12:1 Paul again introduces the next issue with “now concerning” (cf. comment on 7:1a). What Paul communicates in chapters 12–14 is what the Corinthians need to know about spiritual gifts so that they will not be ignorant.

“Spiritual gifts” translates pneumatikos, whose Greek form here could grammatically be either masculine or neuter:

(1)  masculine = “spiritual people,” i.e., people with the Spirit (cf. comments on 2:13–16)

(2)  neuter = “spiritual things” or “spiritual gifts”

TABLE 2.11: Diversity in Unity in 1 Corinthians 12

Although Paul uses pneumatikos to refer to people in 14:37, the term is most likely neuter here for at least two reasons:

(1)  “Spiritual gifts” is what pneumatikos means in 14:1.

(2)  “Spiritual gifts” fits better the overall literary context of chapters 12–14. Paul uses four other terms as synonyms for “spiritual gifts” in this passage, and those terms do not refer to people.216

Pneumatikos, the term that serves as a heading for this section (12:1; 14:1), includes the Greek word for spirit within it (pneuma). Paul focuses on the Spirit in this passage (12:3, 4, 7–9, 11, 13). While “spiritual gifts” is a fine way to translate pneumatikos, a more cumbersome rendering that even more clearly highlights the Spirit might be “gifts of the Spirit” or “gifts the Spirit distributes and empowers.” A spiritual gift is a ministry the Spirit distributes to and empowers in an individual Christian for the common good (cf. vv. 7, 11).217

12:2 This verse qualifies the previous one: the Corinthian Christians, who were formerly pagans, already know that they used to worship mute idols. Idols do not talk (cf. Hab. 2:18–19); the true God is a talking God.

12:3 This verse, an inference from verse 2, begins the content introduced in verse 1:

(1)  When God’s Spirit enables his people to talk, they cannot curse Jesus.

(2)  Only those whom God’s Spirit enables can genuinely testify that Jesus is Lord.

It is challenging to trace Paul’s argument here. He is apparently implying at least two truths about spiritual gifts, particularly about speaking in tongues:

(1)  Paul assures the Corinthians with a background in pagan worship (v. 2) that when God’s Spirit enables his people to speak in tongues, those people are not blaspheming God.218

(2)  All Christians—including those without the gift of tongues—are “in the Holy Spirit” and thus have valuable spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ.

12:4–6 These verses develop verse 3, which mentions the Spirit twice.

“Varieties” translates diairesis, which can refer to either (1) distributions or allotments or (2) differences or “different kinds” (NIV).219 A verb related to that word—diareō—appears in verse 11 and unambiguously means “apportions” (ESV). So diairesis may mean distributions here, which would include the concept of varieties plus the concept of God’s distributing the gifts.

“Gifts” (or “grace-gifts”), “service,” and “activities” are basically synonymous in this context (along with “the manifestation of the Spirit” in v. 7). They refer to spiritual gifts (cf. comment on 12:1).

Paul emphasizes diversity in unity: there are different spiritual gifts (diversity), and the same God empowers them (unity). The triune God—the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father—empowers the gifts in each Christian. There are diverse spiritual gifts, but they all have the same source.

12:7 Now Paul develops verses 4–6. “To each is given” means that God gives spiritual gifts to every Christian. “The manifestation of the Spirit” refers to showing the Spirit—this is what spiritual gifts do.220 The unifying purpose for these diverse gifts that show the Spirit is “for the common good”—the building up of the church.

12:8–10 Next Paul explains his previous statement (v. 7). He lists nine examples of gifts the Spirit distributes to individuals in a church. Eight aspects of this list are noteworthy:

(1) It is not exhaustive. Other lists of spiritual gifts in this literary unit and the rest of the NT differ (cf. 12:28, 29–30; 13:1–3, 8; 14:6, 26; Rom. 12:6–8; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 4:11). But combining all of the gifts in these lists does not result in a fully comprehensive list. The lists are representative.

(2) The gifts do not occur in exactly the same order as in other NT lists. This implies that they do not occur in order from most to least important.

(3) Some Christians do not receive some of these gifts. (Paul states this as explicitly as possible in 1 Cor. 12:29–30.) The Spirit sovereignly distributes the gifts to individuals as he sees fit (v. 7). So it is sinful to insist that all Christians (or all mature Christians or whatever adjective one uses to create a second tier of Christians) must experience a particular gift such as tongues.

(4) Ability does not equal maturity. Possessing a spiritual gift does not mean that one is spiritually mature. Paul opens this letter by thanking God that the Corinthians “are not lacking in any gift [charisma]” (1:7), then proceeds to correct them on issue after issue for acting immaturely.

(5) For the first four gifts, Paul repeats that the Spirit is the one who empowers the gifts. He does this in order to emphasize it, similar to how we might use boldfaced, italicized, or underlined text today.

