 13.) But I rather think this refers to the Jews, who while they uttered blasphemies against Christ themselves, (1 Tim. i. 13,) and extorted them, if possible, from those they apprehended to be his disciples, (Acts xxvi. 11,) pretended to the gifts of the Spirit, by which they undertook to cast out devils; and perhaps they might imitate some of the exorcisms which Christians under the operation of the Spirit performed. Such a caution might therefore be very useful. (Compare 1 John iv. 1—3, which seems nearly parallel to this passage.) Dr. Owen pertinently observes, that the Jews sometimes call Jesus יהוה, instead of ישוע; concealing their blasphemy under the three initial letters of the words, וַיְהִי, which si nift, let his name and

memory be blotted out; which is equivalent to Anathema, or let him be accursed. Owen on the Spir. p. 3.

c Sincerely say, [that] Jesus [is the] Lord] Chrysostom well observes, this phrase of saying, that Jesus is the Messiah, must be supposed to proceed from true faith in him; and the expression is used to import a man’s being a true Christian, because such strong temptations lay against professing Christ under this character, that they who maintained this doctrine were in heart real believers; though there might be a few excepted instances. This seems as plain a proof as could be desired, that true faith is the work of the Spirit of God upon the heart. See the third letter to the Author of Christianity not founded on Argument, p. 34—36.

d Diversities of administrations.] Callin them administrations, or services, (δίωκτιναι,) was a gentle manner of reminding them of the great design of these gifts; and so of reproving those who perverted them to contrary purposes.

But among Christians there are diversities

ability, and their success. And though there are diversities of operations and effects produced, yet it is one and the same God who worketh all these effects in all the persons concerned; and they can pretend to nothing more than being the subjects, or at most, the instruments of his almighty and universal agency.

But to every one of his believing servants, who are thus honoured, is given, according to his wise and holy distribution, a manifestation of the Spirit: (for that our portion of gifts may properly be called:) and this in such a degree, as is most agreeable and profitable for the interest of the whole, that all may harmoniously carry on the great design of glorifying God, in the edification and happiness of the whole body. For to one, for instance, who is placed in the highest rank of the Christian church, is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; a comprehensive view of that grand scheme in which the wisdom of God is so wonderfully displayed, that even angelic intelligences are continually admiring it: to another, by the same Spirit, such lower degrees of it, as may be called the word of knowledge; whether respecting the meaning of the Old Testament, or other things in the Christian plan, which may render them superior to most of their brethren; though

• Word of wisdom—and of knowledge.] There are, perhaps few texts in the New Testament more difficult than some in this chapter, and in the xivth of this epistle, relating to the extraordinary gifts then in the church; which were at that time so well known, as not to need explication; and it is a noble instance of the genuine simplicity and modesty of the apostle, that he did not expatiate on so grand a subject with any unnecessary parade. I think the late Lord Barrington, and after him Dr. Benson, have made it highly probable, that the word of wisdom was that extensive plan of Christianity which was revealed to the apostles by the Holy Spirit. See Barring. Misc. Sacr. Essay i. p. 39—41. Bens. Propa. of Christianity, Vol. I. p. 40—46. But that the word of knowledge was, as they, after Dr. Whitby, assert, (Miscell. Sacr. ibid. p. 42—45, and Bens. ibid. p. 41—48,) an extraordi-

nary ability to understand and explain the Old Testament, and especially its prophecies, I do not think equally apparent. Perhaps it might be a lower degree of the word of wisdom. See Mr. Chandler on Joel. p. 133—137. In confirmation of which opinion, it may be observed, that when wisdom and knowledge, (הכפח and רעה,) are mentioned together, wisdom is generally put first, as most excellent. Compare Eccles. i. 16; chap. ii. 26; Isa. xxxiii. 6; chap. xlvii. 10; Col. ii. 3. And it is well known, that the highest orders of teachers in Israel were called anciently, הכפח, wise men. See Deut. i. 13; chap. xvi. 19; 1 Cor. i. 20. Mr. Saurin explains knowledge of a discerning of mysteries; such as the appearance of Christ to change the saints found alive, the reestablishment of the Jews, the man of sin, the beast, &c. Saur. Serm. Vol. VI. p. 13.

