one should be contented with the gift which he has received of the Lord, just as the hand and foot are contented with their position and office in the body. 2. There should be no exaltation of one member of the church over others, on the ground of the supposed superiority of his gifts. 3. There should, and must be mutual sympathy between the members of the church, as there is between the members of the body. One cannot suffer without all the others suffering with it. No one lives, or acts, or feels for itself alone, but each in all the rest, vs. 12-27. In conclusion the apostle shows that what he had said with regard to these spiritual gifts, applies in all its force to the various offices of the church, which are the organs through which the gifts of the Spirit are exercised, vs. 28-31.
1. Now concerning spiritual (gifts), brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Instead of beginning with, in the second place^ in continu- ance of the enumeration begun in 11, 17, he passes to the second ground of censure, by the simple 7ioio (oe) as the parti- cle of transition. The misuse of the spiritual gifts, especially of the gift of tongues, was the next topic of rebuke. Con- cerning spiritual^ whether tne^i or glfts^ depends on the con- text, as the word may be either masculine or neuter. The latter is the more natural and common explanation, because the gifts rather than the persons are the subject of discussion ; and because in v. 31, and 14, 1, the neuter form is used. I would not have you ignorayit^ i, e. I wish you to understand the origin and intent of these extraordinary manifestations of divine power, and to be able to discriminate between the true and false claimants to the possession of them.
2. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
Here, as in Ephesians 2, 11, the apostle contrasts the for- mer with the present condition of his readers. Formerly, they were Gentiles, now they were Christians. Formerly, they were the worshippers and consulters of dumb idols, now they worshipped the living and true God. Formerly, they were swayed by a bUnd, unintelligent impulse, which carried them away, they knew not why nor whither ; now they were under the influence of the Spirit of God. Their former con-