1 Corinthians 12
| 1 Corinthians 12 | |
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1 Corinthians 7:33-8:4 in Papyrus 15, written in the 3rd century.
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| Book | First Epistle to the Corinthians |
| Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Bible part | 7 |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
1 Corinthians 12 is the twelfth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus. In this chapter, Paul writes about spiritual gifts and the unity of the members of Christ in one body.
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:
The Pulpit Commentary divides the chapter into verses 1-11, "On spiritual gifts in general" and verses 12-31, "The Church compared to a body and its members".
Paul refers to this image in several letters: Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 4:11-16 and Colossians 2:19. "It is probable that he was familiar with the image from the fable of Menenius Agrippa, who had used it as a plea for civil unity":
That is, a human body; for of this the apostle speaks, and takes a simile, and forms a comparison from, showing the union among saints, and their mutual participation of the various gifts of the Spirit; for a human body is but one body, and not more.
as eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc.
as numerous as they may be, they all belong to, and make up but one body; performing different offices, for which they are naturally fitted for the good of the whole:
not personal, but mystical; not the head alone, or the members by themselves, but head and members as constituting one body, the church. The church, in union with Christ, the head, is but one general assembly, and church of the firstborn written in heaven, though consisting of the various persons of God's elect, who are closely united one to another, and their head Christ; and therefore are denominated from him, and called by his name; see (Romans 9:3) (Jeremiah 33:16).
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