(6) It is not certain how Paul intends to group the nine gifts. They are possibly arranged in four groups: advice (gifts 1–2), miracles (gifts 3–5), prophecy (gifts 6–7), and tongues (gifts 8–9).

(7) Paul saves prophecy and tongues for last (gifts 6–9), probably because they are the two primary gifts he addresses in chapters 12–14. He lists tongues last not because it is least valuable but probably because some of the Corinthians are divisively claiming that speaking in tongues is more important than other gifts.

(8) Paul does not precisely define each gift (which is not his point anyway; he mentions these nine gifts to emphasize that the Spirit distributes diverse gifts), so we can only guess what some of them are:

(1–2) The difference between the “utterance of wisdom” and the “utterance of knowledge” is difficult to distinguish. It is also unclear whether these are extraordinary or relatively common.221 If these two gifts are extraordinary, then they apparently overlap with prophecy (cf. excursus at 14:1–40). This suggests that the two gifts are probably not extraordinary but instead include the ability to give wise and knowledgeable advice in specific situations.222

(3) The gift of “faith” refers not to saving faith but to a type of faith that only some Christians have—probably an extraordinary faith, the mountain-moving faith of 13:2. Such faith seems to be a miraculous ability to trust God in a specific situation for something God does not explicitly promise in the Bible.223

(4) “Healing” is helping a sick or wounded person become healthy again. It likely includes the previous gift—an extraordinary faith. A more form-based translation might be “gifts of healings,” which suggests that the Spirit distributes this gift to individuals for different sorts of healings and in specific instances. In other words, this is not a permanent gift of healer by which a person can heal anybody of any sickness any time he or she wants. Rather, this is a specific gift the Spirit sovereignly distributes in specific situations.

(5) “Working of miracles” is a more general term that includes the previous two gifts and also includes other sorts of miracles, such as exorcisms. “A miracle is an event (a) brought about by the power of God that is a (b) temporary (c) exception (d) to the ordinary course of nature (e) for the purpose of showing that God has acted in history.”224

(6–7) On “prophecy,” cf. excursus at 14:1–40. The “ability to distinguish between spirits” probably refers to the ability to evaluate prophecies wisely (cf. comment on 14:29).225 Gifts 6–7 appear to parallel gifts 8–9: first a prominent gift is named, followed by a related gift necessary for the first one to be edifying. Those whom God enables to evaluate prophecy can discern what is from God and what is not—especially what is demonic. “If 1 John 4:1–6 is anything to go by, the outworking of this gift may on occasion be the by-product of profound doctrinal discernment.”226

(8–9) On “tongues,” cf. excursus at 1 Corinthians 14:1–40.

12:11 The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to individual Christians “as he wills”—that is, “just as the Spirit sees fit.”227 He sovereignly determines how to empower each believer with specific gifts (cf. vv. 18, 24, 28). Therefore it is sinful to be discontent with the gifts the Spirit has distributed to anyone as an individual or to the church as a whole.

12:12 Paul explains verse 11 with an analogy that extends through verse 26 (cf. Rom. 12:4–5; Eph. 4:11–16). A physical body is a single, whole body (unity), and it has many members or parts (diversity). “So it is with Christ”—that is, “with the body of Christ” (so NLT), the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:27).228 Christ identifies himself with the church such that to persecute the church is to persecute Christ (Acts 9:4).

A local church (such as the church at Corinth that Paul is addressing) is a single, whole body, and it has many members or parts. That is, the Spirit has distributed different spiritual gifts to different individuals within that church.229

12:13 The many members of the church in Corinth are one body (v. 12) because “in one Spirit” they “were all baptized into one body” and “all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

“Jews or Greeks, slaves or free” specifies what “we . . . all” refers to. The church in Corinth consists of all sorts of people, but they share Spirit baptism in common.

This is the central text for Spirit baptism. The NT mentions Spirit baptism eleven times: John the Baptist predicts that it will occur (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33); Jesus guarantees that it will occur (Acts 1:5; cf. Luke 11:13; 24:49; John 7:37–39; 14:1–17:26); Peter affirms that it did occur (Acts 11:16); and Paul explains its theological significance (Rom. 6:1–4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12).230 Spirit baptism is Christ’s judicially placing Christians in the Holy Spirit when God regenerates them, thus placing them into the body of Christ.231 Paul teaches here that all Christians are Spirit baptized. All Christians share “one baptism” (Eph. 4:5). The NT never commands or exhorts Christians to pursue or receive Spirit baptism, for they already are Spirit baptized.232

12:14 Paul explains verse 13 by repeating the illustration in verse 12. A physical body does not have only one part; it has many. So it is with the body of Christ (vv. 12, 27).

