1 Corinthians 14:12

14:6-14 Even an apostle could not edify, unless he spoke so as to be understood by his hearers. To speak words that have no meaning to those who hear them, is but speaking into the air. That cannot answer the end of speaking, which has no meaning; in this case, speaker and hearers are barbarians to each other. All religious services should be so performed in Christian assemblies, that all may join in, and profit by them. Language plain and easy to be understood, is the most proper for public worship, and other religious exercises. Every true follower of Christ will rather desire to do good to others, than to get a name for learning or fine speaking.

{5} Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. (5) The conclusion: if they will excel in those spiritual gifts, as it is proper, they must seek the profit of the church. And therefore they must not use the gift of tongues, unless there is an interpreter to expound the strange and unknown tongue, whether it is himself that speaks, or another interpreter.

(12) Even so ye. —Here follows the practical application of the previous teaching and illustration. The “ye” of 1Corinthians 14:9 was addressed to them as human beings generally; but here the Apostle returns to the immediate subject in hand, viz., the exaltation of particular spiritual gifts in the Corinthian Church. He passes now from the contrast between prophecy and tongues to give practical instruction ( 1Corinthians 14:12-19 ) as to how they should seek to use the gift of tongues. The word for “spiritual gifts” is, in the Greek, literally spirits, but is evidently meant to imply the gifts, and especially that one under consideration—the gift of tongues. Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.—Better, seek, then, to the edifying of the Church, that ye may abound. The point cannot be that they were to seek to excel in spiritual gifts, that so they might edify the Church, for the next verse explains how the gift is to be sought so that it may edify others; but the force of the passage here is as given above—they are to seek this gift for the benefit of others, and so they will themselves, by serving others, abound yet more and more (1Corinthians 8:7; 1Thessalonians 4:1).

1 Corinthians 14:12 . Πνευμάτων , of spirits ) [ of spiritual gifts]. Plural as 1 Corinthians 14:32 ; 1 Corinthians 12:10 . As there is one sea, and many seas, so there is one spirit, and many spirits; one trumpet gives many sounds.— προς τὴν οἰκοδομην , to edification ) that the Church may be as much as possible edified.

Verse 12. - Even so ye. A general form of conclusion from the previous remarks. Of spiritual gifts; literally, since ye are zealots of spirits. That ye may excel to the edifying of the Church; rather, seek them to the edifying of the Church, that ye may abound. The same word is used in Matthew 5:20 ("exceed"); 1 Corinthians 8:8 ("are we the better"). 1 Corinthians 14:12

This proves that the members of the church of Corinth were very ambitious of spiritual gifts. The particle outw, which our translation here renders so, plainly signifies therefore in this place. In the Greek it is, because, or forasmuch as ye are zealous of spirits; the efficient is put for the effect, the Spirit, which is the author of those gifts, for the gifts themselves. Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church; seek that ye may excel in them, and that will be, if you most desire those which tend to the edifying the church, and use those with which God hath blessed you in the best order and manner for that end. From whence it is observable, that the improvement of the people to whom we preach in the knowledge of God, and in faith and obedience, is the great end which we ought to propose to ourselves in the discharge of our office, and in the use of our gifts.

1 Corinthians 14:12 . οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς is parl[2063] to 1 Corinthians 14:9 ; but the application is now turned into an exhortation. P. leaves the last comparison to speak for itself, and hastens to enforce his lesson: “So also with yourselves; since you are coveters of spirits ( ζηλωταί ἐστε πνευμάτων ), seek that you may abound (in them) with a view to the edifying of the church”—or “for the edifying of the church seek (them), that you may abound (therein)”. The latter rendering, preferred by Cv[2064], Mr[2065], Al[2066], Hf[2067], Sm[2068], is truer to the order of the words, and reproduces the emphasis of πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομ . τῆς ἐκκλ . ζητεῖτε has its object supplied before hand in the previous clause, and ἵνα ( περισσεύητε ) bears its ordinary sense as conj. of purpose . Spiritual powers are indeed to be sought ( cf. 1 Corinthians 14:1 , 1 Corinthians 12:31 ), provided that they be sought for the religious profiting of others, with a view to abound in service to the Church. The ἵνα clause is thus parl[2069] to πρὸς τ . οἰκοδομήν ( cf. 1 Corinthians 7:35 , 2 Timothy 3:16 ); cf. John 10:10 , and other parls. for περισσεύω .— ζηλωταί , zealots, enthusiasts after spirits (Ev[2070]),—used perhaps with a touch of irony (Hn[2071]).

The Cor[2072] have already the eagerness that P. commends in 1 Corinthians 14:1 ; but it is not prompted by the best motives, nor directed to the most useful end: this word was common amongst Greeks as describing the ardent votaries of a school or party, or those jealous for the honour of some particular master ( cf. Galatians 1:14 ).— πνεύματα differs somewhat from τὰ πνευματικά ( 1 Corinthians 14:1 ), signifying not “the (proper) spiritual” powers, but unseen forces generally (see 1 Corinthians 12:10 , διακρίσεις πνευμάτων , 1 John 4:1 , and the warning of 1 Corinthians 12:3 ; cf. the notes); “the Cor[2073] sought supernatural endowments, no matter what their nature might be” (Ed[2074])—at any rate, they thought too little of the true source and use of the charisms, but too much and too emulously of their outward impression and prestige (see πνευμάτων , 1 Corinthians 14:32 ).—Everling ( Die paul. Angel, u. Dämonologie , pp. 40 ff.) infers from this passage, along with Revelation 22:6 , the conception of a number of Divine “spirits” that may possess men; but he overpresses the turn of a single phrase, in contradiction to the context, which knows only “the one and the self-same Spirit” as from God ( 1 Corinthians 12:11 ). [2063] parallel. [2064] Calvin’s In Nov. Testamentum Commentarii . [2065] Meyer’s Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.). [2066] Alford’s Greek Testament . [2067] J. C.