Lessons #453 and 454
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Specific spiritual assignments in the church (1 Cor 12:27-31)
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Recall that the message of this section of 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 is: Be aware of the specific spiritual assignments God made to individuals in the church but your focus in your spiritual life should not be on the gifts associated with them instead be focused on living out the spiritual life. As we stated previously, this message is to be expounded using four propositions derived from the passage. The first is: The spiritual assignments are made to those in the church of Christ that you are a member. The second is: The spiritual assignments are ranked according to their importance in the church of Christ. Based on this second proposition we considered eight spiritual assignments of God to the church. So, we move to the third proposition.
The third proposition is that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued. There is a sense that the apostle returns to the issue of unity in diversity that he discoursed in 1 Corinthians 12: 12 to 26. The apostle seems to be emphasizing this concept of unity in diversity probably because the Holy Spirit kept nudging him to do so because the concept of unity in diversity is not one that is easily understood or practiced by believers. That notwithstanding, the third proposition we stated is based on seven rhetorical questions the apostle gave in verses 29 and 30. The seven rhetorical questions require the answer “no” to each question. There are two factors that help us to understand the seven rhetorical questions the apostle gave. The first is the nature of each question. There is no indication, based on the nature of each question, that the apostle expected a response to him by the Corinthians. Instead, he expected them to answer the question to themselves so they could understand the point that he wants to convey that indicates that there is diversity in the spiritual assignments God gave to believers in the church of Christ, implying no spiritual assignment is to be undervalued. The second factor is that the apostle used in each question a Greek particle (mē) that is not translated directly in the NIV that means “not” as a marker that negates a statement. However, the Greek particle may also be used as marker of expectation of a negative answer to a question. For example, when the Lord Jesus questioned His disciples if they lacked anything when He sent them on a mission field. The expected answer is “no” as indicated in Luke 22:35:
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
Anyhow, the Greek particle is used in all the seven questions to indicate the apostle expected the Corinthians to answer “no” to themselves not to him. The fact the apostle expected the answer “no” to all the seven questions he posed implies the seven questions could be stated as negative statements that the Corinthians should understand in order to get his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
The first rhetorical question of the apostle that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all apostles? Literally, the Greek reads not all apostles? The word “all” appears in all seven questions the apostle gave. The word “all” is translated from a Greek particle (pas) that has different meanings. For example, it may mean “every kind of, all sorts” in the sense of everything belonging, in kind, to the class designated by the noun. The word may mean “each, every” as it pertains to totality with focus on its individual components. Often, when we encounter the word “all” in the English we are prone to think in terms of absolute totality. In our passage it is used in the sense of “each” where everyone is considered individually in the church of Christ. In effect, the apostle had in mind every member of the church of Christ when he used the Greek word translated “all” in verses 29 and 30 of 1 Corinthians 12. The apostle conveyed a fact that not all believers are apostles. The word “apostles” is translated from a Greek word (apostolos) that we considered in detail in 1 Corinthians 12:28. Let us briefly review what we said about this. We said previously that generally, the word pertains to messengers. Thus, it is used of messengers without extraordinary status hence means “delegate, envoy, messenger” as it is used in the Lord Jesus’ teaching recorded in John 13:16:
I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
The word may be used of messengers with extraordinary status, especially of God’s messenger or envoy so may mean “apostle.” Thus, in the NT, the word “apostle” is indeed used both in restricted and general senses. In a restricted sense, the word is used to refer to the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus whom He chose from among His disciples and designated them with that title “apostles.” as we read in Luke 6:13:
When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
The apostles are often described as “the Twelve apostles.” Originally, the Twelve included Judas Iscariot but after his death and after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, Matthias was then included among the Twelve. In any event, we stated that the word “apostles” in the NT is used in an exclusive sense to refer to the Twelve. However, in a general sense, the word “apostle” is used to describe a group of highly honored believers with a special function as God’s envoys. It is in this sense that Paul and Barnabas were described as apostles, as recorded in Acts 14:14:
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:29: the word “apostle” is used in the sense of an envoy of Jesus Christ commissioned directly by Him or by other apostles; normally the word refers to someone who has been taught directly by Jesus and who is invested with the authority to speak on His behalf. Thus, the use of the word “apostles” in our verse refers to the Twelve, Apostle Paul, and perhaps James the Lord’s brother although there are others regarded as Apostles, but they were not probably included here because of the nature of the spiritual assignment described as “apostles.” By the way, let me repeat what I said when we considered the word in verse 28, that is, if you want to learn more about what we studied about the word “apostle,” you should listen to Lessons 3 and 4 of the study in 1 Corinthians available on the website of Berean Bible church. That aside, the apostle when he posed the first rhetorical question Are all apostles? meant to convey that God did not see fit to give each and every believer the spiritual assignment of “apostles” indicating that there is diversity in the spiritual assignment God made to the church.
