Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [1 Corinthians: Chapter 12].
concerning the gift of tongues as found in Corinth. They prided
themselves chiefly on this gift which had become a source of
confusion and disorder. There were varieties (kinds, \gen•\) in
this gift, but the gift was essentially an ecstatic utterance of
highly wrought emotion that edified the speaker (14:4) and was
intelligible to God (14:2,28). It was not always true that the
speaker in tongues could make clear what he had said to those who
did not know the tongue (14:13): It was not mere gibberish or
jargon like the modern "tongues," but in a real language that
could be understood by one familiar with that tongue as was seen
on the great Day of Pentecost when people who spoke different
languages were present. In Corinth, where no such variety of
people existed, it required an interpreter to explain the tongue
to those who knew it not. Hence Paul placed this gift lowest of
all. It created wonder, but did little real good. This is the
error of the Irvingites and others who have tried to reproduce
this early gift of the Holy Spirit which was clearly for a
special emergency and which was not designed to help spread the
gospel among men. See on ¯Ac 2:13-21; 10:44-46; 19:6. {The
interpretation of tongues} (\herm•neia gl•ss•n\). Old word, here
only and 14:26 in N.T., from \herm•neu•\ from \Herm•s\ (the god
of speech). Cf. on \dierm•neu•\ in Lu 24:27; Ac 9:36. In case
there was no one present who understood the particular tongue it
required a special gift of the Spirit to some one to interpret it
if any one was to receive benefit from it.
12:11 {Worketh} (\energei\). The same word that was used in verse
6 of God. {Severally} (\idi•i\). Separately. {Even as he will}
(\kath•s bouletai\). Hence there is no occasion for conceit,
pride, or faction (4:7).
12:12 {So also is Christ} (\hout•s kai ho Christos\). One would
naturally expect Paul here to say \hout•s kai to s•ma tou
Christou\ (so also is the body of Christ). He will later call
Christ the Head of the Body the Church as in Col 1:18,24; Eph
5:23,30. Aristotle had used \s•ma\ of the state as the body
politic. What Paul here means is Christ as the Head of the Church
has a body composed of the members who have varied gifts and
functions like the different members of the human body. They are
all vitally connected with the Head of the body and with each
other. This idea he now elaborates in a remarkable manner.
12:13 {Were we all baptized into one body} (\h•meis pantes eis
hen s•ma ebaptisth•men\). First aorist passive indicative of
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/1CO12.RWP.html (4 of 9) [28/08/2004 09:11:51 a.m.]