Month: July 2020

3If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:
⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 

⁷ Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,
¹¹ if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. 

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 

Exhortations

4Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 

² I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

⁸ Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. 

¹⁰ I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ¹⁴ In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is Paul talking about in this passage? Who is he comparing himself with? What “credentials” does he mention? Is he really boasting here?

2. What does he say about his assets and credits? How valuable are they? What image does he use? Why does he believe they are worthless? What is the real value he seeks? How did he accomplish this?

3. What does he say about his own situation regarding this goal? Who gave him this goal? What is he doing to get closer to the goal? How does his past relate to this goal?

4. What does he urge the Philippine believers to do? Who does he suggest as an example to follow? How do you suppose they reacted to this idea? How do you react?

5. What personal matter does Paul mention? What does he hope will happen? What does he encourage the believers to do? What attitude does he want them to have? How does he want them to be known by others? What does he tell them to think about?

Get Personal

How is your “pressing on” going lately? How about your “worrying about anything”? How has God helped you to live like he really will take care of things for you?

3:4. Confident in the flesh — Paul is not boasting when he says “I have more” – even though he has more “credentials” than most Jews [vv. 5-6], they are worthless in gaining a relationship with God.
3:7. Everything as loss — Paul sees all his former assets and successes as “rubbish” or food only a dog would enjoy (and his culture did not regard dogs as worthy).
3:9. Righteousness — the only thing that matters to Paul is his relationship with God – and that exists not because of Paul’s checklists, but because of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.
3:10. Know — the Greek word means “know by experience” – this is heart knowledge, not head knowledge.
3:12. Press on — ironically this is the same

word Paul used for his persecution of the church. Paul knows he has not reached the point where he is a “perfect” Christ-follower, and neither have the Philippians.
3:17. Imitate me — Paul was never afraid to set himself as a good example to follow, [check 1 Cor 4:16, 1 Thes 1:6 and 2:10, 2 Thes 3:7-9].
3:19. Their god — Paul often criticized believers who focused on satisfying their earthly desires (gluttony, lust, deceit), rather than serving others as Jesus did.
4:2. Euodia – Syntyche —these two women, who had worked with Paul in his ministry, had a disagreement that was affecting the church.
Loyal companion — this person is not identified further, nor is Clement.

2You were dead through the trespasses and sins ² in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³ All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—
a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵ He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. ¹⁷ So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,
²⁰ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is Paul talking about in this section? How does he describe his readers’ situation? Who is affected? 

2. What has God done in response to our dilemma? Why has he done this? How has this affected our situation? 

3. How does Paul describe God’s actions? What does he say about our response? What was God’s purpose in all this?

4. What does Paul address in the next section? How does he begin this subject? What does he say about this situation? What has changed about their condition? 

5. What has Christ done for Gentiles and Jews? How did he do this? How does this affect us today? What image does Paul use for believers? 

Get Personal

How has God helped you appreciate his grace recently? How has he helped you see the “whole structure”?

2:2. Ruler of the power of the air — Satan – Jews believed only they were not subject to his authority in this world (not that they acted as if they were subject to God’s).
2:3. We were by nature — the comedian, Flip Wilson, often used the excuse: “The devil made me do it.” Paul did not view every “sin” as caused by a demon, but by our human condition of being separated from God.
Wrath — often used to refer to God’s response to sin: it is not the human emotion of anger – since God is holy he must reject any connection with sin; with no connection with God we are “dead.”
2:4-7. But God . . . — Paul expands on the Jewish belief that God chose them: For you are a people holy to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath that he swore to your ancestors, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, [Deut 7:6-9]. Paul expresses the same idea in Romans: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [3:23-24].
2:5. Made us alive — God offers a relationship with him – “life” – through Christ. Paul expresses this central tenant of our faith throughout his letters [check Rom 6:8-11 and Col 2:12-13].
2:6. Raised us up with him — for Paul this is a done deal. Christians experience the new life in Christ when they accept him as their savior.

2:8. You have been saved — this verse, together with verse 9 is the foundation statement of Christian belief, Here again, Paul uses the past tense for a completed action.
2:9. Not the result of works — our “works,” whether good or bad, have no effect – in favor or against – our salvation.
2:10. Created in Christ Jesus — God’s grace through Christ is consistent with his other saving actions – it is intended to lead to the “good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life,” (God rescued the Israelites from Egypt before he gave Moses the commandments, [check Exodus 20:1]).
2:12. Strangers to the covenant — in Paul’s time this was literally true; non-Jews could not even enter the Temple; they could only go as far as the Court of the Gentiles. (Paul was arrested in Jerusalem because some Jews thought he had taken a Gentile into the Temple [the story is in Acts 21:28-29].)
2:13. Brought near — Paul may have been thinking about God’s promise to Isaiah: For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel, [56:8]. Peter repeated the promise in the first Christian sermon [check Acts 2:38-40].
2:14. Dividing wall — there was an actual wall separating the Court of the Gentiles from the Temple proper (there was also a separate court for women), even though the original Temple separated only the priests from the rest of the Jews [details are in 1 Kings 8:41-43].
2:16. One body — Paul uses this image often [check Galatians 3:28-29, 5:6; Colossians 3:11].
2:18. Note how Paul captures the Trinity: God is the center, Christ is the cause and the Holy Spirit is the provider.
2:20. Cornerstone — the image comes from Psalm 118: The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone, [v.22]. In architecture, then as now, the cornerstone determined the location and orientation of the entire building.

