ESV Reformation Study Bible – 1 Cor 12:14–20
Resources chevron-right ESV Reformation Study Bible chevron-right 1 Corinthians chevron-right 1 Cor 12:14–20
1 Cor 12:14–20

12:14–20 Having established the unity of Christ’s church, Paul sets forth its diversity. Some scholars have commented that the Corinthians’ most fundamental problem was not their rejection of the church’s unity, but rather their failure to acknowledge its diversity. Paul corrects their error through a comparison with the human body. He appeals to the sovereign will of God, who has “arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (v. 18; cf. v. 11). If the Corinthians denied the validity of certain gifts, they were really questioning God’s authority to distribute the gifts. Paul stresses unity, but not a uniformity that squelches valid forms of diversity.