The second rhetorical question of the apostle that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all prophets? Literally, the Greek reads not all prophets? The word “prophets” is translated from a Greek word (prophētēs) that we considered in detail in our study of verse 28. Therefore, we review briefly what we said about the word. The Greek word refers to a person inspired to proclaim or reveal divine will or purpose. In other words, a prophet is a proclaimer or expounder of divine matters or concerns that could not ordinarily be known except by special revelation. Such a person rebukes people or predicts events. To function as a prophet, of course, requires that a person should have the gift of prophecy. Anyhow, not every believer in the church of Christ has the gift of prophecy and so not every believer is given the spiritual assignment of prophets. The apostle makes that point that not every believer has the gift of prophecy so that his point about diversity in spiritual assignment is confirmed by the rhetorical question Are all prophets?
The third rhetorical question of the apostle that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all teachers? Literally, the Greek reads not all teachers? The word “teacher” is translated from a Greek word (didaskalos) that refers to one who provides instruction, that is, “teacher.” We considered this word in detail in verse 28 but let me review two facts we considered about a teacher that imply that not every believer could be a teacher in the sense used here. Teaching as a spiritual assignment carries with it authority from the Lord. It is because of this that we contend that the spiritual assignment of teaching is confined to certain men in the church of Christ. That notwithstanding Apostle Paul conveys that not every believer has the gift of teaching and so the assignment of teaching. This should not be that surprising since when we studied the spiritual assignment of “teachers,” we indicated that not every believer is expected to be a teacher in the sense the apostle used it as part of spiritual assignment. This is because of the warning of the Holy Spirit in James 3:1:
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
In any event, Apostle Paul in the rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all teachers? intends to convey that not every believer has the spiritual assignment of teaching. This supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
The fourth rhetorical question of the apostle that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Do all work miracles? Literally, the Greek reads not all miracles? As we indicated in verse 28, the word “miracles” is translated from a Greek word (dynamis) from where we derive our English word “dynamite”; it basically means power. The word may refer to special enablement or strength. It may also refer to the power that works wonders. Because the plural is used in the Greek, the word has the sense of “power that works wonders” or “miracles,” that is, a special manifestation of great power. Since the first three questions are concerned with function, then the fourth rhetorical question is cast in a way that indicates the question implies that not every believer is assigned with performing miracles. In the early church only the apostles and such men as Stephen and Philip were associated with miracles so that not many were involved in miracles. The fact that not every believer is assigned to perform miracles speaks to the diversity of spiritual assignments in the church. Hence, the point of the apostle in this rhetorical question is to convey that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
The fifth rhetorical question of Apostle Paul that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Do all have gifts of healing? Literally, the Greek reads not all have gifts of healings? When we considered the fifth spiritual assignment given in the verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 12:28 also those having gifts of healing, we indicated that the verbal phrase those having is not in the Greek since the Greek literally reads then gifts of healings as reflected in the 2011 edition of the NIV and many of our English versions. However, in the fifth rhetorical question we indeed have a Greek verb (echō) that means “to have” but with different senses. For example, it may mean “to have” in the sense of either “to possess something that is under a person’s control” or “to contain something of the whole in relation to its parts.” “To have” may mean “to take a hold on something.” It may also mean “to experience something.” In our passage it means “to have” in the sense of possessing something abstract that is not under the control of the one who possesses it. In other words, a person who has the gift of healing does not control its manifestations. God the Holy Spirit decides when the gift is to be manifested so that healing would take place. In any event, the fifth rhetorical question implies that not every believer has the gift of healing. This fact supports the point of the apostle that we are considering which is that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
The sixth rhetorical question of Apostle Paul that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Do all speak in tongues? Literally, the Greek reads not all speak in tongues? This question is concerned with communication that is inspired by the Holy Spirit so that a person speaks in a language that the person does not understand or have learned. Because speaking in tongue continues to create problem in the church of Christ today as it was in the local church of Corinth, it is important to keep emphasizing what it is. The word “tongues” is translated from a Greek word (glōssa) that we have considered previously but let me review briefly what we said about the Greek word. It is a word that basically means “tongue.” The “tongue” may refer literally to a body part as an organ of speech as what was loosed to enable Zechariah to speak just before the naming of his son, John the Baptist, as we read in Luke 1:64:
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
The word may mean “language” unique to a people as it is used by those from other nations that were present on the Day of Pentecost to acknowledge hearing the disciples speak in their various languages the great things God has done when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place as we read in Acts 2:11:
(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
To remove any misunderstanding of what tongues means in this passage, some of our modern English versions rendered the phrase our own tongues as our own languages as we find, for example, in the NET among others. It is in the sense of “language” that “tongue” is used to describe different peoples of the nations that are redeemed as we read in Revelation 5:9:
And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
The English versions that are prone to literal translation such as the Authorized Version (KJV) or the NASB translated the word “tongue” instead of “language” in this passage in Revelation. The Greek word may mean “ecstatic language,” that is, “an utterance outside the normal patterns of intelligible speech and therefore requiring special interpretation. After considering various usages of the Greek word, we concluded that the Greek word translated “tongues” could mean either “ecstatic language,” that is, an utterance having the form of language but requiring an inspired interpreter for an understanding of the content or “foreign, unintelligible human utterances.” That aside, the apostle’s point is that not everyone has the assignment of speaking in tongues as some advocated in Corinth or even today. The fact that not all believers have the assignment of speaking in tongue or have the gift of speaking in tongues attests to the apostle’s point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
The seventh rhetorical question of Apostle Paul that supports his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued is given in 1 Corinthians 12:29 Do all interpret? Literally, the Greek reads not all interpret? The word “interpret” is translated from a Greek word (diermēneuō) that means “to translate from one language to another” as it is used in connection with the woman Apostle Peter raised from the dead as recorded in Acts 9:36:
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.
The word may mean “to explain (that is, to clarify something so as to make it understandable), to interpret.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:30, it means to “translate” in the sense of to translate from one language to another. It is true the apostle did not specify what is to be translated but that is to be determined from the context of what the apostle said regarding the gift of speaking in tongues. Since what is uttered by the person with the gift of tongue is not intelligible to those who hear it then it is necessary for what is uttered to be translated so that those present would benefit. So, since not everyone has the gift of speaking in tongues, the apostle implies that not everyone has the gift of translating what one with the gift of tongues utters.
It is interesting to note that the apostle did not list interpretation of tongues in the spiritual assignments he gave in 1 Corinthians 12:28. So, why did he then add it as part of the rhetorical questions he presented to make his point that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued? The apostle did not directly provide the answer but what he wrote enables us to understand the reason the apostle added the gift of interpretation of tongues in verse 30. It is because the gift of speaking in tongue would not benefit the church of Christ if the believers who have assembled to worship do not understand what is said. In fact, the apostle makes the point later in this epistle that it is not beneficial to speak in tongues if there is no interpretation of what is said as we read, for example, in 1 Corinthians 14:5:
I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
The point is that speaking in tongues is not beneficial to the church if there is no one to interpret what was uttered by the one who speaks in tongue. Anyway, the apostle included the interpretation of speaking in tongues as one more proof that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued.
Another interesting fact to consider in the rhetorical questions of 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 is that two of the spiritual assignments mentioned in verse 28 were not referenced in these two verses. I mean that the spiritual assignments described with the words “help” and “administration” are not referenced. In effect, the questions that would imply that not everyone has the assignments of help and administration were not asked. To be precise, we do not have the question “do all help?” or “do all administer?” So, we wonder why the Holy Spirit did not direct the apostle to make references to these. If these questions were asked, it would imply that all believers were not expected to help or to provide guidance to others. However, we previously indicated that the concept of help is required of all believers. Take for example, it is because all believers are required to help others that we have the concept of “help” being included as part of the qualification for considering a widow as part of those the church would support as we read in 1 Timothy 5:10:
and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
It is because of the concept of help as that required of all believers that Apostle Paul requested the church in Rome to help Phoebe as we read in Romans 16:2:
I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.
