Reflection on 1 Corinthians 12:28-31: Servants Who Model Christ
Reflection on 1 Corinthians 12:28-31: Servants Who Model Christ
Reflection on 1 Corinthians 12:28-31: Servants Who Model Christ (NIVUK)
And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
Commentary
Another thing to notice from this passage which is easy to miss is that we do need to be challenged.
And we need the word of God to do that. The problem with the Corinthians was that they’d imported the values of their society, uncritically, and the word of God is the thing which challenges that. Verse 28 says, “God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers …”
You see that there is some priority in the church. Everybody is of equal value. Everybody matters, but we should take really seriously those whose job it is to open the word of God to us. But of course, in the church, leaders are servants. Paul says, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be first, must be last, and be servants of all.” To be in a position of leadership is not to elevate yourself but to model Jesus’ servanthood and raise other people up.
Once again, I think it’s a wonderful picture of a body working together. And what does Paul challenge us to aspire to? In verse 31, he says, “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” We’ll get into this in the weeks to come but the most excellent way, obviously, is the way of Christ. It is the way of love.