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To another . . .
is given . . .
divers kind of tongues.
To another . . .
is given . . .
the interpretation of tongues.
but ALL these worketh that ONE and the SELF SAME SPIRIT, dividing to every man
severally as He will" (12: 8-11).
This expansion of the subject is followed by the reference to the body, being
introduced by the words kathaper gar ("for just as"); the references to the body,
therefore, are logically connected with the teaching of the chapter "concerning spiritual
gifts". This is taught by the word "for". The references to the body are given and must
be taken as an illustration of the diversity in unity of these spiritual gifts. This is taught
by the words "just as". "For just as the body is ONE, and hath MANY members yet all
the members of that body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ" (Ho Christos).
This is the title of the Lord pre-eminently, yet not exclusively. Any who were anointed
by God come under that title.
Here we have the "diversities" of I Cor. 12: The confirmation and the anointing by
means of these supernatural gifts have been withdrawn, but the seal and the earnest
remain and belong to the present dispensation. "The anointed" therefore of I Cor. 12: or
of II Cor. 1: 21 is NOT THE CHURCH OF THE ONE BODY (which is characterized by
the absence of all signs and evidential miracles), but that church which was composed of
supernaturally-gifted believers. The argument of the Apostle is therefore, that the gifts
are to be looked upon as so many different members of one body, and that each gift is
necessary to the perfect functioning of the whole, the more ostentatious gifts, such as
speaking with tongues, being no more important than the less obtrusive ones. Whatever
gift had been given to any individual was to be held and used for the edifying of the
whole company.
This unity is brought about by the baptism of the one Spirit, Who baptized all these
believers into one body (I Cor. 12: 13), and the remaining verses take up the thought of
the diversity of gifts and the unity of their origin by a more detailed reference to a human
body. Following on therefore from the teaching of verse twelve the Apostle says:
"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Greeks,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the
body is not one member, but many" (I Cor. 12: 13, 14).
Many seize upon these words as though they were a revelation of the Mystery of the
One Body, which had been hidden since the ages. Such have only to read chapter 10: 1-4
which precedes this section of the epistle to see the reference back to Exodus:
"All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
and did all drink the same spiritual drink."
This being so, the only logical thing to do, by any who claim I Cor. 12: for "The
Mystery" is to abandon the whole matter, for if Exodus and Isaiah teach us our calling,
the exclusive character of the Mystery is nullified.