Anyway, it is easy to see that “help” is what is expected of all believers although there are those who have the special assignment related to it but that of “administration” as being required of all believers is difficult to perceive. However, it is easier to see if we recall that the word “administration” used in verse 28 is translated from a Greek word (kybernēsis) that we indicated means “administration” with focus on giving leadership or guidance to the church of Christ. If we focus on the meaning “guidance” then it is easier to see that all believers are expected to carry out the activity associated with guidance. Guidance, of course, is concerned with advice or information provided to resolve a problem or difficulty. Believers are expected to provide guidance or advice to each other. In effect, believers are expected to advise or to admonish each other as we read in Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
The word “admonish” is translated from a Greek word (noutheteō) that means to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct hence may also mean “to warn” or “to instruct,” not in a formal setting. For example, the word is used to indicate that believers should be able to instruct each other or advise each other on spiritual matters as we read in Romans 15:14:
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
The word “instruct” in this passage is not to be understood as a formal instruction since not every believer has the gift of teaching. Instead, it is that of offering advice to each other based on what one has been taught from the Scripture. It is because the sense of “instruct” here is that of advice that the NEB instead of the verbal phrase competent to instruct one another of the NIV translated the Greek as well able to give advice to one another. As we have stated, another meaning of the Greek word “to warn” is part of guidance that believers are expected to carry out to one another as we read, for example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:14:
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
The word “brothers” indicates that the apostle addressed all believers in the local church in Thessalonica since they are the ones the apostle addressed in 1 Thessalonians 5:12:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Therefore, the warning of others regarding idleness is not an instruction given to the spiritual leaders of the congregation but to each believer. Since warning someone is part of guidance then we contend that all believers are expected to be involved in guidance of one another. The point is that believers are expected to give advice or guidance to each other based on what each has learned from the Bible. This being the case, we can understand that the reason the assignment of guidance or administration in the word of the NIV in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is not used in verses 29 and 30 is that every believer is expected to perform that assignment although there are those who are specially gifted to do so. In any event, the third proposition that we have considered is that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued. This brings us to the last proposition derived from the section of 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 we are considering.
The fourth proposition of the section we are considering is that Believers’ focus should not be on gifts associated with the spiritual assignments but on their spiritual life. This proposition is derived from what the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. Before we examine this passage, you should be aware that there are those who think that verse 31 should not be a part of chapter 12 but should belong to chapter 13 since what is given in verse 31 better fits what the apostle gave in the thirteenth chapter. This may well be the case since the divisions of chapter and verses are not part of the inspiration of the Scripture but what scholars did to enable us to have a common way of referencing our Scripture. Thus, it is possible that verse 31 could be considered part of the thirteenth chapter, nonetheless, whether one takes verse 31 as part of the twelfth chapter or the thirteenth chapter does not make much of difference in its analysis since it is indeed a transitional verse that ends the twelfth chapter and introduces the thirteenth chapter.
Be that as it may, as we have stated the fourth proposition is based on the what the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
There is the question of how to relate this verse to what preceded. There are two general ways of viewing the verse. Either that verse 31 is somehow related to the preceding section or that it is not. The second interpretation may result in not beginning the verse with any connectives since the implication of the second interpretation is that the apostle is transitioning to something new. The first interpretation is subject to more interpretations of whether the verse is a result of what has been said or it states something that is contrasting to what preceded. This is because the word “but” is translated from a Greek particle (de) that may be used to connect one clause to another, either to express contrast or simple continuation but in certain occurrences, the marker may be left untranslated. Although it is often translated “but” in the English when there is a perceived contrast between two clauses, it has other meanings such as “now,” “then,” “and,” “so,” when it is used to link segments of a narrative. When it is used to link segments of a narrative, it could be used to insert an explanation in which case it may be translated “that is.” It could also be used to resume a discourse that has been interrupted so that it may be translated “now” or “so then.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, it seems that the apostle used it to state a result of the point he made in verses 29 and 30 which is that God maintains diversity in spiritual assignments in the church and so no spiritual assignment should be undervalued. Therefore, based on this fact, the believers in Corinth and so all believers should be more concerned with something other than spiritual assignments that God gives to the church. This interpretation implies that verse 31 should begin with the word “so.” This is probably the interpretation favored by the translators of the NLT since they began the verse with the word “so.” It is also possible that this interpretation is followed by the translators of the 2011 edition of the NIV since they began verse 31 with the conjunction “now” which may here mean something like “as a consequence of the fact that there is diversity in the spiritual assignment God gives, believers should be more concerned with advancing spiritually.” Or the use of “now” may signal transition to something new. Of course, if it is possible that the apostle may be contrasting the view of the Corinthians regarding spiritual assignments to what they should be focusing.