th the gift of faith, another of healing, &c.

inferior to the class I mentioned above. To another is given such an extraordinary faith, by the same Spirit, that he can commit himself to the Divine protection in the midst of the extremest dangers; and is thereby qualified courageously to assert the truth of the gospel, in the very face of its most violent persecutors: to another, the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit, in consequence of which, while under its operation, he can by a word, or a touch, remove the most inveterate diseases. To another, the working of miracles of a different kind, such as taking up serpents, drinking any deadly draught unhurt, and especially the ejection of demons: to another the gift of prophecy; whereby he shall be able exactly to foretell some contingent future event; to another, the discerning of spirits, so as authoritatively to determine by what impulse any one speaks, who pretends to inspiration; or to be capable of pronouncing on the sincerity of men’s professions, or their fitness for any public work to be assigned to them: to another, the gift of speaking with [various] kinds of tongues, which he had never had the natural means of acquiring: and to another, the no less useful, though less splendid endowment, which we distinguish from the former, by calling it the interpretation of tongues; in consequence of which, a person shall be able to understand, and render into a known language, that which is spoken by a foreigner, in a tongue, with which neither he himself nor the other hearers have been acquainted. But the one and the same almighty Spirit worketh all these diversities of gifts,

Faith.] Faith, as an extraordinary gift, in this connection, must in the general signify, “a firm persuasion of being called out by God, at any particular time, to perform some miracle, and accordingly going about it without any suspicion or fear, in confident dependence on a correspondent Divine interposition”

Working of miracles.] It is difficult to distinguish this from faith, as explained above. Some understand it of some very extraordinary miracles, such as taking up serpents, drinking any deadly draught unhurt, curing diseases by a shadow pass-

ing over the patient, &c. Compare Mark xvi 18; Acts v. 15. But I rather think, with Mons. Amyraut, (in his excellent Paraphrase,) that εὐσημικὰ δυνάμωσις may refer to the dispossession of demons, or delivering persons over to them. This gift, and that of healing, might be comprehended in faith; but perhaps in some instances it might work only in the one or the other of these effects.

To another, the gifts of tongues—to another, the interpretation of tongues.] For the farther illustration of these clauses, and the interpretation here given, see the notes of chap. xiv. 28.

L. 4.

Yet all, as the members in a body, are one in

dividing unto every one severally as he thinketh fit: his wisdom fixes the scheme, what this variety should be; and his sovereign pleasure determines, why they should be imparted to such and such particular persons, rather than to others. The variety, I say, is wisely appointed; for as the body is one, and yet hath many members, but all the members of that one body, many as they are, constitute one body, united in one well regulated system; so also [is] Christ, that is, the whole society of which Christ is the Head; and for the whole of which he may, as it were, be put, being indeed all and in all. For by, and according to the operation of one Spirit, we Christians are all baptized into one body, whether we be originally Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freemen; the religion we before professed, whether true or false, the rank which we now hold in life, whether high or low, makes no difference as to the grand point; our union with the body is the same; and the same happy consequences follow from that union. And this in particular, that we are all made to drink into one Spirit; as we drink of the same sacramental cup, so we do by our communion with Christ, whose blood is represented by it, all imbibe the influences of the same Spirit, by which the Divine life was at first produced, and is continually preserved. I say, we have all imbibed it; as the whole body may be said to imbibe the wine, which enters in at the mouth, and descends to the stomach; yet it is not intended for the benefit of those members alone, but of the whole; so, in like manner, the body is not one member, but many; yet so united, that the Spirit, imparted to one, is designed, whether in its miraculous operations, or sanctifying influences, for the benefit of the whole.

