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John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 12 In this chapter the apostle discourses concerning spiritual gifts, showing the author, nature, use, and excellency of them; compares the church to an human body, and in a beautiful manner sets forth the symmetry and subserviency of the members of it to one another, being set in different places, and having different gifts; and enumerates the several offices and...
John Gill
If the whole body were an eye,.... And nothing else, where were the hearing? there would be no ear, and so no sense of hearing: and if the whole were hearing: or only consisted of a member capable of the sense of hearing, where were the smelling? there would be no nose, the organ of smelling, and that sense would be wanting: thus if the church only consisted of ministers of the Gospel, of men of...
Matthew Henry
In this chapter the apostle, I. Considers the case of spiritual gifts, which were very plentifully poured out on the Corinthian church. He considers their original, that they are from God; their variety and use, that they were all intended for one and the same general end, the advancement of Christianity and the church's edification, ver. 1-11. II. He illustrates this by an allusion to a human...
Charles H. Spurgeon
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. That is the best rule for each part of our body: “as it hath pleased him.” Could any of you suggest a better place for your eyes than where they are? We have read the old heathen fable of a giant who had...
Charles H. Spurgeon
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If we were all preachers, if we could all see into God’s truth, and set it forth in a public manner, where should we get our congregations?
Charles H. Spurgeon
If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? There must be different members to fill different offices. If we were all so one that there was no distinction whatever, if we were all of one rank, all of one age, all of one standing, the body would be incomplete.