3You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! ² The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? ⁴ Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. ⁵ Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 

⁶ Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” ⁷ so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. ⁸ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” ⁹ For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed. 

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”
¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” ¹² But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, “Whoever does the works of the law will live by them.”
¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. ¹⁶ Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, “And to offsprings,” as of many; but it says, “And to your offspring,” that is, to one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. 

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.
²⁰ Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. 

²¹ Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. ²² But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 

²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶ for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷ As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does Paul begin this section of the letter? What question does Paul pose to the Galatians? How does he answer it? Why is he focusing on their experience so much? What is his next question? What is the answer this time?

2. Who does Paul bring up as his prime example? What is significant about him [See Notes]? What does Paul say about his children? How does Paul support his position on faith and the promise?

3. What is the difference between the promise and the law? Why does one carry a blessing and the other a curse? Who is subject to the curse? Why is this a “no win” situation? How has God dealt with the seemingly impossible situation? 

4. Where does Paul go next in his discussion? How does Paul use the current culture to support his argument [see Notes]? How does he conclude his argument about faith versus the law?

Get Personal

We have all lived in a world where when we do something right we receive a reward, whether it’s grades in school or pay at work. How has God helped you accept the promise of his Spirit as the free, unearned gift that it is?

3:1. Foolish Galatians — Paul’s questions may be rhetorical, but his frustration with their actions regarding the law is very real.
3:3. Ending with the flesh — the Galatians began their new life with the Holy Spirit; but trying to follow the law is a work of the “flesh.”
3:5. Miracles — the Galatians had experience of the Spirit’s work in their community – before they knew anything about the Jewish law.
3:6. Abraham believed — the quote is from Genesis 15:6 – well before he gave the law to the Jews, God counted Abraham “righteous.”
3:7. Descendants — Paul refers to Abraham’s spiritual children, not his biological descendents. 
3:8. Beforehand — Paul uses another well-known passage [Gen 12:3]. God’s promise of blessing precedes the law and has no conditions.
3:10. Under his curse — God’s curse is on everyone who fails to follow all the law [Deut 27.26].
3:11. Through faith — from Habakkuk 2:4.
3:12. Does not rest on faith — Paul paraphrases Leviticus 18:5: 
3:13. Redeemed us — Paul sees Christ’s crucifixion (hanging on a tree) as the necessary fulfillment of the law’s demands, [from Deut 21:23].

3:14. Promised Holy Spirit — in his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul said, The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised, [1:14].
3:15. An example — Greek law actually prohibited any change to a will once it had been filed; Paul applies the same principles to the “agreement” between God and Abraham; the law cannot undo God’s promise of the blessing.
3:17. 430 years — from Exodus 12:40. It was actually more time because 430 years does not include the time between the promise to Abraham and Jacob’s travel to Egypt.
3:19. Why? — having shown that the law is not necessary to receive God’s blessing, Paul now offers a rationale for the law.
Through angels — Jewish tradition held that the law came to Moses through angels.
3:22. Scriptures declare — contemporary Jewish teaching agreed that all people are sinners. Paul will deal much more thoroughly with this argument in his letter to the Romans [3:10-18].
3:28. All of you are one — Paul concludes by stressing the unity of believers “in Christ Jesus,” a theme in almost every one of his letters.

4Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.
⁶ For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. ¹¹ For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death is at work in us, but life in you. 

¹³ But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
¹⁸ because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. 

Living by faith

5For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— ³ if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 

⁶ So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰ For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Who is responsible for Paul’s ministry? How does this affect his attitude toward the work? How does it affect his presentation of the Gospel? How is this different than other speakers?

2. What image does Paul use for his message? Why is this an appropriate metaphor [see Notes]? How does this affect peoples’ response to the Gospel?

3. What image does Paul use for himself and other evangelists? Why is this an appropriate image? What does it show about God? About Paul? How does it affect Paul’s response to his current situation?

4. How does Paul describe his speaking? Who is really behind Paul’s message? What is Paul’s ultimate purpose in preaching? Why does Paul remain confident in his work? How does he view hardship and setbacks? 

5. What image does Paul use for his physical body? Why does he prefer the new body? Why is there sometimes confusion about which body we prefer [see Notes]?

