1549 英翻中(林前10課12-13章)Be wise about the church body 對教會身體要有智慧 23/4/2026
CHAPTER
TEN BE WISE ABOUT THE
CHURCH BODY 1 Corinthians 12—13
One of
the marks of an individual’s maturity is a growing understanding of, and
appreciation for, his own body. There is a parallel in the spiritual life: as
we mature in Christ, we gain a better understanding of the church, which is
Christ’s body. The emphasis in recent years on “body life” has been a good one.
It has helped to counteract the wrong emphasis on “individual Christianity”
that can lead to isolation from the local church.
Of
course, the image of the body is not the only one Paul used in discussing the
church, and we must be careful not to press it too far. The church is also a
family, an army, a temple, and even a bride; and each image has important
lessons to teach us. However, in three of his letters, Paul gave emphasis to
the church as a body; and, in each of these passages, he brought out the same
three important truths: unity, diversity, and maturity. The following chart
makes this clear.
Unity Diversity
Maturity
1 Corinthians
12:1–13
Romans 12:1–5 12:6–8 12:9–21
Ephesians 4:1–6 4:7–12
It is
impossible to discuss the body without also discussing the ministry of the Holy
Spirit. It was the Spirit who gave birth to the body at Pentecost and who ministers
in and through the body. In the Corinthian church, unfortunately, the members
were grieving the Holy Spirit by the carnal ways in which they were using
spiritual gifts. They were like children with toys instead of adults with
valuable tools, and they needed to mature.
1. Unity: The Gift of
the Spirit (12:1–13)
Since
there was division in the Corinthian church, Paul began with an emphasis on the
oneness of the church. He pointed out four wonderful bonds of spiritual unity.
We
confess the same Lord (vv. 1–3). Paul contrasted their experience as
unconverted idolaters with their present experience as Christians. They had worshipped
dead idols, but now they belonged to the living God. Their idols never spoke to
them, but God spoke to them by His Spirit, and He even spoke through them in
the gift of prophecy. When they were lost, they were under the control of the
demons (1 Cor.
It is
only through the Spirit that a person can honestly say, “Jesus is Lord.” A
sneering sinner may mouth the words, but he is not giving a true confession.
(Perhaps Paul was referring to things they had said when influenced by the
demons prior to conversion.) It is important to note that the believer is
always in con[1]trol
of himself when the Holy Spirit is at work (1 Cor.
If
Jesus Christ truly is Lord in our lives, then there should be unity in the
church. Division and dissension among God’s people only weakens their united
testi[1]mony
to a lost world (John
We
depend on the same God (vv. 4–6). There is a trinitarian emphasis here: “the
same Spirit … the same Lord … the same God.” We individually may have different
gifts, ministries, and ways of working, but “it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil.
We
minister to the same body (vv. 7–11). The gifts are given for the good of the
whole church. They are not for individual enjoyment, but for corporate
employment. The Corinthians especially needed this reminder, because they were
using their spiritual gifts selfishly to promote themselves and not to prosper
the church. When we accept our gifts with humility, then we use them to promote
harmony, and this helps the whole church.
The
various gifts are named in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 and 28, and also in Ephesians
We have
already discussed apostles (1 Cor. 9:1–6). Prophets were New Testament
spokesmen for God whose messages came immediately from God by the Spirit. Their
ministry was to edify, encourage, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3). Their messages
were tested by the listeners to determine whether they were truly from God (1
Cor.
Teachers
(also pastor-teacher) instructed converts in the doctrinal truths of the
Christian life. They taught from the Word and from the teachings of the
apostles (tradition). Unlike the prophets, they did not get their messages
immediately by the Spirit, though the Spirit helped them in their teaching.
James 3:1 indicates that this is a serious calling.
The
evangelist majored on sharing the good news of salvation with the lost. All
ministers should do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5) and seek to win
souls, but some men have been given evangelism as a special calling.
In the
early church, miracles were a part of the credentials of God’s servants (Heb.
2:1–4). In fact, miracles, healings, and tongues all belong to what theologians
call “the sign gifts” and belonged in a special way to the infancy of the
church. The book of Acts, as well as church history, indicates that these
miraculous gifts passed off the scene.
Helps
and governments have to do with the serving of others and the guiding of the
church. Without spiritual leadership, the church flounders. Ministry (
There
were several “speaking gifts”: tongues and the interpretation of tongues (about
which more will be said later), the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge
(the ability to understand and apply God’s truth to a definite situation), and
exhortation (encouragement, rebuke if necessary).
Giving
and showing mercy relate to sharing material aid with those in need, as well as
supporting God’s servants in ministry. The gift of faith has to do with
believing God for what He wants to accomplish in the church’s ministry, that He
will lead and provide. The discerning of spirits was important in the early
church, since Satan tried to counterfeit the work of God and the Word of God.
