Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 12-13
Diversity: The Gifts of the Spirit – Continued
Please review 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 for background to this section.
The members promote unity as they discover their dependence on one another (verses 21-26) – continued. Paul may be referring to the private parts of the body in 1 Corinthians 12:23-24. If so, then to “bestow honor” on them refers to the use of attractive clothing. The more beautiful parts of the body need no special help.
God’s desire is that there be no division (“schism”) in the church. Diversity leads to disunity when the members compete with one another; but diversity leads to unity when the members care for one another. How do the members care for each other? By each one functioning according to God’s will and helping the other members to function. If one member suffers, it affects every member. If one member is healthy, it helps the others to be strong.
Diversity of members fulfills the will of God in the body (verses 27-31). It is God who bestows the gifts and assigns the offices. He has a perfect plan, not only for the church universal as a whole, but also for each local congregation. We have no reason to believe that each congregation in the New Testament possessed all of the gifts. The church at Corinth was an especially gifted assembly (1 Corinthians 1:4-7; 2 Corinthians 8:7). However, God gives to each congregation just the gifts it needs when they are needed.
In this paragraph, Paul pointed out that there is a “priority list” for the gifts, that some have more significance (not necessarily more important) than others. But this fact does not contradict the lesson already shared—that each gift is important and each individual believer is important. Even in the human body, there are some parts that we can do without, even though their absence might handicap us a bit.
The Apostles and prophets, of course, appeared first on the “list” because they had a foundational ministry. Teachers were needed to help establish believers in the faith. The other gifts were needed from time to time to help individual believers and to build the church.
The construction of the Greek in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 demands “no” as the answer to each of these questions. No individual believer possesses all the spiritual gifts. Each believer has the gift (or gifts) assigned to him by the Lord as needed at the Lord’s appropriate time.
The word translated best in 1 Corinthians 12:31 simply means “greater.” Some spiritual gifts are greater in significance than others, and it is proper for the believer to desire these gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). Paul put a high value on prophecy, the ability to teach and encourage one another, but the Corinthians valued the gift of tongues. Yet, Paul put tongues at the end of the list. If only some in today’s churches would take the Bible’s counsel as inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Unity and diversity must be balanced by maturity, and that maturity comes with love. It is not enough to have the gift of the Spirit and gifts from the Spirit. We must also have the graces of the Spirit as we use our gifts to serve one another.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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