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us thankfully acknowledge the Divine goodness, that we have not been led on after the example of our Pagan ancestors,

As he thinketh fit.] But that does not so much express arbitrary pleasure as a determination founded on wise council. Drink into one Spirit.] Mr. Locke thinks St. Paul refers to the sacramental

cup, rather than the bread here, because the wine is more spirituous, and in a lively manner represents the animating effects of Christ’s blood, and the Spirit communicated by it.

Reflections on the diversity of spiritual gifts.

to the vain worship of dumb and stupid idols; but have been taught from our infancy, to adore the living Jehovah. May we, in the most solemn and consistent manner, say, That Jesus is the Lord! And while our actions speak our regard to him as such, may it appear, that our hearts are under the influences of the Spirit of God, by which alone men are brought to that Divine temper.

Let us often reflect upon those glorious attestations which were given to the truth of our holy religion, by that diversity of gifts and operations with which its first teachers were furnished and adorned. Let us thankfully receive their testimony, and thereby set to our seal, that God is true. And let a view to that great design, in which all these wonderful things centre, engage us to study more a union of heart, with all who in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. In him Greeks and Barbarians, bond and free, are united. His glory therefore let all unanimously seek; and while his name is blasphemed by the ignorant and malignant, who cannot bear the purity of that religion which he teaches, may it so be defended by us, as at the same time to be exemplified and adorned.

1 Corinthians 12:15

The apostle, farther to enforce that humility in the use of their spiritual gifts, and that mutual affection which the Corinthians so much needed to be farther taught, goes on, in prosecution of the allegory used above, to represent Christians as so united in one body as to have entirely the same interest; and insists on a tender care of the least member, from its subservience to the good of the whole. 1 Cor. XII. 15, to the end.

Cor. XII. 15. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not

1 CORINTHIANS XII. 15.

IT is of the highest importance, in your present circumstances, for the honour of God, and your comfort and edification, in the use of the gifts with which God hath endowed you, that I should farther illustrate and enforce the observation I have just been making, that the body is not one member, but made up of the conjunction of many, which have various offices and purposes. None can therefore complain of its own situation, as if it were insignificant; nor should any despise another, as unworthy of regard. As to the first of these, if the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, but am placed in the lowest order, rest upon the ground, and am often covered with dirt,

It would be absurd for one member to usurp the p

therefore I am not of the body; is it indeed for this, not any part of the body; or would it have reason to represent itself, as, on this account, an outcast? And if the ear should say, Because I am not so visible, so beautiful, so useful as the eye, therefore I am not of the body; is it indeed, for this reason not of the body? Is it not a very important and useful part? Yea, is not the body far more perfect, in consequence of the foot, and the ear, being what they respectively are, than it would be, if each of them were another hand, or another eye? For if the whole body [were,] as it were, an eye; and a man could look at will, through every pore; where [were] the hearing, that important sense, which admits so much pleasing entertainment and improvement? And if the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling, a sense which though less important than the former, is not destitute of its proper delight and its proper use? But now we see, that God, the great and wise Creator, hath placed the various members, every one of them in the body as he hath seen fit; and his inimitable contrivance, and overflowing goodness, is glorified in their variety, and in their arrangement. But if they all were one member, or the members all of one form and use, where [were] the body? How could it possibly subsist? What a monstrous thing would such a detached member be, if it could be supposed to exist alone? Or if each member were to be transformed into that which might in itself seem most noble, how ruinous to the whole would such a transformation be? But now, as [there are] many members, there is in the union of them all, but one harmonious regular body, furnished for the various animal functions, and capable of a variety of sensations and actions. And no one of them ought to despise any of the rest; for the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; since by the hand the body is maintained and fed, and the eye itself preserved and

If the whole body [were] an eye, &c.] the church but those which they so much be apostle by this intends probably to in- extolled in some of their teachers, it would inuate, that, were there no other gifts in be a very great disadvantage to the bod.

all have their proper ornament or use;

efended. And again, the head, elevated as it is, and so admirably furnished with all the nerves and organs planted in it, [cannot say] to the most distant and extreme parts, even the feet, mean as their form and office seems, I have no need of you; since by means of them, the head, and all the other parts of the body, are supported, and removed from place to place.