12:15–17 To illustrate verse 14 comically,233 Paul personifies the foot and the ear as if they could think for themselves. It would be ridiculous for a foot to say, “I am not part of the body because I am a foot, not a hand.” It would be ridiculous for an ear to say, “I am not part of the body because I am an ear, not an eye.” Even if a foot or ear could say such things, it would still be part of the body. If a body were nothing but an eyeball rolling around, it could not hear. If a body were nothing but an ear, it could not smell. Each body part is interdependent. Paul’s point is that each part of the body is important for a body to be healthy and to function optimally.

12:18 In contrast to the comical illustration in verses 15–17, God in fact did not design a physical body as only a single body part. Instead he skillfully designed and arranged each body part within a body exactly as he wanted. As an implication, we creatures have no right to question whether a particular body part is important, since God the Creator designed each part to function as a part of the whole.

12:19–20 A body simply could not function if it consisted entirely of a single body part, such as an eye or an ear. In reality, a single body has many body parts. All the parts are important.

12:21 To illustrate this point (v. 20), Paul demonstrates how preposterous it would be for a single body part (such as the eye or the head) to say to a different one (such as the hand or the feet), “I have no need of you.” All of the various body parts work together for the sake of the whole body.

12:22–24a These verses serve as a contrast to verse 21 and an illustration of verse 20. The body parts that are “weaker,” “less honorable,” and “unpresentable” are probably sexual organs. Even though we do not display our private parts to others, they are “indispensable”; we treat them with “greater honor” by treating them “with greater modesty.”

12:24b–25 In contrast to the polarities in verses 22–23, God the creator has designed the physical body with a specific purpose: to give “greater honor to the part that lacked it.” For what purposes? (1) Negatively, in order that “there may be no division in the body.” (2) Positively, in order that the various body parts “may have the same care for one another.”

12:26 This verse illustrates the positive purpose in verse 25b:

(1) When one body part suffers, the whole body suffers. Whether an arm is broken or a tooth aches or an ankle is sprained or the lower back is sore or our head aches, that injury affects the entire body—not just one isolated body part.

(2) When one body part “is honored,” the entire body rejoices—not just that one isolated body part. Whether people honor someone for his voice, his biceps, or his brain, their praise honors the whole person—not just one isolated body part.

12:27 Paul’s metaphor about a physical body in verses 12–26 has been building to this point. For the first time he explicitly specifies what his extended analogy illustrates: the church in Corinth is “the body of Christ.” This is how each individual church member should think of him- or herself: as one of many valuable members (diversity) within a single body (unity). For what that implies, see Response section on 12:1–14:40: (1).

12:28 Next the apostle positively illustrates verse 27. God has sovereignly appointed individuals in the church with different spiritual gifts. Paul lists eight examples. At least four aspects of the list are noteworthy:

(1) Only three gifts occur both here and in verses 8–10: miracles, healings, and various kinds of tongues.

(2) Paul says “prophets” here instead of “prophecy” (v. 10). It may be that all prophets prophesy but that not all who prophesy are prophets. In other words, God may occasionally give a Christian the ministry of prophesying in a specific instance, but “prophets” refers to those whom God enables more regularly to serve that way.

(3) Paul numbers the first three gifts, which are people who embody certain ministries: “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.” To rank the gifts in order of importance would contradict what Paul has been arguing in chapter 12, so it is more likely that the numbering is chronological: God first appointed apostles; then he appointed prophets at Pentecost; then he appointed teachers.234

(4) Four gifts do not occur at all in verses 8–10:

(1) “Apostles” refers to the Twelve (i.e., the group Jesus chose during his earthly ministry, with Matthias replacing Judas Iscariot in Acts 1:26) plus Paul. Christ specifically called and commissioned these men as apostles (Matt. 10:1–15; Acts 1:24–26; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:1), and these men witnessed the resurrected Jesus (Acts 1:22; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–9). Jesus gave commands to the church through the apostles (2 Pet. 3:2).235

(2) “Teachers” explain and apply Scripture clearly. Christ gives the church “shepherds and teachers” (Eph. 4:11)—all pastors should be teachers, but not all teachers are pastors.236

(3) “Gifts of . . . helping” refers to “helpful deeds” in general (BDAG, s.v. ἀντίλημψις). One serving as a deacon or deaconess employs this gift (but not only those in that office).

(4) “Gifts of . . . administrating” or “guidance” (NIV) or “leadership” (NET, NLT) refers to “varieties of such leading positions in the ecclesial body of Christ” (BDAG, s.v. κυβέρνησις). One serving as a pastor-elder-overseer employs this gift (but not only those in that office).

12:29–30 Now Paul negatively illustrates verse 27. Each of Paul’s seven questions expects the same negative answer. Not every individual member of the body of Christ is an apostle or prophet or teacher. Not every individual member of the body of Christ works miracles or possesses gifts of healings or speaks with tongues or interprets tongues. All Christians receive some gifts, and no Christian receives all of them. Therefore, fellow church members need each other to function in a healthy way.

