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Professor F. F. Bruce writes:
"In I Corinthians and Romans the human body is used simply as an illustration of the
corporate life of Christians, but the idea is carried much farther in Colossians and
Ephesians. In these later epistles emphasis is laid on the relation which the church, as the
Body, bears to Christ as the Head. In them there is no possibility for an ordinary
member of the church being compared to the Head, or to part of the Head (as is done in
I.Cor.xii.16,21). In them, too, the Body ceases to be a mere simile, and becomes the most
effective term which the Apostle can find to express the vital bond which unites the life
of believers with the risen life of Christ" (Romans, p.228).
It is vital that we understand this and do not try to force the later teaching concerning
the great revelation of the Mystery (Secret) of Ephesians and Colossians into these earlier
epistles.
The apostle Paul continues by bringing forward 7 of the Pentecostal gifts:
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is
prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is
teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the
needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if
it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully" (12: 6-8, N.I.V.).
The N.E.B. renders the last phrase "if you are helping others in distress", which gives
the sense of the words used. The Apostle had already dealt with these confirmatory gifts
in the first canonical letter to the church at Corinth. The reader is referred to the author's
The Early and Pastoral Epistles of Paul, chapters 12 to 14, where they are dealt with in
detail, specially the gift of tongues.
At verse 9 there is a transition from faith to love, and verse 12 mentions hope. Faith,
hope, and love are often seen together in Paul's epistles. They are a trinity of graces that
cover the Christian walk so admirably. In this section the injunctions are reminiscent of
the Sermon on the Mount. Something more than the mutual love of Christians is
required, namely practical love and forgiveness to those outside the fellowship, specially
to those who persecute and injure them. It is noteworthy that whenever God wants truth
carried over into another dispensation, He repeats it. It is not left to us to pull texts out of
their context, because we feel they are of practical importance.
We continue with this section of the epistle as rendered in the N.I.V.:
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one
another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in
zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in
affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice
hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those
who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not
be proud, but willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do
not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If
it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (12: 9-18).