But it may farther be observed here, agreeably to the point which I have now in view, that the members of the body, which appear to be weakerᵇ than the rest, and perhaps are most delicate and tender in their structure, are more abundantly necessary; so that without them the animal functions can by no means be discharged. And so likewise with respect to those which seem to be the more ignoble and dishonourable [partsᶜ] of the body, those we surround with more abundant honour,ᵈ and those which seem our uncomely [parts] have, by virtue of the dress we put upon them, more abundant comeliness than most of the rest. For our comely and graceful [parts] have no need of being so adorned, as they appear to greater advantage uncovered; but God hath so attempered the several parts of the body together, as to give a more abundant honour to that which is so formed, as rather to appear deficient; for by making the meanest part thus necessary, he hath entitled it to the care of the noblest: That so there might be no schism in the body, no division of separate interests; but [that] all the members might have the same care of each other, as being each an important part of the whole. So that if one member suffer, all the members suffer

ᵇ Appear to be weaker.] Some think this refers to the brains, and bowels, which are very tender, and liable to many disorders. Others understand it, of the least muscular parts, or veins, arteries, and other minute channels in the body; the least obstruction in which would be fatal. If more feeble, be put for less noble, it suggests a very obvious and important sense, relating to the channels by which nature has provided for throwing off the dregs; which dishonourable as they may seem, are so necessary, that if they be obstructed, intense torment and inevitable death must ensue.

ᶜ Our dishonourable parts, &c.] It seems, as if he had said, the face, on which the image of God is particularly stamped, we leave uncovered; but as for those parts, which decency, or custom, teaches us to conceal, we contrive not only to cover, but also as far as we conveniently can, to adorn by covering.

ᵈ We surround with more abundant honour: ποιε ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη ποιη π

And if one member suffer, all the rest suffer

ect. with it, and are concerned to remove the xxiv. complaint; or if one member be honoured and 1 Cor. adorned, all the members rejoice with it: the xii. 26 ornament of one part being looked upon as that of the whole.

Now to apply this to the purpose for which I introduced it: you are all the body of Christ, and 28 members [each] in particular. And as God hath placed some members in more eminent stations in the body; so also some Christians in the church. He hath placed in the first rank, apostles; who are honoured with an office of the highest distinction, and furnished with endowments peculiar to themselves. In the second place, are ranked prophets; whose business it is to foretel future events, or to speak by immediate inspiration, for the edification of the church. In the third, teachers, of a more ordinary kind, afterwards, those who are endowed, upon some particular occasion, with [miraculous] powers; then the gifts of healing diseases by anointing the sick with oil, and praying for their recovery. Besides these, he has endowed some with such extraordinary activity and sagacity, as may fit them to be helpers in the management of charities; others are qualified by their prudence to be governments, by whose advice, the affairs of societies may be steered and conducted in the safest and happiest manner: there are also wonderful operations, by which men are taught [different] kinds of tongues, which they had never learned by any human methods.

• If one member suffer, &c.] Bos, in his Exercitations on this text, has collected many parallel passages from Seneca, and other heathen writers.

f Helpers—governments, &c.] I think, we can only guess at the meaning of these words, not having principles on which to proceed in fixing them absolutely. I have inserted what seemed to me most probble in the paraphrase. The Author of Miscellanea Sacra thinks, much light is to be derived, by comparing verses 8—10, with verses 28—38, the order in one text corresponding with that of the other; but the order of the same words differ-

ing in the two places demonstrates the contrary. I have met with no remark here, which seems more pertinent than that of Mons Amyraut; who thinks, that the same persons might possess many of these gifts, and sustain several of these characters, which were not stated distinct offices; and might be called helpers, in reference to their great dexterity and readiness to help those in distress; and governments, in regard to that genius for business, sagacity in judging the circumstances of affairs, and natural authority in the councils and resolutions of societies, which rendered them fit to preside on such occasions.

ild not therefore contend about the best gifts.