12:31 This verse transitions to chapters 13–14. What Paul has written thus far in chapter 12 prepares the Corinthians for what follows. Paul directly addresses the specific problem in chapter 14: some Corinthians desire the gift of tongues more than the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is what Paul has in mind when he commands, “Earnestly desire237 the higher gifts,” that is, “the greater gifts” (NASB, NIV, CSB, NET), the gifts that most build up the church when the church meets together. To paraphrase: “You are earnestly desiring the gift of tongues, but you should earnestly desire more edifying gifts instead—like prophecy.” But before Paul directly addresses that problem, he shows the Corinthians “a still more excellent way”—namely, the way of love (ch. 13).

13:1 “Tongues of men and of angels” is probably a poetic way of referring to impressive, aesthetically pleasing speech in every kind of language—including speaking in tongues.239 For the comical opposite of an aesthetically pleasing sound, imagine someone repeatedly, chaotically, and loudly clanging a cymbal.240 That is what the most impressive speaker is like without love.

13:2 “Prophetic powers” refers to the gift of prophecy. To understand “all mysteries and all knowledge” is to be omniscient like God. Having “all faith” refers to the most remarkable degree possible.241 But even if we have all of these most impressive gifts, we are nothing without love.

13:3 There are two viable ways to translate the second phrase:

(1)  “if I deliver up my body to be burned” (ESV; cf. KJV, NKJV, NASB, RSV)

(2)  “if I deliver up my body that I may boast” (ESV mg.; cf. NIV, NET, CSB, NRSV, NLT)

The translations differ because of a significant and viable text-critical issue, namely, whether the text reads καυθήσομαι (kauthēsomai) or καυχήσωμαι (kauchēsōmai) (with the differences underlined). These two options differ by only two Greek letters. The first option may seem to make more sense to us, and it appears in quite a few manuscripts. But the internal and external evidence makes the second option (cf. ESV mg.) more likely.

Unfortunately, martyrdom by burning was common in the NT church’s early centuries. But it was not common at all for Christians when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. So what does Paul mean if he writes, “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body that I may boast, but have not love, I gain nothing”? Paul specifies two parallel acts: (1) giving away all of one’s possessions and (2) giving away one’s body. One way to give away one’s own body in Paul’s day was by selling oneself into slavery in order to provide for other people or to exchange places with a prisoner. Paul’s point is that even if we do the most apparently unselfish act in order to glory in our weakness, it profits us nothing if we do it without love.

13:4–8a Paul writes “but have not love” three times in verses 1–3. Love is not an object we can buy. To “have” love is to behave in a loving way, which Paul describes here by personifying love with sixteen action verbs, seven positive (descriptions 1–2, 11–15) and nine negative (3–10, 16).242

Descriptions 1–2 (v. 4a) passively and actively explain how love responds to sinful people.

(1)  Love is “patient,” that is, forbearing, long-suffering. It does not retaliate (cf. Rom. 12:14, 17–19).

(2)  Love is “kind,” that is, merciful, compassionate. It overcomes evil with good (cf. Rom. 12:20–21).

Descriptions 3–9 (1 Cor. 13:4b–5) explain how love does not behave. A person cannot simultaneously do these actions and yet claim to love.

(3)  Love “does not envy.” “Covetousness wants what the other guy has; envy is angry that the other guy has it.”243 “There is jealousy and strife among” the Corinthians (3:3), but love rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep (cf. Rom. 12:15).

(4)  Love does not “boast,” which translates a word that means “to heap praise on oneself, behave as a . . . ‘braggart, windbag.’”244

(5)  Love is not “arrogant,” which translates a word that means “to cause to have an exaggerated self-conception, puff up, make proud.”245 This describes some of the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6, 18, 19; 5:2). Love associates with the lowly and is not wise in its own sight (cf. Rom. 12:16).

(6)  Love is not “rude,” or indecent. It outdoes others in showing honor (cf. Rom. 12:10).

(7)  Love “does not insist on its own way.” It looks to the interests of others (cf. 1 Cor. 10:33; Rom. 15:3; Phil. 2:4, 20–21). It lives in harmony with others (cf. Rom. 12:16). As much as possible, it lives peaceably with all (cf. Rom. 12:18).

(8)  Love is not “irritable.” A minor (perceived) offense does not trigger an explosive temper.

(9)  Love is not “resentful.” In the Greek it “does not count the evil.” Love does not strive to get even with others. This is the negative way of stating the first description on the list: “Love is patient.”

Descriptions 10–11 (1 Cor. 13:6) explain love’s posture toward evil and truth. It hates what God hates and loves what God loves.

(10)  Love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing”. It “abhor[s] what is evil” (Rom. 12:9).246

(11)  Love “rejoices with the truth.” It “hold[s] fast to what is good” (Rom. 12:9).

Descriptions 12–15 (1 Cor. 13:7) are a chiasm that explains how love relates to others in all circumstances.247 It never stops (A + A') but has the best interest of others in mind (B + B').

