Sunday, August 17, 2025

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES GIFTS TO MEN

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 verses 12 - 31, continued on the subject of spiritual gifts by comparing the body of Christ with the human body and even as each body part has a function that benefits the whole body, each person has a spiritual gift that benefits the whole body of believers.  

As such, Paul advises the people at Corinth understand that they are a single unified body and each individual should humbly and gratefully supply to the the body what they were gifted to provide. Paul cautions against divisions that could arise from some wishing for greater honor and being unwilling to participate in functions of lesser honor.

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

The Apostle Paul speaks to the crucial role that each person has in the body of Christ and there is a unity that the interdependence on each other brings.

Paul lists the appointed positions that are distributed to the individual members of the body of Christ from which the spiritual gifts could be dispensed but for most of these appointments, he rhetorically asks if all are appointed to them to clarify that not everyone is given the particular positions. However, the assignment to the office of helps and admistrations are not questioned which implies that all members of the body are appointed to these positions and can assist with the tasks of organising suport efforts and helping people in need.

  1. Apostles - Are all apostles?
  2. Prophets - Are all prophets?
  3. Teachers - Are all Teachers?
  4. Miracle workers - Are all able to do miracles?
  5. Healers - Are all healers?
  6. Helps - 
  7. Administrations - 
  8. Varieties of tongues -  Do all speak with tongues?
  9. _________   -  Do all Interpret?

The interpretation of tongues is not included in this list but is mentioned rhetorically as being a given only to some people which suggests that Paul included the interpretation of tongues in the broader category of  ˋvarieties of tonguesˋ.

To conlude the subject, the apostle Paul encourages believers to desire greater gifts meaning that they should seek to develop their giftings so that they operated at higher levels of quality and power so as to be more edifying to the body of believers they served. Also implied is that believers should desire different gifts that would be more useful to the members of the churches.

For as much as spritual gifts are astonishing and desirable, Paul finalizes his discussion on the subject by telling the Corinthian believers that there is a far superior thing than gifts and he goes on to discuss this better thing in the famous 1 Corinthians chapter 13 often called the ˋloveˋ chapter.

Amen.

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