Be that as it may, the apostle’s concern is given in the instruction of 1 Corinthians 12:31 eagerly desire the greater gifts. The Greek word translated eagerly desire is subject to two interpretations. It could be viewed as a statement of the apostle to the Corinthians or a command to them. Those who take the position that the apostle is merely making a statement generally do so because they think it is unnatural for the apostle to be commanding the Corinthians to desire what he seems to be criticizing about their obsession with some spiritual gifts they consider the greater spiritual gifts such as tongues. This notwithstanding, it is more likely that the apostle issued a command to the Corinthians to desire spiritual gifts that are more beneficial to the church. You see, the apostle used the plural form of the Greek verb so that he was not saying for the Corinthians individually to desire spiritual gifts as if a person could seek them as opposed to God graciously giving them. The apostle’s point is that the church as a whole should be more desirous of what is described as greater gifts that would serve the church and not an individual. Hence, we join those who take the Greek as a command issued to the Corinthians to be what the apostle intended.
Anyway, the expression “eagerly desire” is translated from a Greek word (zēloō) that is used both negatively and positively. Negatively, it may mean to have intense negative feelings over another’s achievements or success, that is, “to be filled with jealousy or envy” as it is used to describe a feeling or attitude that is incompatible with love in 1 Corinthians 13:4:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Positively, the word may mean to be positively and intensely interested in something and so means “to strive, desire, exert oneself earnestly, be dedicated.” The positive sense of the word deals with what is desirable so that the apostle used it three times (including our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31) in his epistle to the Corinthians to instruct them regarding spiritual gifts. He used it for desire for spiritual gifts as we read in 1 Corinthians 14:1:
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
He used it for desire for exercising the gift of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:39:
Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
Interestingly, in these two usages, the apostle used a present tense in issuing the commands. The fact that these two usages involve a command argues that the third usage in the present tense in our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31 should also be seen as a command. The apostle’s usage of present tense in issuing command in 1 Corinthians 12:31 implies that the command he issued should be repeatedly obeyed. That aside, it is in the positive sense that our Greek verb is used in our passage so that it may mean “to be zealous,” that is, to be or become marked by active interest, passion, and enthusiasm for something, often a cause or faith. Hence, the apostle commands the Corinthians and so all believers to repeatedly be passionate about what he instructs.
The thing the apostle instructs is given in 1 Corinthians 12:31 eagerly desire the greater gifts. The word “greater” is translated from a Greek word (megas) that has the basic meaning of “great” but with different nuances. The word may mean “great” in the sense of pertaining to exceeding a standard involving related objects and so may mean “large” as Apostle Paul used it to describe a house as he makes the point that some individuals serve good purposes while others do not as we read 2 Timothy 2:20:
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
The word may mean “great” in the sense of pertaining to being above standard in intensity so that when used with sound or one’s voice the word means “loud” as when the Lord Jesus uttered the words by which He raised Lazarus from the dead as we read in John 11:43:
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The word may mean “great” in the sense of pertaining to being relatively superior in importance hence it may mean “more prominent or outstanding” because of certain advantages. It is in this sense that the word is used by the Samaritan woman to compare the Lord Jesus to Jacob as we read in John 4:12:
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
It is true that the Greek word is translated “greater” here by most of our English versions, but it has the sense of “importance” thus the GW translated the question of the NIV Are you greater than our father Jacob as You’re not more important than our ancestor Jacob, are you? The word may mean “surprising” as Apostle Paul used it in describing satanic agents in 2 Corinthians 11:15:
It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, the Greek word has the sense of “more important.” This means that the thing the apostle said the Corinthians and so all believers should be passionate about or zealous about described in the NIV as greater gifts should be read as more important gifts.
The word “gifts” is translated from a Greek word (charisma) that may mean that which is freely and graciously given hence “favor bestowed, gift.” It is the word used to describe eternal life that God graciously gives as stated in Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our Greek word is used to describe the special gift God gives that is necessary for carrying out special tasks as mediated to Timothy by the laying hands of the elders, presumably during his ordination, as stated in 1 Timothy 4:14:
Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
It is used to describe the special gift bestowed on believers that enable them to serve in the church of Christ as stated in 1 Peter 4:10:
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, it is used in the sense of special gift of a non-material sort, bestowed through God’s generosity on individual Christians hence here refers to “spiritual gift” that God graciously bestows on believers.