(A)  Love bears all things.

(B)  Love believes all things.

(B')  Love hopes all things.

(A')  Love endures all things.

(12)  Love “bears all things.” Love endures anything for the sake of the gospel (9:12).

(13)  Love “believes all things.” Paul does not mean that love is naively gullible. Rather, love generously believes the best about others rather than being sinfully cynical.

(14)  Love “hopes all things.” It wants others to flourish (cf. 2 Cor. 1:7; 10:15).

(15)  Love “endures all things.” It never gives up.

The final description (1 Cor. 13:8a) transitions to verses 8b–13.

(16)  Love “never ends.” It is everlasting.

The ultimate example of love is the triune God. For example, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. . . . God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:5, 8).

It is impossible for a sinful human to embody love perfectly—particularly when Christians use their spiritual gifts when the church meets together. But the gospel requires God’s holy people to mature in purity and unity; that is, Christians must mature in love (cf. Introduction: Theology of 1 Corinthians). Love for one another is the mark of Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35). So Christians must grow to love others just as God unselfishly and sacrificially loves others (cf. John 3:16; 1 John 4:8–10, 19).

13:8 This verse has four lines. The first line (“Love never ends”) contrasts with the next three. Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will end because they will no longer be necessary.

Some who believe the spiritual gift of tongues ceased in the first century support this view with the verb translated “will cease” (Gk. pauō). The Greek verb is in the middle voice, which here allegedly means “cease for themselves.” That is, unlike prophecies and knowledge, which “will pass away,” there is something intrinsic to tongues that results in their stopping—like how a battery-powered device stops working when its battery drains.249

In response: (1) This particular verb prefers the middle voice form while functioning like the active voice (e.g., Luke 8:24).250 (2) Paul is using stylistic variation in an A-B-A' chiasm (“pass away . . . cease . . . pass away”). (3) The next sentence (1 Cor. 13:9–10) begins with “for” because it explains why prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will pass away.251

13:9–10 These verses explain verse 8. A more form-based translation might read, “For in part [ek merous] we know and in part [ek merous] we prophesy, but when the completeness [to teleion] comes, what is in part [to ek merous] will pass away.” At this point in the history of salvation, what we know is only partial, and what we prophesy is only partial. But that partial understanding will pass away “when the perfect [NIV: “completeness”] comes.”

There are three notable views on what “when the perfect comes” refers to:

(1)  When Scripture is complete, that is, when the canon is closed, when God has finished writing the Bible, when we may not add any more books to the Bible.252

(2)  When the church attains full maturity, that is, when the Lord raptures the church (before the tribulation), which has already reached a higher level of spiritual maturity than the pre-canon church as a result of having a completed Scripture.253

(3)  When Jesus returns, that is, when the situation that Jesus’ return creates comes.

The first two views are creative ways to support cessationism,254 but they do not fit the literary context. It is difficult to imagine how Paul could possibly have the completed canon in mind, and any kind of maturity prior to Jesus’ return “simply trivializes the language of verse 12.”255 The contrasts in verses 8–13 between now and later (cf. table 2.12) make sense only if Paul is contrasting what we experience now with what we will experience as a result of Jesus’ returning—when “the end” comes (15:24). The way Paul begins the letter further suggests that spiritual gifts operate until Jesus returns: “You are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:7). (Cf. comments on 13:11–13.)256

13:11 This verse illustrates verses 9–10. There is a big difference in maturity between how a child speaks, thinks, and reasons and how an adult does. This parallels our partial knowledge now versus later. This is the analogy:

child : adult :: knowledge now : knowledge later

13:12 Paul alludes to Numbers 12:6–8, which contrasts how God revealed himself to prophets more indirectly with how he revealed himself more directly to Moses (cf. Deut. 34:10).

The first sentence supports and illustrates 1 Corinthians 13:9–11. There is a big difference between indirectly seeing someone’s reflection (or, to update the analogy, seeing someone’s photograph) and directly seeing that person face to face.257 We do not see Christ face to face now, but we will do so when he returns (cf. Matt. 5:8; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4).

The second sentence repeats 1 Corinthians 13:9–10 and adds a qualifier: we will know just as God has fully known us. Paul does not mean that we will be omniscient, like God (see the analogy in v. 11). Rather, what hinders us from knowing more fully now, namely, sin and its effects on how we think and feel, will no longer hinder us. Our knowledge now versus our knowledge then will be like the difference between being outside in pitch darkness with a flashlight versus being outside when the sun is brightly shining. When the sun rises, we do not need the flashlight anymore—just as we will not need spiritual gifts such as tongues and prophecy.

13:13 This final verse of the chapter develops verses 8–12 and reconfirms that “a still more excellent way” (12:31) refers to love.

