1 Corinthians 12

Notes

Ver. 1. Now, with respect to the distinguished gifts of wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, working of miracles, or the like, which have been abundantly bestowed on some of you by the Spirit of God, I would have you to consider their true origin, nature, and end, that ye may no longer make them occasions of pride, envy, and strife. 2. You cannot pretend that you deserved them, when ye were so lately drowned in ignorance, idolatry, and other wickedness, seduced by Satan and your priests to worship lifeless images and fancied deities ; nor can ye pretend that such idols could bestow such gifts upon you. 3. To check your own pride, prejudice, and envy, and that ye may discern the difference of your spiritual gifts from all delusive and magical operations, observe that no man who thinks or acts under the influence of the Holy Ghost, whose design and work is to promote Christ's honour, can reject or represent Christ as an impostor, abandoned of God; nor can he work a miracle to confirm such blasphemy: and that no man can heartily acknowledge Christ for the great God, and his only Saviour, Lord, and Master, or preach him as such, and work any miracles to confirm his doctrine, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. 4. To manifest their true original, and also to direct you to the proper use of them, observe further, that though the kinds and degrees of the gifts bestowed upon church-officers and private believers be very diversified and numerous, yet it is the same divine Spirit who bestows and enables rightly to use them all. 5. And that though there be a great diversity of offices and services in the Christian church, yet it is one and the same Lord Jesus who has instituted all these offices, and who calls and qualifies such particular persons to execute them; and they all act under his authority and by his influence, as their Head, Lord, and King. 6. And though there be divers miraculous operations performed in the exercise of these gifts and discharge of these offices, it is the one divine Father who, with the Son and Holy Spirit, grants all these abilities, and the good effects thereof. 7. And to prevent your abuse of these spiritual gifts and offices, always remember, that all these demonstrations of the peculiar presence, light, and power of the Holy Ghost, and of the Father and Son along with him, are not granted to those who receive them for their own private advantage or honour, but for the instruction, edification, and confirmation of the whole church or mystical body of Christ. 8. For this common end the same Holy Spirit endows one with a clear understanding of the doctrines of the gospel, and skill duly to preach and apply them to his hearers, that they may know and believe them to their own salvation; he endows another with a deep insight into the types and predictions of the Old Testament, and an ability to explain them to others, and show how they are fulfilled in Christ, and what relates to him. 9. To another he freely grants a most assured persuasion of the truths of the gospel, an undaunted boldness in preaching them, and an unshaken dependence on Christ for that assistance which is necessary in any dangerous or difficult service. To another, for the confirmation of the gospel, he grants a power of healing all manner of bodily distempers in an instant, without the use of ordinary means. 10. To another he gives a power of inflicting plagues on notorious offenders, or of raising the dead, or of conferring miraculous powers on others. To another he grants an ability to foretell future events, which, when fulfilled, tend to the confirmation of the gospel. To another he gives an ability to discern whether other men be actuated by the Spirit of God or by the devil; and whether their tempers, designs, and qualifications render them fit for being employed in any public affairs of the church. To another he gives an ability to speak whatever foreign languages are necessary for the propagation of the gospel. And, in fine, to another he gives an ability to interpret, with propriety and exactness, whatever is said in an unknown tongue, to such as do not understand it. 11. But whatever be the diversity of the gifts in their kind or degree, or of the persons to whom they are granted, or of the noble purposes for which they are designed, they are all conferred by the same Spirit of God, who, for the general benefit of the church, bestows his gifts upon particular persons, in whatever form or degree, or with whatever success, is best. 12. For as our head, eyes, ears, hands, feet, and other parts of our outward man, do all concur to form one body, actuated by one soul, so, in the church of Christ, all the members unnumbered, in their inexpressibly diversified stations and conditions, do, in union with Jesus Christ their Head, form one complete mystical body, or catholic church. 13. For without any regard to our being Jews or Gentiles, slaves or freemen, or any other condition of outward life, we are all, by these gifts, and by our participation of baptism and the Lord's supper, and by the renovation which we have experienced, and the spiritual nourishment we receive, divinely connected into one Christian church, and entitled to all the blessings and privileges thereof. 14. And as in the natural body, so in the spiritual body of Christ, many members, some of superior, and others of inferior excellence and use, do all necessarily conduce to the perfection and beauty of the whole; 15, 16. How absurd were it to pretend that any particular member is not a part of our body, because it is not some other more excellent and useful member! And no less absurd were it to pretend that those members of the church whose gifts and graces are of an inferior degree, are of no necessity or advantage to the whole church of Christ, or the advancement of his glory. 17. If all our bodily members were fitted for one use, we must want all the senses but one; and if all the members of the church had but one sort of gifts and graces, the beauty, pleasure, and advantage of its rich variety would be lost, to the great detriment, or rather ruin, of the whole. 18. But as in the natural body, so also in the church, God has placed and connected every member to the best advantage, and furnished it with proper powers, which must be exercised for the common benefit of the whole. 19-22. Nay, there could not be either a human or a spiritual body unless there was a variety of members fitted for different purposes, and wisely connected together, so that the members which have superior excellence or usefulness as necessarily depend on the inferior ones as they on them.—Yea, the very weakest members of our body, such as the organs for digesting our food, or circulating our blood and animal spirits, are more necessary to the life and vigour of our body than some of the strongest ; and so weak Christians are often more useful than some apparently stronger. 23-25. And as we bestow more pains to conceal and finely cover some uncomely parts of our body, so, in this imperfect state, the less graceful members of the church ought to have their infirmities covered with a mantle of love; for as our face, hands, and other comely parts of our body, need not to be adorned or concealed, but only those which are less graceful, so, in the church, while the more eminent ministers and Christians easily approve themselves to the consciences of all around, the Lord requires that others who are weaker, but sincere and faithful, should have their infirmities tenderly concealed and borne with, and that they should be assisted and encouraged in everything good.—26. God has thus adjusted the excellency, usefulness, strength, or honour of the different members of the body, natural or spiritual, that there might be no discord, alienation, or disrespect among fellow-members, but all solicitously care for one another's welfare; and that the union and mutual sympathy might be such, that the griefs, pleasures, honours, or dishonours of every particular member might affect the whole. 27. Now, to apply all this to our present purpose—ye, considered in your church state, are a mystical body, of which Christ is the Head, and connected in holy fellowship not only with your fellow-Christians at Corinth, but with all those who anywhere profess their union and communion with Jesus Christ, and therefore ought, in your several stations, to employ all your offices, gifts, and graces for the good of the whole, and to sympathize with one another in trouble, and rejoice in the prosperity of others as if it were your own. 28. And for the edification of the church God has appointed in her officers of many diversified forms—such as, (1) Apostles, who receive their commission immediately from Christ, are infallibly furnished with wisdom and knowledge, are founders of churches, and have authority over the whole visible church; (2) Prophets, who either foretell future events, or explain dark passages of the Old Testament, by the word of knowledge; (3) Teachers, whether evangelists, who are fixed to no particular church, but are itinerant assistants of the apostles; or fixed pastors, who have particular charges; or preachers, who authoritatively proclaim Christ's messages to men; (4) Workers of miracles in general; (5) Miraculous healers of the sick; (6) Deacons, who assist church-rulers in providing for the table of the Lord, the ministers, and the poor; (7) Ruling elders, who, without preaching, inspect the manners of the people, censure offenders, and govern the affairs of congregations, in sessions, presbyteries, or synods; and, in fine, speakers in foreign languages, or interpreters thereof. 29, 30. To pretend that all the members, or even all the officers of the church ought to be apostles, prophets, preachers, workers of miracles, speakers with tongues, or interpreters, would be as absurd as to pretend that all the members of our human body should be of one sort, or fitted for every use, to render all the rest needless. But God hath so diversified these stations, offices, and qualifications, and yet so connected them, that none may either neglect, despise, or envy another. 31. It is indeed laudable, with humble submission to God's will, to desire earnestly the most eminent gifts, in subordination to Christ and his grace; but it is far better to improve whatever gifts God gives you, be they more or less, with a spirit of love for each other's edification.