In any case, the Holy Spirit through the apostle indicated that the Corinthians and so all believers should be passionate or desirous of more important spiritual gifts. However, the apostle did not immediately tell us what the more important spiritual gifts are but from the fourteenth chapter of this epistle we know that one of the more important spiritual gifts for the church of Christ is the gift of prophecy. This important gift will certainly include that of teaching as that is quite beneficial to any local church. Nonetheless, the apostle turned his attention to what should be more important in the spiritual life of the believer.
We said that the apostle turned his attention to more important fact in the spiritual life because the last clause of 1 Corinthians 12:31 begins with the Greek particle (kai) that is often translated “and” in our English versions as reflected in the NIV and majority of our English versions of this verse we are considering. The meaning “and” may have the sense of being used for additional information that instead of “and” it may be translated “also.” Nonetheless, the Greek particle has several other usages. For example, it may be used to introduce a result that comes from what precedes and so may be translated “and then, and so.” It may be used to mark an explanation so that what follows explains what goes before it, leading to the translation “that is, namely, and so.” It may be used to emphasize a fact as surprising or unexpected or noteworthy with the meaning “and yet” or “and in spite of that” or “nevertheless.” Of course, it could be used simply for emphasis with the meaning “even.” The word may be used for introducing something new, with loose connection to what preceded in which case it may be translated “now” or left untranslated. The question of course, is how the apostle used it in the second clause of 1 Corinthians 12:31 And now I will show you the most excellent way. In our passage, it is used probably to indicate additional information that results from what preceded. Thus, it could be translated “and” or “so” as in the CEV.
The declaration of the apostle in 1 Corinthians 12:31 And now I will show you the most excellent way indicates he was about to state that which is of greater degree of importance to what he stated previously. We say this because of the word “now” in the 1984 edition of the NIV or “yet” in the 2011 edition of the NIV. The word “now” is translated from a Greek adverb (eti) that may mean “still, yet” that may imply time or degree of something. It may also mean “in addition, more, also” in the sense of that which is added to what is already at hand. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, it is used in the sense of “to a greater degree or even more” so may be translated “still” or “even.” Hence, the apostle in a sense indicates that he was about to deal with something of great importance although some take the view that the adverb is concerned with time so the translation “now.”
The thing that is of great importance the apostle is concerned is conveyed in the sentence I will show you the most excellent way. The expression “most excellent” is translated from a Greek word (hyperbolē) that may mean “a degree which exceeds extraordinarily a point on an implied or overt scale of extent” hence means “extraordinary quality/character, to a far greater degree.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, it is used in the sense of “extraordinary overabundance,” that is, the state of having extremely (even superlatively) more than is necessary. The word in the Greek is used to qualify the word “way.”
The word “way” is translated from a Greek word (hodos) that may mean “way, road, highway,” that is, a way for traveling or moving from one place to another as it is used regarding the travelling together of Philip, the evangelist, and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36:
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”
The word may mean “journey, trip, way” in the sense of the action of traveling as the word is used to describe the action of traveling of Paul to Damascus before his conversion when following it, Barnabas introduced him to the apostles, as we read in Acts 9:27:
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
The word may mean “the way, the Christian way of life,” as it is used to describe the whole way of life from a moral and spiritual viewpoint in the most comprehensive sense, and specifically of teaching and manner of life relating to Jesus Christ. This is the sense in which the word is used by Apostle Paul in his defense before Governor Felix in Acts 24:14:
However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,
The word may mean “way, way of life,” that is, the course of behavior as it is used to describe the danger of living a life of righteousness in Christ as a Christian and then to walk away from it, according to 2 Peter 2:21:
It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 12:31, it has the sense of “conduct,” that is, a course of conduct. Hence, the apostle conveyed to the Corinthians and so to us that he was about to state what is more important in the spiritual life. It is this way of conduct both in exercise of spiritual gifts and functioning as a Christian that is more beneficial in the spiritual life that the apostle introduced in the next chapter, which is, of course, “love.” This is probably the reason some commentators believe that at least the second clause of verse 31 should belong to the thirteenth chapter. Anyway, we end our consideration by reminding you of the fourth proposition which is Believers’ focus should not be on gifts associated with their spiritual assignments but on their spiritual life. Of course, the overall message of 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 that we have considered is: Be aware of the specific spiritual assignments God made to individuals in the church but your focus in your spiritual life should not be on the gifts associated with them instead be focused on living out the spiritual life.
09/23/22