12:1ffThe spiritual gifts given to each person by the Holy Spirit are special abilities that are to be used to minister to the needs of the body of believers. This chapter is not an exhaustive list of spiritual gifts (see Romans 12; Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 4:10, 11 for more examples). There are many gifts; people have different gifts; some people have more than one gift, and one gift is not superior to another. All spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit, and their purpose is to build up Christ’s body, the church.
Life Application Study Bible1 CorinthiansChapter 12
1 Corinthians 12
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1947, 1948, 1949
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
121 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
1Now, dear brothers and sisters,* regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.? You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is LORD, except by the Holy Spirit. 4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same LORD. 6God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice*; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.* 9The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.!He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,* while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 1It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
One Body with Many Parts
1212The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,* some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit,and we all share the same Spirit.* 14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ‘If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.
28Here are some ofthe parts God has appointed for the church:first are apostles,second are prophets,third are teachers,then those who do miracles,those who have the gift of healing,those who can help others,those who have the gift of leadership,those who speak in unknown languages.
29Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 2°Do we ail have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.
Textual footnotes
- Greeks.
- 12:1 Greek brothers.
- 12:8a Or gives a word of wisdom.
- 12:8b Or gives a word of knowledge.
- 12:10 Or in various tongues; aiso in 12:28, 30.
- 12:13a Greek some are
- 12:13b Greek we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Life Application Notes 12 notes
12:3Anyone can claim to speak for God, and the world is full of false teachers. Pau! gives us a test to help us discern whether or not a messenger is really from God: Does he or she confess Christ as LORD? Don't naively accept the words of all who claim to speak for God; test their credentials by finding out what they teach about Christ.
12:9All Christians have faith. Some, however, have the spiritual gift of faith, which is an unusual measure of trust in the power of God.
12:10“The ability to prophesy” does not just refer to predicting the future; it can also mean giving a message received from God to the community of believers: “One who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them” (14:3). The prophet Joel had written the words of the LORD, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 2:28). As with the gift of faith, the ability to share one’s faith with power is available to everyone (see 14:1-5), but to some the Spirit gives a special measure of this gift. Paul wrote in Romans, “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you” (Romans 12:6}. Some have interpreted “prophecy” to be fulfilled in various sermons throughout church history. Others, however, say that prophecy is not a sermon, but a spontaneous, Spirit-inspired message that is orally delivered in the congregation for the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ.
12:10Opinions differ over exactly what Paul meant by “unknown languages.” Some believe that this refers to earthly languages that a person did not know before (the same as the gift described in Acts 2:4-8). Other scholars say that this refers to an “ecstatic” language, a “heavenly” language. Most likely the second view is correct. Probably the only time that the word “tongues” refers to other earthly languages is when describing Pentecost. The rest of the time in the New Testament, the word refers to ecstatic languages unknown to anyone—languages of angels (13:1). Speaking in tongues /s a legitimate gift of the Spirit. The exercise of the gift demands some guidelines (as noted in chapter 14) so that the purpose of the gift—-to help the body of Christ—is not lost. Those who speak in tangues should follow the guidelines; those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or of special closeness with God, for it is neither. It is a gift of God, given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given. For more, see the notes in chapter 14.
12:11No matter what gift(s) a person has, all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides which gifts each believer should have. We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given us. Note that discussions about spiritual gifts usually create difficulties when two central points are overlooked: (1) Properly used, spiritual gifts are not self-serving but serve the whole body of Christ (12:7); (2) each gift becomes practically useless when used without love (chapter 13). As you seek to identify and utilize the gifts God has given you, make loving God and loving fellow Christians your highest motives.
12:12Paul compares the body of Christ to a human body. Each part has a specific function that is necessary to the body as a whole. The parts are different for a purpose, and in their differences they must work together. Christians must avoid two common errors: (1) being proud of their abilities, or (2) thinking they have nothing to give to the body of believers. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another, we should use our different gifts, together, to spread the Good News of salvation.
12:13The church is composed of many types of people from a variety of backgrounds with a multitude of gifts and abilities. It is easy for these differences to divide people, as was the case in Corinth. But despite the differences, all believers have one thing in common—aith in Christ. On this essential truth the church finds unity. All believers are baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body of believers, the church. We don't lose our individual identities, but we have an overriding oneness in Christ. When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, and we are born into God's family. “We ail share the same Spirit” means that each of us has received the same Holy Spirit. As members of God's family, we may have different interests and gifts, but we are united by the Spirit into one spiritual body.
12:23,24Paul argued for diversity of gifts and acceptance of the full range of gifts that God gives to his people. No one should feel superior about his or her gift; instead, all should use their gifts to willingly serve. Too often the “up-front” gifts, like speaking or teaching, are more highly regarded than the “behind-the-scenes” Qifts, like helping and serving. No one should discount the contribution of another person, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We should not be dissatisfied with the gift God has given us but be eager to serve. Nor should we envy those who seem to have more Qifts than we do. In love, treat everyone’s gift, yours included, as valuable to God.
12:25,26What is your response when a fellow Christian is honored? How do you respond when someone is suffering? We are to be happy with those who are happy, and if they are sad, share their sorrow (Romans 12:15). Too often, unfortunately, we are jealous of those who rejoice and apathetic toward those who weep. Believers are in the world together—there is no such thing as private or individualistic Christianity. We need to get involved in the fives of others and not just enjoy our own relationship with God.
12:30Paul discusses the subject of speaking in and interpreting unknown languages in more detail in chapter 14. See also the second note at 12:10.
12:31The most helpful gifts are those that are beneficial to the body of Christ. Paul has already made it clear that one gift is not Superior to another, but he urges the believers to discover how they can serve Christ's body with the gifts God has given them. Your spiritual gifts are not for your own self-advancement. They were given to you for serving God and enhancing the spiritual growth of the body of believers.