“1 Corinthians 12”

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Chapters 12-14 deal with their misuse and misunderstanding about spiritual gifts. Each chapter has unique content.

            Chapter 12 – explanation of the gifts

            Chapter 13 – duration of the gifts

            Chapter 14 – regulation of the gifts

The nine spiritual gifts are enumerated in verses 8-10. They are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. All came from the same Holy Spirit.

Verses 12-31 show how the gifts worked together like the various members of the human body.

Every part of the human body performs a unique function.

Paul describes it as though the human body parts could have a conversation with one another. The foot might argue that it is less important than a hand and so it did not feel necessary. An ear might reason that because it is not an eye, it does not contribute as much to the working of the body. Some Christians in Corinth were discouraged because they did not feel as important as some other Christians, due to the “lesser” gift they had received.

Likewise, some were touting their superiority over others. The eye cannot tell the hand that he is not needed. And a hand cannot tell the feet that they are not as important as the hand is. All the parts of the physical body work together to help us lead a successful spiritual life.

Every spiritual gift was important and no one gift was to be preferred over the others. In the same way, each member of the body of Christ is important and no one should feel superior or inferior to any other disciple.

--Roger Hillis

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