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A | 4-11. GIFTS. DIVERSITY IN UNITY.
a1 | There are diversities of gifts.
b1 | But the same Spirit.
a2 | There are diversities of service.
b2 | But the same Lord.
a3 | There are diversities of inworkings.
b3 | But the same God.
B | 12-27. ILLUSTRATION.
The body, members and head.
Comely and uncomely parts.
A | 28-30. GIFTS. DIVERSITY IN UNITY.
a | God hath set some in the church.
b | First apostles.
Secondarily prophets.
Thirdly teachers.
Then miracles, gifts of healing, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues,
Surely, in view of this analysis, the use of the passage for any other purpose than the
exposition of the origin and nature of miraculous gifts would be to "handle the word of
God deceitfully".
The figurative use of the eye, ear and nose, as members of the head, is legitimate in
the context of I Cor. 12:, but out of place in Ephesians, where Christ is Head. Reference
is also made in the chapter to members less honourable than others, which, again, is in
keeping with its theme but contrary to Eph. 3: 6, where the heart of the mystery is
expressed in the idea of a "joint body". There are, too, uncomely parts rightly introduced
in I Cor. 12:, but who will dare to associate such an idea with the church of the one
Body of Ephesians?
We therefore believe and teach that the status of the church of the Body of
Christ is a distinctive feature of the dispensation of the mystery, received by
the apostle Paul by revelation, and peculiar to the present time. The subject of
I Cor. 12: is not the status of the church, but the problem of spiritual gifts, and
the Apostle by an apt use of the figure of the human body illustrates "diversity in
unity", which is the answer to the problem raised by the Corinthians in
connection with the use, and comparative value, of these miraculous gifts.
Further notes and comments on the subject will be found in the article entitled "The
Difference between I Cor. 12: and Eph. 4:" (Volume XVIII, page 178), and in the
book "The Apostle of the Reconciliation" (pages 154-160).