“So now” continues the now-later contrast (cf. table 2.12). Paul frequently refers to the faith-hope-love triad in his letters (e.g., Col. 1:4–5; 1 Thess. 1:3; 5:8). He mentions it here to demonstrate that love is superior. The qualities of faith (trusting God for what we cannot see) and hope (confidently expecting God to do what he has promised) are temporary: (1) Now we walk by faith, but then we will walk by sight (2 Cor. 5:7; cf. 4:18). (2) Now we hope for what we cannot see, but then we will no longer need to hope for what we see (Rom. 8:24–25). Faith and hope—in these senses—will be unnecessary “when the perfect comes” (1 Cor. 13:10) but “love never ends” (v. 8).258 And this should not be surprising, since, among faith, hope, and love, “love is the all-embracing virtue,” and only love is an attribute of God.259

14:1 “Pursue love” connects to 12:31–13:13. The way of love is the “still more excellent way” (12:31). “The greatest of these is love” (13:13b). The inference is clear: pursue love! The Corinthians have not been following the way of love; they have been childish in their thinking about spiritual gifts (cf. 14:20) by earnestly desiring the flashy gift of tongues (cf. v. 12). But love is not motivating that earnest desire. The way to pursue the way of love in the context of using spiritual gifts when the church gathers together is to desire earnestly to prophesy (cf. v. 39).

14:2 When a Christian speaks in tongues, he is not addressing fellow humans but is speaking directly to God in such a way that humans cannot understand. The Spirit enables such a person to utter “mysteries” (Gk. mystēria), a word Paul probably uses here “in a nontechnical sense.”283

14:3 In contrast to tongues (v. 2), humans can understand prophecies. A person who speaks in tongues addresses God directly in language only God understands, but a person who prophesies addresses fellow humans directly (cf. table 2.14).

TABLE 2.14: Tongues vs. Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:2–4

Paul describes what prophecy does:

(1) “Upbuilding” translates a word that refers to the “process of building, building, construction.”284 Paul uses it figuratively for spiritually strengthening fellow Christians.

(2) “Encouragement” translates a word that could refer to an “act of emboldening another in belief or course of action, encouragement, exhortation” or to the “lifting of another’s spirits, comfort, consolation.”285

(3) “Consolation” translates a word that means “that which serves as encouragement to one who is depressed or in grief.”286

Thus prophecies (1) build up, (2) encourage or exhort, and (3) console others. They do not tear down, discourage, or frighten others.

14:4 Tongues are not as edifying as prophecy. Tongues build up only the one person speaking in them, but prophecy builds up the whole church (table 2.14).

14:5 The spiritual gift of tongues is not bad! It is a gracious gift from God, and Paul wishes that all of the Corinthians could experience it (not all did—cf. 12:30). But, even more, Paul wishes all the Corinthians could prophesy, because prophecy (and interpreted tongues) is more edifying since it builds up the church.

When Paul says that “the one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,” he means not that such a person is inherently better than the other but that such a person is more edifying.

The qualification “unless someone interprets” does not mean that prophecy and interpreted tongues are identical (cf. excursus at 14:1–40). Paul’s point is that they are equally intelligible and thus edifying.

14:6 Paul illustrates the previous sentence. If he met with the Corinthian church and spoke in tongues, he would not build them up. What would build them up is intelligible words.

Paul lists four types of intelligible words—apparently in an A-B-A'-B' pattern:287

(A)  revelation: information one receives

(B)  knowledge: information one possesses

(A')  prophecy: means of communicating revelation

(B')  teaching: means of communicating knowledge

14:7–8 Now Paul illustrates verse 6 using the concept of musical instruments—lifeless objects that make sounds. If a person makes random noises on an instrument such as the flute or harp, the hearer cannot discern a tune. And if a military bugle’s call to arms is unclear, then soldiers cannot discern if they should prepare for battle.

14:9–11 The principle that applies to musical instruments (vv. 7–8) applies also to one’s physical tongue. If someone uses his physical tongue to speak in tongues, others cannot understand him. It is like being in a situation in which someone is speaking a foreign language that no one else in the room knows.

14:12 Paul commands the Corinthians to “strive to excel in building up the church.” They earnestly desire spiritual gifts,288 but the problem is that they desire a less edifying gift (tongues) more than a more edifying one (prophecy).

14:13 This verse is an inference from all that has come before in this chapter. Since the Corinthians should strive to build up the church, a person who speaks in tongues when the church gathers should ask God to enable him to interpret those words as well. In such a case, the same person would both speak in tongues and interpret what he has just spoken. Unintelligible words do not build up the church; intelligible words do.

14:14 When a person prays in a tongue (v. 13), he is genuinely praying (God understands him), but the one praying does not understand what he himself is saying.

Speaking in tongues and praying in tongues are identical in this passage. Speaking in tongues is a way to pray to God (cf. v. 2).

