1 Corinthians 12:30

1Co_12:29, 1Co_12:30

(Are) all apostles? (are) all prophets? (are) all teachers? (are) all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

As in the body all is not eye, or all ear, so in the church all have not the same gifts and offices. And as it would be preposterous in all the members of the body to aspire to the same office, so it is no less preposterous in the members of the church that all should covet the same gifts. It is the design of the apostle to suppress, on the one hand, all discontent and envy, and on the other, all pride and arrogance. God distributes his gifts as he pleases; all are necessary, and the recipients of them are mutually dependent.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Have all the gifts of healing?.... No; when these gifts were in being, all had them not. When anointing with oil, in order to heal the sick, was in use, it was only performed by the elders of the church, not by the common members of it, who were to be sent for by the sick on this occasion:

do all speak with tongues? no; it was not true in fact, as they well knew; though this was greatly coveted after, as a following chapter of this epistle shows;

do all interpret? that is, unknown tongues, strange languages; or can they? no. This also was a peculiar gift bestowed on some persons only.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

30. “Whether have all the gifts of healings.” The answer is in the negative. In my travels I have been frequently associated with people on whom it seemed that God had laid this gift in an especial manner. While conducting a camp-meeting in Mississippi among sanctified, foot-washing Baptists ten years ago, a brother from Mississippi and a sister from Alabama were present and giving prominence to the work of Divine healing. They were very spiritual, and splendid altar-workers, so they made it a rule never to interfere with the soul-saving work, but frequently announced publicly that the ministry of healing would receive attention during the intermissions. While preaching day and night, I saw the people coming, carrying the sick on beds and setting them down, getting ready for the ministry of healing when the time arrived. Then, the Lord’s faithful people kneeling round them, and turning them over to the Great Physician, either the brother or the sister above mentioned proceeded to anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord (Jas 5:14). In many instances they arose from their beds with loud shouts of victory and attended the meetings to the end of the encampment. I was associated with several persons much used of the Lord on this line during my tours the last two years on the Pacific Coast. The persons most used in the ministry of healing in my observation are not eminent for their preaching ability; however, I have known many exceptions to this rule. The ministry of healing is very humble, laborious and responsible, whilst it is of invaluable utility. Perhaps the Lord wants to use you in this ministry, making you a blessing to many and giving you a crown of glory in the bright upper world. He has used your humble servant much in the ministry of healing; yet in my case I feel that it is only a blessed auxiliary to the spiritual work in which He is constantly using my humble instrumentality. “Whether do all speak with tongues?” The answer to this question is also in the negative. The gifts rendered prominent by these questions are held up before the reader in a preeminent and conspicuous light, there being a sense in which, as we see from the next verse, all the spiritual gifts may be possessed by the same person in a measure, most likely in every case some special one predominating. Paul was an example illustrating the gift of tongues or languages, having at his command Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and perhaps many others. It is my privilege to enjoy this gift, especially at the present time, in the Greek language, the original of the New Testament, to whose exposition I have been called by the Holiness people, as the media of the Holy Spirit, whose presence and leadership I very felicitously realize in the laborious and responsible work of writing these Commentaries. Truly, only one now and then is endued with this gift of tongues, in its primary sense, involving the ability to speak in unknown languages. If God does not call you to be a teacher in that prominent sense, or to go as a missionary to a heathen land, you do not need the gift of tongues in this primary sense. So be content with your lot, and rest assured that a crown of glory awaits you, if you will be a loyal, patient laborer in the Lord’s vineyard. “Whether are all interpreters?” The gift of interpretation is an indispensable concomitant of this gift of tongues. In heathen lands, interpreters are indispensable; I had to employ them when I traveled in the East. The Holy Spirit has wisely and graciously provided for every emergency in the evangelization of the world. When the Lord confers on us an unknown language, He simultaneously imparts to us the gift of interpretation, thus qualifying us to impart that language to others.

However, especially in heathen lands, the gift of interpretation frequently obtains separate and distinct from the gift of tongues.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

have all gifts of hearings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? [Paul here completes his analogy by showing that the gifts bestowed upon individuals in the church are as diverse and variant as the faculties bestowed upon the various members of the body. As the apostle has named nine spiritual gifts, so he here names nine positions in the church. These may be defined thus: 1. The "apostles" were those who possessed plenary inspiration. They could at all times and on all subjects declare the will of God. 2. "Prophets" had occasional inspiration, which was then usually of a very limited nature. 3. "Teachers" were uninspired men that were gifted in teaching and explaining the historic truths of the gospel and the doctrinal truths which came through inspiration, for those having prophetic gifts did not always fully understand the import of their own words ( 1Pe_1:11-12 ). 4 and 5. Those who worked miracles and had the gift of healing have been spoken of above. 6. "Helps" means the same as helpers. In our land domestic and other helpers are often provincially called "help." It here refers to those who had a sympathetic nature or a generous spirit, etc. ( Rom_12:8 ). 7. "Governments." This refers to those possessing powers of leadership and organization, those having administrative ability, such as the elders. 8 and 9. "Divers kinds of tongues" and the power to interpret the same, have already been described. These appear to have been ranked first in importance by the Corinthians, because most showy, and they are here placed last by the apostles because they added but little to edification, and were of small practical value.]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Do all of them have gifts of healing?

This can be a statement. AT: "Not all of them have gifts of healing." (See: Rhetorical Question)

Do all of them speak with tongues?

This can be a statement. AT: "Not all of them speak with tongues." (See: Rhetorical Question)

Do all of them interpret tongues?

This can be a statement. AT: "Not all of them interpret tongues." (See: Rhetorical Question)

interpret

This means to tell what someone has said in a language to others who do not understand that language. See how this is translated in 1 Corinthians 2:13.

Zealously seek the greater gifts.

Possible meanings are 1) "You must eagerly seek from God the gifts that best help the church." or 2) "You are eagerly looking for gifts that you think are greater because you think they are more exciting to have."

translationWords

gift

cure

tongue

zeal

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

30.] The application of the questions already asked vv. 17-19.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. The compound verb διερμηνεύω here has led to the reading διερμηνεία (or- ια) in v. 10 (Ap.Ad)*. The compound (14:5, 13, 27; Luk 24:27; Act 9:36) is more common in the N.T. than the more classical ἐρμηνεύω (Joh 1:43, Joh 1:9:7; Heb 7:2). As language weakens, the tendency to strengthen by means of compounds increases. With the general sense of the two verses compare Hom. Il. xiii. 729; Ἀλλʼ οὔ πως ἅμα πάντα δυνήσεαι αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι, and the familiar non omnia possumus omnes.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.