Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
Paul's three questions expect the answer no: not all have gifts of healing, not all speak with tongues, and not all interpret, for the gifts of the church are not all given to every member. God through the Holy Spirit has set different members in particular in the church as the body of Christ — first apostles, then prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues — and believers are to covet earnestly the best gifts. These gifts were placed in the church by formal declaration for its edification and instruction, to serve it to the end of time. They are to be actively exercised together in one body whose head is Jesus Christ, with the Lord desiring His church to be a power of consistency, each part adapted to the other part, growing unto an holy temple in the Lord.
Different people are given different work, and many gifts are called for, yet all are members of one body. Because two members do not act the same part, no member is to compare gifts, judge or measure one gift by another, entertain self-sufficiency, crowd others, stand apart, or say to another member there is no need of them or consider another unnecessary. When alive in the church, the gifts encourage the fainting and correct and reprove those who err. When they are slighted and neglected, God's frown rests on His people.
The verse belongs to the simple organization and church order set forth in the New Testament Scriptures, which the Lord ordained for the unity and perfection of the church. In that order office means serving as leader, adviser, counselor and helper in carrying the burdens of the work and as leader in offering thanksgiving to God, not appointment to order and command the Lord's laborers. The Lord Himself is over His heritage and will lead His people, so those carrying responsibilities must treat fellow laborers with the same consideration they would wish to receive were positions reversed, because position does not give kingly authority.
Chapters 12 and 13 belong together, with chapter 13's teaching on love, and are given to be read, committed to memory, written in mind and heart, studied and applied so that those brought together in church capacity may be united understandingly and intelligently. The figure of the members composing the body shows the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another. That application begins with self-examination and continual humbling of individual self and critical taking of self in hand, whose very first step is denying self and taking up one's own cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying the cross on someone else to carry. Applied together they call God's people to reveal His unceasing tenderness in dealings with one another. They are to speak good words that help and strengthen brethren when they come together for counsel instead of standing afar off to criticize and condemn, to lay aside self-confidence and standing apart, and as genuine Christians true to faith and duty to unite with one another in service and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made. Their conduct should thus bear witness to truth rather than give evidence of faction and division.
Paul's three questions expect the answer no: not all have gifts of healing, not all speak with tongues, and not all interpret, for the gifts of the church are not all given to every member. God through the Holy Spirit has set different members in particular in the church as the body of Christ — first apostles, then prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues — and believers are to covet earnestly the best gifts. These gifts were placed in the church by formal declaration for its edification and instruction, to serve it to the end of time. They are to be actively exercised together in one body whose head is Jesus Christ, with the Lord desiring His church to be a power of consistency, each part adapted to the other part, growing unto an holy temple in the Lord.
Different people are given different work, and many gifts are called for, yet all are members of one body. Because two members do not act the same part, no member is to compare gifts, judge or measure one gift by another, entertain self-sufficiency, crowd others, stand apart, or say to another member there is no need of them or consider another unnecessary. When alive in the church, the gifts encourage the fainting and correct and reprove those who err. When they are slighted and neglected, God's frown rests on His people.
The verse belongs to the simple organization and church order set forth in the New Testament Scriptures, which the Lord ordained for the unity and perfection of the church. In that order office means serving as leader, adviser, counselor and helper in carrying the burdens of the work and as leader in offering thanksgiving to God, not appointment to order and command the Lord's laborers. The Lord Himself is over His heritage and will lead His people, so those carrying responsibilities must treat fellow laborers with the same consideration they would wish to receive were positions reversed, because position does not give kingly authority.
Chapters 12 and 13 belong together, with chapter 13's teaching on love, and are given to be read, committed to memory, written in mind and heart, studied and applied so that those brought together in church capacity may be united understandingly and intelligently. The figure of the members composing the body shows the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another. That application begins with self-examination and continual humbling of individual self and critical taking of self in hand, whose very first step is denying self and taking up one's own cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying the cross on someone else to carry. Applied together they call God's people to reveal His unceasing tenderness in dealings with one another. They are to speak good words that help and strengthen brethren when they come together for counsel instead of standing afar off to criticize and condemn, to lay aside self-confidence and standing apart, and as genuine Christians true to faith and duty to unite with one another in service and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made. Their conduct should thus bear witness to truth rather than give evidence of faction and division.