12 For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.
13 For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but a number of parts.
15 If the foot says, Because I am not the hand, I am not a part of the body; it is no less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same.
17 If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has put every one of the parts in the body as it was pleasing to him.
19 And if they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 But now they are all different parts, but one body.
21 And the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 No, those parts which seem to be feeble are the more necessary;
23 And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect;
24 But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it;
25 So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another.
26 And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and every one of you the separate parts of it.
28 And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
29 Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?
30 Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
31 But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 12
In this chapter the apostle,
1Cr 12:1-11
The apostle comes now to treat of spiritual gifts, which abounded in the church of Corinth, but were greatly abused. What these gifts were is at large told us in the body of the chapter; namely, extraordinary offices and powers, bestowed on ministers and Christians in the first ages, for conviction of unbelievers, and propagation of the gospel. Gifts and graces, charismata and charis, greatly differ. Both indeed were freely given of God. But where grace is given it is for the salvation of those who have it. Gifts are bestowed for the advantage and salvation of others. And there may be great gifts where there is not a dram of grace, but persons possessed of them are utterly out of the divine favour. They are great instances of divine benignity to men, but do not by themselves prove those who have them to be the objects of divine complacency. This church was rich in gifts, but there were many things scandalously out of order in it. Now concerning these spiritual gifts, that is, the extraordinary powers they had received from the Spirit,
1Cr 12:12-26
The apostle here makes out the truth of what was above asserted, and puts the gifted men among the Corinthians in mind of their duty, by comparing the church of Christ to a human body.
1Cr 12:27-31