Today, the Spirit especially uses the written Word to give us discernment (1
John
Some
students have categorized the various gifts as the speaking gifts, the sign
gifts, and the serving gifts. However, we should not be so fascinated by the indi[1]vidual
gifts that we forget the main reason why Paul listed them: to remind us that
they unite us in our min[1]istries
to the one body. The Holy Spirit bestows these gifts “as he will” (1 Cor.
We have
experienced the same baptism (vv. 12–13). It is unfortunate that the term
“baptism of the Spirit” has been divorced from its original New Testament
meaning. God has spoken to us in Spirit[1]given
words that we must not confuse (1 Cor.
The
“filling of the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18ff.) has to do with the Spirit’s control of
our lives. (In Scripture, to be filled by something means “to be controlled
by.”) We are commanded to be filled, and we can be if we yield all to Christ
and ask Him for the Spirit’s filling. This is a repeated experience, for we
constantly need to be filled with spiritual power if we are to glorify Christ.
To be baptized by the Spirit means that we belong to Christ’s body. To be
filled with the Spirit means that our bodies belong to Christ.
The
evidence of the Spirit’s baptism at conversion is the witness of the Spirit
within (Rom.
Because
of the gift of the Spirit, which is received at conversion, we are all members
of the body of Christ. Race, social status, wealth, or even sex (Gal.
Diversity:
The Gifts of the Spirit (
Unity
without diversity would produce uniformity, and uniformity tends to produce
death. Life is a bal[1]ance
between unity and diversity. As a human body weakens, its systems slow down and
everything tends to become uniform. The ultimate, of course, is that the body
itself turns to dust.
This
helps to explain why some churches (and other Christian ministries) have
weakened and died: there was not sufficient diversity to keep unity from
becoming uniformity. Dr. Vance Havner has expressed it: “First there is a man,
then a movement, then a machine, and then a monument.” Many ministries that
began as a protest against “dead orthodoxy” became dead themselves, because in
their desire to remain pure and doctrinally sound, they stifled creativity and
new ideas.
However,
if diversity is not kept under control, it could destroy unity; and then you
have anarchy. We shall discover in 1 Corinthians 13 that it is maturity that
balances unity and diversity. The tension in the body between individual
members and the total organ[1]ism
can only be solved by maturity.
Using
the human body as his illustration, Paul explained three important facts about
diversity in the body of Christ. Why are there different members?
The
body needs different functions if it is to live, grow, and serve (vv. 14–20).
No member should compare or contrast itself with any other member, because each
one is different and each one is important. I suppose I could learn to walk on
my hands, but I prefer to use my feet, even though I have not yet learned to
type or to eat with my feet. The ear cannot see and the eye cannot hear, yet
each organ has an important ministry. And have you ever tried to smell through
your ears?
There
is a tendency today for some people to magnify the “sensational” gifts. Some
believers feel very guilty because they possess gifts that do not put them into
the limelight. It is this attitude that Paul opposed and refuted in this paragraph.
Diversity does not sug[1]gest
inferiority. Are we to believe that the sovereign Lord made a mistake when He
bestowed the gifts?
The members promote unity as they discover their dependence on one
another (vv. 21–26). Diversity in the body is an evidence of the wisdom of God.
Each member needs the other members, and no member can afford to become
independent. When a part of the human body becomes independent, you have a
serious problem that could lead to sickness and even death. In a healthy human body,
the various members cooperate with each other and even compensate for each
other when a crisis occurs. The instant any part of the body says to any other
part, “I don’t need you!” it begins to weaken and die and create problems for
the whole body.
A famous preacher was speaking at a ministers’ meeting, and he took
time before and after the meet[1]ing
to shake hands with the pastors and chat with them. A friend asked him, “Why
take time for a group of men you may never see again?” The world-renowned preacher
smiled and said, “Well, I may be where I am because of them! Anyway, if I
didn’t need them on the way up, I might need them on the way down!” No
Christian servant can say to any other servant, “My ministry can get along
without you!”
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 func[1]tioning 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 (vv.
27–31). It is God who bestows the gifts and assigns the offices. He has a
perfect plan, not only for the church as a whole, but also for each local con[1]gregation.
We have no reason to believe that each congregation in the New Testament
possessed all of the gifts. The church at
In this paragraph, Paul pointed out that there is a “priority list”
for the gifts, that some have more significance 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 with[1]out,
even though their absence might handicap us a bit.
The apostles and prophets, of course, appeared first on the scene
because they had a foundational ministry (Eph.
The word translated “best” in 1 Corinthians
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.