14:15 To pray or sing praise with one’s spirit refers to speaking in tongues, while to pray or sing praise with one’s mind refers to understanding what someone is saying when God enables him to interpret what he has just prayed in tongues (cf. v. 13). So to paraphrase Paul, “In the context of a church meeting, if God gives me the gift of tongues, what should I do? I should speak in tongues. But I should also interpret what I say.”

14:16 Now Paul provides a reason for what he has just said (v. 15): if someone thanks God in a tongue, then no one else can thank God along with that person since his words are unintelligible.

“An outsider” translates idiōtēs, which means either (1) “a person who is relatively unskilled or inexperienced in some activity or field of knowledge, layperson, amateur in contrast to an expert or specialist of any kind,” or (2) “one who is not knowledgeable about some particular group’s experience, one not in the know, outsider.”289 Here the second definition is more likely. Although Paul uses the same word in verses 23–24 to refer to unbelievers, here it refers to a believer. Paul’s logic requires that such a person could say “Amen” to the thanksgiving if he or she understood it, and only a believer could do that.290 (Cf. comment on 14:23.)

14:17 In explanation of verse 16, Paul points out that the one giving thanks with his spirit may be genuinely thanking God, but speaking in uninterpreted tongues does not build up others. Others must understand before they can be edified.

14:18 Verses 16–17 might mislead some to conclude that tongues are not a valuable gift, so Paul clarifies that tongues are a gift from God, and if God gives them, we should gratefully thank him for that gift.

It would probably surprise the Corinthians to learn that Paul privately speaks in tongues more than they do. Sharing this information gives Paul even more credibility as he argues that prophecy is more edifying than tongues in church meetings.

14:19 In an inference from verses 16–17 and a contrast to verse 18, the apostle states that speaking in tongues is good (v. 18), but speaking intelligible words is more edifying—even if one speaks only five intelligible words versus ten thousand in a tongue!

14:20 Now Paul draws an inference from the entire chapter thus far (vv. 1–19) that both appeals to and rebukes the Corinthians. They are childishly desiring to speak unintelligible words in church meetings more than they desire to speak intelligible ones.

Christians should not be intimately familiar with evil by experience. Rather, they should think maturely about spiritual gifts.

14:21 Paul supports verse 20 by quoting “the Law,” the OT, specifically Isaiah 28:11–12 (cf. Deut. 28:49). In the context of Isaiah 28, God will judge unbelieving Israelites by means of the Assyrian army, that is, “by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue” (Isa. 28:11). The unbelieving Israelites will not be able to understand what the Assyrians say, but they will know it negatively signifies that God is judging them.

14:22 Paul infers a principle from verse 21: uninterpreted tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers: a negative sign that God is judging unbelievers. In contrast, prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers (primarily; cf. vv. 24–25).

The ESV reads, “Prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers,” and the ESV footnote qualifies, “Greek lacks a sign,” that is, “Prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.” Since Paul does not repeat the Greek verb for “is” in the second half of this verse but certainly implies it, he probably implies the word sign in the second half as well, as in the ESV. If so, then the second sign differs from the first one: the first sign negatively signifies that God is judging unbelievers, while the second sign positively signifies that God is blessing believers.291

14:23 It follows from verse 22 that if (a) the church comes together, and (b) everyone speaks in uninterpreted tongues,292 and (c) unbelievers are present, then those unbelievers will think that “you are out of your minds.”

“Outsiders or unbelievers” refer to the same group of people: non-Christians. “Outsiders” translates idiōtai (cf. comment on 14:16). The literary context determines the nature of such an outsider. In verse 16 (where Paul is contrasting a Christian tongues-speaker with a Christian listening to such tongues-speaking) the “outsider” is a Christian who does not understand what a tongues-speaker is saying. In verses 23–24 (where Paul is contrasting Christians with non-Christians), an outsider is a non-Christian who does not understand what tongues-speakers are saying.

14:24–25 In contrast to verse 23, if (a) the church comes together, and (b) everyone prophesies, and (c) an unbeliever is present, then God may use that prophecy to build up the church by (1) convicting an unbeliever (cf. John 16:8–11), (2) calling unbelievers to account so that they sense that they are under God’s wrath, and (3) laying bare unbelievers’ innermost secrets. Consequently, such unbelieving outsiders may lay down their arms of rebellion against God and worship him (i.e., God may enable them to repent and believe) as they exclaim that God is really among the believers (alluding to Isa. 45:14 and Zech. 8:23).

14:26 When the Corinthian church comes together, they are in danger of having chaotic meetings. When various individuals show up with their own plans of how to participate in the worship gathering, the result could be disorder and thus less building up of believers. Paul exhorts the church to use spiritual gifts in an orderly way so that the gifts actually build up others.

Paul lists five specific examples of how an individual might contribute to a church meeting:

(1)  “A hymn” refers to singing praise to God.

(2)  “A lesson” refers to teaching the Bible (cf. Acts 2:42).

(3)  “A revelation” probably refers to prophecy.