Now as the offices of the church are different, the gifts by which men are fitted to discharge them, are proportionably so. [Are] all the members or ministers of the church, apostles?† Yea, [are] all, who are subordinate to them, prophets? Or, [are] all that sort of inferior teachers, whom I observed to stand in the third class? [Have] all those [miraculous] powers, which I have again and again mentioned? Or, to instance only in one of the lowest of them, have all the gifts of healing diseases, in that extraordinary manner in which some have effected it? Yea, do all speak with tongues which they have never learned? Or do all others find themselves able to act in that lower sphere I spoke of before, and to interpret into their native language, or any other, what has been uttered in a tongue to them generally unknown? These things are well worthy your consideration; but instead of attending to them, ye contend earnestly about the best or most shining gifts,ᵇ envying, and it may be, detracting from the superior endowments of others. Yet I shew you a way of the highest excellence, to which it will be your greatest wisdom carefully to attend.

IMPROVEMENT.

THE wisdom and goodness of God, as displayed in the form-verse ation of the human body, is a subject that well deserves our ¹⁸ attentive reflection, and humble acknowledgment. All its several parts are useful to the whole; and the most noble cannot upbraid the meanest as an incumbrance. Each has reason to ²⁰ ejoice in its own situation, as well as in the addition of all the est; and were the lowest placed higher than it is, it would become useless, burdensome, and monstrous.

† Are all apostles? &c.] It appears that his invidious temper was not extirpated from among the Corinthians, even by this lust and lively expostulation; for Clemens Romanus, writing to them many years after, complains of its continued prevadence, as leading them to neglect a due regard to those presbyters, who were according to Divine direction fixed among them, and to throw them out of their episcopal office. See Clem. E. title to the Cor. Sect. 44.

ᵇ Ye contend earnestly about the best gifts, &c.] I doubt not but this is the just rendering of ζηλεία τα χαρισμαία τα κρίντονα: for it seems contradictory to suppose, that after the apostle had been shewing them, that these gifts were not at their own option, and that they ought not to emulate the gifts of each other, nor to aspire to superiority; he should in effect unsay all again, and give them such contrary advice:

Reflections on the different gifts and offices in the church.

Let us acknowledge the same hand in the wise subordination, appointed in civil societies, and in the church of Christ. Let none be discouraged at the low station wherein they are fixed, but rather let all acquiesce in the prudent and gracious disposal of the supreme Lord, and apply themselves to their proper functions. Let each member consider all the rest with pleasure; and rejoice with thankfulness, in the health and vigour of the other parts, making the proper use of them, and communicating in return its proper services. If any be weak, let all strengthen it. If there be any blemish or imperfection in any part, let all the rest tenderly cover it; unless when a regard to the health and happiness of the whole, requires that it should be laid open, and searched in order to its being cured. And upon the whole, so far as we can prevent it, let there be no schism in the body. Alas, that there should be so many breaches and contentions! Let us lament them; let each in his place endeavour to heal them; and unite in a sympathizing care of one another. So shall we best express our regard to our common Head; so shall we, in the remotest consequences, best consult our own interest and honour. Blessed be God, that he hath, in his church, given not only apostles, and prophets, but also pastors and teachers! Adored be that bounty with which he hath scattered down his gifts, whether ordinary or extraordinary, on the children of men. Let all be used, not to the purposes of ostentation, but of edification. And let us be desirous of those whereby we may bear most of the image of Christ, and may most promote the great design for which he visited this low world of ours, and was pleased to unite his church unto himself, and its several members to each other, in such dear and indissoluble bonds.