3. Maturity: The
Graces of the Spirit (13:1–13)
It was Jonathan Swift, the satirical author of Gulliver’s Travels,
who said, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make
us love one another.” Spiritual gifts, no matter how exciting and wonderful,
are useless and even destructive if they are not ministered in love. In all
three of the “body” pas[1]sages
in Paul’s letters, there is an emphasis on love. The main evidence of maturity
in the Christian life is a growing love for God and for God’s people, as well
as a love for lost souls. It has well been said that love is the “circulatory
system” of the body of Christ.
Few chapters in the Bible have suffered more misinterpretation and
misapplication than 1 Corinthians 13. Divorced from its context, it becomes “a
hymn to love” or a sentimental sermon on Christian brotherhood. Many people
fail to see that Paul was still dealing with the Corinthians’ problems when he
wrote these words: the abuse of the gift of tongues, division in the church,
envy of others’ gifts, selfishness (remember the lawsuits?), impatience with
one another in the public meetings, and behavior that was disgracing the Lord.
The only way spiritual gifts can be used creatively is when
Christians are motivated by love. Paul explained three characteristics of
Christian love that show why it is so important in ministry.
Love is enriching (vv. 1–3). Paul named five spiritual gifts:
tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, and giving (sacrifice). He pointed out
that, without love, the exercise of these gifts is nothing. Tongues apart from
love is just a lot of noise! It is love that enriches the gift and that gives
it value. Ministry without love cheapens both the minister and those who are
touched by it; but ministry with love enriches the whole church. “Speaking the
truth in love” (Eph.
Christians are “taught of God to love one another” (1 Thess. 4:9).
God the Father taught us to love by sending His Son (1 John
Love is edifying (vv. 4–7). “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth
[builds up]” (1 Cor. 8:1). The pur[1]pose
of spiritual gifts is the edification of the church (1 Cor. 12:7; 14:3, 5, 12,
17, 26). This means we must not think of ourselves, but of others; and this
demands love.
The Corinthians were impatient in the public meetings (1 Cor.
At the “love feast” and the Lord’s Table, the Corinthians were
behaving in a very unseemly man[1]ner.
If they had known the meaning of real love, they would have behaved themselves
in a manner pleasing to the Lord. They were even suing one another! But love
“seeketh not [its] own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Cor.
13:5). The phrase thinketh no evil means “does not keep any record of wrongs.”
One of the most miserable men I ever met was a pro[1]fessed Christian
who actually kept in a notebook a list of the wrongs he felt others had
committed against him. Forgiveness means that we wipe the record clean and
never hold things against people (Eph.
Love does not rejoice in iniquity, yet the Corinthians were boasting
about sin in their church (1 Cor. 5). Love “shall cover the multitude of sins”
(1 Peter 4:8). Like Noah’s sons, we should seek to hide the sins of others, and
then help them make things right (Gen. 9:20–23).
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 carefully and compare this with the fruit
of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22–23. You will see that all of the
characteristics of love show up in that fruit. This is why love edifies: it
releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and churches.
Love is enduring (vv. 8–13). Prophecy, knowledge, and tongues were
not permanent gifts. (Knowledge does not mean “education,” but the immediate
imparting of spiritual truth to the mind.) These three gifts went together. God
would impart knowledge to the prophet, and he would give the message in a
tongue. Then an interpreter (sometimes the prophet himself) would explain the
message. These were gifts that some of the Corinthians prized, especially the
gift of tongues. These gifts will fail (be abolished) and cease, but love will
endure forever; for “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). The Corinthians were like
children playing with toys that would one day disappear. You expect a child to
think, understand, and speak like a child; but you also expect the child to
mature and start thinking and speaking like an adult. The day comes when he
must “put away childish things” (1 Cor.
In the New Testament (which at that time was not completed) we have a
complete revelation, but our understanding of it is partial. (Review 1 Cor.
8:1–3 if you think otherwise.) There is a maturing process for the church as a
whole (Eph.
Love is enduring, and what it produces will endure.
Note that all three of the Christian graces will endure, even though
“faith will become sight and hope will be fulfilled.” But the greatest of these
graces is love; because when you love someone, you will trust him and will
always be anticipating new joys. Faith, hope, and love go together, but it is
love that energizes faith and hope.
Unfortunately, some of the emphasis today on the Holy Spirit has not
been holy (because it has ignored Scripture) and has not been spiritual
(because it has appealed to the carnal nature). We must not tell other
believers what gifts they should have or how they can obtain them. This matter
is in the sovereign will of God. We must not minimize gifts, but neither should
we neglect the graces of the Spirit. In my itinerant ministry, I have run
across too many local church problems created by people who were zealous for
the gifts, but careless of the graces.
Unity—diversity—maturity; and maturity comes through love.
