1 Corinthians 12:14

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 12:14

For the body ... - The body is made up of many members, which have various offices. So it is in the church. We are to expect the same variety there; and we are not to presume either that all will be alike, or that any member that God has placed there will be useless. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 12:14-20

1 Corinthians 12:14-20. For the body is not one member, but many All of which are necessary, that the various sorts of offices belonging to the body may be all performed: thus there must be different gifts and offices in the church of Christ, which all conduce to the advantage and perfection of the whole. If the foot One of inferior gifts and place; shall say, Because I am not the hand Do not appear in a more honourable place, and have not a more important office; I am not of the body ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Unity in spite of many gifts (12:12-31)The human body is made up of many parts, all with different functions, yet there is a basic unity throughout the body. So it is in the church which is Christ’s body. All believers, without distinction, are introduced into and united in that body through the baptism of the Spirit. The same Spirit dwells within each one (12-13).Many parts make up the body, and all are necessary for its proper functioning. Those without more obvious gifts should not think... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 12:14

For the body is not one member, but many.The spiritual body of Christ, like the human body, is composed of many members, having various functions, and some "from the human viewpoint" being of lesser or greater honor; but, by the very fact of being "of the body," each member is necessary, partaking of the destiny of the whole body. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 12:14

14. Translate, "For the body also." The analogy of the body, not consisting exclusively of one, but of many members, illustrates the mutual dependence of the various members in the one body, the Church. The well-known fable of the belly and the other members, spoken by Menenius Agrippa, to the seceding commons [LIVY, 2.32], was probably before Paul's mind, stored as it was with classical literature. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 12:4-31

2. The need for varieties of spiritual gifts 12:4-31Paul planned to return to the subject of glossolalia (ch. 14), but first he wanted to talk more generally about spiritual gifts. In the verses that follow he dealt with differences in gifts in the church."Having given the negative and positive criterion of genuine spiritual endowments as manifested in speech, the Apostle goes on to point out the essential oneness of these very varied gifts." [Note: Robertson and Plummer, p. 262.] Diversity,... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

The body and its members 12:12-14Paul now compared the body of Christ, the universal church, though by extension the local church as well, to a human body. Again his point was not that the church needs to have unity but that it needs to have diversity. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 12:14

Both bodies, the physical human body and the spiritual body of Christ, consist of many members. This fact helps us realize our limited contribution to the larger organism. A body composed of only one organ would be a monstrosity.The modern church often uses this pericope to stress the importance of unity, which is a great need today. However, Paul’s emphasis originally was on the importance of diversity. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

(e) Spiritual Gifts(i) Their Nature and Relations1-3. The test of the Spirit’s presence is the confession of Jesus as the Lord. It would seem that some members of the Church, carried away by their excitement when speaking in the congregation under the power of the Spirit, as they said, had called Jesus accursed, as if they had been unbelievers. No such utterance, says the Apostle, can proceed from any one who speaks by the Spirit.2. Gentiles] and so ignorant of all spiritual gifts, and... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 12:1-40

(e) Spiritual GiftsIn the early Church various powers, faculties, and graces were bestowed on individual Christians by the Holy Spirit. Some of these were distinctly miraculous, such as prophecy, tongues, power to work miracles; others were less extraordinary gifts, such as teaching or wisdom; or special graces of Christian character, such as love. The Apostle does not distinguish between these classes; all alike come from the same Source, and are to be exercised for the good of all. The... read more

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