Ver. 13. By one Spirit are we all baptized. The apostle is treating of persons amply endowed with various spiritual gifts ; Consequently the baptism of which he speaks is not the mere 'outward and visible sign' of water, but 'the inward and spiritual grace' thereby represented, and conferred on the believer by the operation and gift of the Spirit of God.—All made to drink into one Spirit. That is, communicants at the Lord's supper have not merely drunk of one cup, but by faith have been made partakers of one Spirit—one Spirit of truth, grace, holiness, comfort, supplication, unity, and love. C.

Reflections.—Great is the stupidity of men if left to their own hearts' lusts. And alarming was the wickedness and wretchedness of the Gentile world when God called them by his gospel and grace. Very necessary is the indwelling operation of the Holy Ghost to procure Christ his due honour and obedience. And manifest is his supreme Godhead, who supplies the whole church with furniture, miraculous or gracious. With great wisdom and tenderness he bestowed his extraordinary influences for the confirmation and spread of the gospel in the primitive church, and continues his ordinary gifts and graces in the church till the end of the world. And all his gifts are given not so properly for the receiver as for the glory of God, in the conversion and edification of others. Marvellously are church members and officers connected into one body under Christ their head. And mutual usefulness, love, and sympathy ought to spread through the whole. The very meanest member should be esteemed and honoured as dear to Christ and useful to the church. No necessary office or officer is wanting in her; and all ought to remember that a gracious principle of love to Christ and his people is more excellent than any gifts whatever.