Get Personal

How do you respond to “speed bumps” in your daily life? How do you deal with hardship in your walk with Christ? How does God help you understand and trust him for growth in your faith?

4:2. Shameful things . . . cunning . . . falsify — some professional orators were more concerned with the style of their speech than the substance. Paul declares (again) that he speaks only God’s truth about Jesus.
4:3. Veiled — Paul returns to the image in 3:12, referring to the Jews who still don’t realize who Jesus really is.
4:4. God of this world — Satan, who deceives people to seek money and power, not Christ.
4:5. We proclaim Jesus Christ — Jesus wants us to be witnesses to his glory, not to ourselves.
4:7. Clay jars — were inexpensive and easily replaced – it’s wet dust, after all. The great irony is the God has put the most valuable message of salvation in such a cheap and frail container: humans (we are dust, also).
4:8. We are . . . — Paul uses his own life as an example of God’s power: in spite of attacks he delivers God’s message, and God’s spirit produces believers, who have Jesus’ life [v. 12].
4:13. I believed, and so I spoke — Paul refers to Psalm 116:10: I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted,” as another example of witnessing even when it brings hardship and suffering to do so.
4:16. Outer nature . . . inner nature — many 

Greek philosophers distinguished between the physical body and its “wasting away,” and the soul with its permanence. Paul adapts this for his Greek believers to encourage living by faith. He continues this contrast with “this slight momentary affliction” and “an eternal weight of glory,” [v.17, also check Eph 3:16].
5:1. Earthly tent — Many cultures in the region called the body a tent, or vessel, or dwelling. Paul contrasts this earthly “tent” with a “building from God.” He expands this concept because the Greeks believed there was no physical resurrection – only the “soul” existed after death. He wants to strengthen the Corinthians’ confidence in God’s promise of a heavenly future [vv. 6-8].
5:7. Walk by faith, not by sight — in this world, with our limited earthly body, we cannot see (or touch or hear or smell) God – we experience God only spiritually, by faith. Paul implies that our resurrection body will be able to experience God.
5:10. Judgment seat of Christ — Paul uses the Old Testament image of judgment here. Even though believers have eternal life through God’s grace [Eph 2:8], Paul believed we are still accountable for our actions in this life: in his first letter he told the Corinthians, the work of each builder will become visible, [1 Cor 3:13].

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
² You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 

⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 

One Body with Many Members

¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

¹⁴ Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
²³ and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴ whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵ that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is Paul’s subject in this chapter? How does he describe the Corinthians regarding this subject? What “test” does he give them? Is this still valid for us? 

2. How does Paul explain the different types of gifts? Where do they come from? What specific gifts does he mention? Who determines who gets which gift? 

3. What image does Paul suggest to help understand the differences among the gifts? How do you think his readers responded to this metaphor? How do you respond?

4. What parts of the “body” does Paul deal with in his explanation? What would happen if the body consisted of only one part? What about one part of the body being “more important” than other parts? What about parts of the body that some people think are less or “weaker” than other parts? Why must the body be a unified whole rather than just the sum of all the parts?

5. What gifts does Paul mention at the end? What gifts are “greater”? Why should we strive for them?

Get Personal

What spiritual gifts do you think God has given you? How has God helped you to use these gifts? Who has benefited from your spiritual gifts? How have they affected your walk with Christ?

12:1. Uninformed — evidently the Corinthian believers have been confusing their former, pagan beliefs (which included oracles – the ability to “see” the future) with Christian teaching about the work of the Holy Spirit.
12:3. I want you to understand — the clear test is whether the gift acknowledges “Jesus is Lord.”
12:4. Varieties . . . same — Paul stresses that spiritual gifts come in many different forms and actions, but all are given by the one God.
12:7. Common good — the purpose of every gift is to build up the church – the body of Christ [check Ephesians 4:11-14].
12:8. To one is given — Paul presents a list of different spiritual gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpreting speaking in tongues. NOTE: the list is not intended to identify every possible gift.
Discernment — the critical ability to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world,” [1 John 4:1].
12:11. As the Spirit chooses — the Holy Spirit determines who gets what spiritual gift – it is not a 

matter of us asking for a gift (like selecting one from a catalogue). NOTE: the Greek word for “gift” comes from the same root as “grace” – spiritual gifts are freely bestowed, they are not earned.
12:12. Body — a fairly common metaphor for the universe or the nation (in Paul’s time, Rome). Paul uses it in other letters as well: For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another, [Rom 12:4-5].
12:15. If the foot — Paul uses the metaphor of the body to point out the diversity of the gifts and the importance of each gift, even the gifts some might think are less important.
12:28. And God has appointed — Paul concludes this section with another (not exhaustive) list.
12:31. Greater gifts — those gifts that benefit and strengthen the whole church. (This actually is linked to Paul’s initial plea for unity among the Corinthian believers: that you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose, [1:10].)