(4)  “A tongue” refers to speaking in tongues.

(5)  “An interpretation” refers to explaining what someone who speaks in tongues has said.

The rest of this unit focuses on tongues and prophecy.

14:27–28 In the list of five items in the previous verse (v. 26), each activity inherently builds up the church, except for “a tongue.” So Paul applies his overall principle for church meetings— “Let all things be done for building up” (v. 26)—to speaking in tongues.

Paul lists three criteria for speaking in tongues in an orderly way:

(1)  “Only two or at most three” people may speak in tongues during a church meeting.

(2)  Each person speaking in tongues must speak “in turn.”

(3)  Someone present must interpret—either the person who speaks in tongues (v. 13) or someone else with the gift of interpreting tongues. If no one with that gift is present, then no one should speak in tongues during the church meeting.295 Instead, each person should “keep silent” and “speak to himself and to God”—that is, they must be silent in the church meeting and speak in tongues privately.

14:29 Only two or three prophets should speak,296 and the church must “weigh” or evaluate what these prophets say (cf. 1 Thess. 5:20–21; 1 John 4:1–3).297 (Cf. excursus at 1 Cor. 14:1–40.)

14:30 Paul qualifies his previous command (v. 29a): if, while someone is prophesying, God reveals something to another person, the one speaking should stop. It would be confusing and disorderly for two or more people to prophesy simultaneously.

14:31–32 Now Paul provides two reasons simultaneous prophecy should be avoided (v. 30):

(1)  The Corinthians “can all prophesy one by one” (v. 31). There is no good reason for multiple people to prophesy simultaneously, but there are two purposes for prophesying in an orderly way: that all may “learn” and “be encouraged.”

(2)  “The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (v. 32).298

14:33b–34a Paul adds a qualification to his previous command concerning the evaluation of prophecy (v. 29b): women should not evaluate prophecies audibly during church meetings.299 Paul cannot mean that women must never speak at all during a church meeting, because in this same letter he encourages women to pray and prophesy during church meetings with their heads covered (11:5, 13; cf. Acts 2:17; 21:8–9). The literary context—especially the A-B-A'-B' pattern of 1 Corinthians 14:29–36 (cf. comment on 14:29–36)—specifies that the nature of this silence is with reference to evaluating prophecies audibly during church meetings.

What Paul is commanding is not unique to the church in Corinth. It is the practice of “all the churches of the saints” (14:33b).300 Paul repeatedly emphasizes that what he teaches is consistent with what he teaches other churches (4:17; 7:17; 14:33, 36; cf. 1:2).

14:34b Paul supplies a reason for his command concerning women (vv. 33b–34a): women should be in submission (cf. Eph. 5:22; 1 Tim. 2:11–12; 1 Pet. 3:1). To evaluate prophecies audibly during the church meetings would be inappropriate.

Paul supports his argument with the phrase “as the Law also says.” “Law” refers to the OT (as it does in 1 Cor. 14:21), probably Genesis 2:20b–24 specifically (which Paul cites in 1 Cor. 11:8–9).303

14:35b Now Paul provides the reason for this statement (v. 35a): “it is shameful” for a woman to evaluate prophecies audibly during church meetings.

14:36 These rhetorical questions reinforce verses 33b–35. Paul anticipates that some Corinthians might question what he instructs, so he asks two rhetorical questions that convey the following propositions:

(1)  It is not from you that God’s word first came. It did not start with the Corinthians. (Paul himself first preached it to them!)

(2)  You are not the only ones whom God’s Word has reached. God did not reveal his Word only to the Corinthians.

14:37–38 What follows are two warnings that are inferences of verse 36:

(1)  If anyone thinks he is a prophet (i.e., has the gift of prophecy) or “spiritual” (i.e., has other spiritual gifts, especially the gift of tongues), he should not dismiss what Paul instructs about spiritual gifts (cf. 3:18; 8:2). What Paul writes is “a command of the Lord.”

(2)  If anyone refuses to recognize that what Paul writes has divine authority, then God does not recognize that person. If anyone ignores what Paul writes, then God will ignore that person. In other words, Paul warns that even though such a person may insist that he or she has prophesied in God’s name, God will reply on judgment day, “I never knew you” (Matt. 7:21–23; cf. Ps. 1:6; 1 Cor. 8:3).

14:39–40 Next the apostle draws a threefold inference from verses 1–38 (and 12:1–14:38):

(1)  The Corinthians should desire earnestly to prophesy. Paul wants the Corinthians to value prophecy more than tongues.

(2)  The Corinthians ought not forbid others from speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is not bad; it simply is not as edifying as prophecy when the church meets. But it can be edifying when the church follows what Paul instructs (esp. vv. 27–28).

(3)  The Corinthians must use spiritual gifts in church meetings “decently and in order.” In the literary context, doing “all things” in this way refers to the church’s using the spiritual gifts in an orderly manner when they meet together.