1 Corinthians 12:1
in 1 Corinthians 12Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
KJV
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 12
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Now concerning - it is now time that I should speak of spiritual endowments. He had no doubt been consulted in regard to them, and probably various questions had been proposed, which he now proceeded to answer. Spiritual gifts - The word “gifts” is not in the original. The Greek refers to “spiritual” things in general, or to anything that is of a spiritual nature.
This site's exposition
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant
on 1 Corinthians 12:1-3
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant: the fourth of the letter's peri de sections turns from public worship to the pneumatika, the gifts of the Spirit, because reports from Chloe's house evidently included jealousy and disorder around them. Paul begins by recalling their pagan past, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led, since ecstatic speech and frenzied utterance were common at Corinth's own shrines and needed a test the Corinthians had never had. That test is given in verse 3, no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no man can say that Jesus is Lord, kyrios Iesous, but by the Holy Ghost, so the content of a confession, not its intensity, proves the Spirit behind it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
This was her vision, and for her witness there was God; and the apostle most assuredly foretold that there were to be "spiritual gifts" in the church. Now, can you refuse to believe this, even if indubitable evidence on every point is forthcoming for your conviction? Since, then, the soul is a corporeal substance, no doubt it possesses qualities such as those which we have just mentioned, amongst them the property of colour, which is inherent in every bodily substance.
This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place. And why do they not happen now? Why look now, the cause too of the obscurity hath produced us again another question: namely, why did they then happen, and now do so no more? This however let us defer to another time, but for the present let us state what things were occurring then. Well: what did happen then? Whoever was baptized he straightway spake with tongues and not with tongues only, but many also prophesied, and some also performed many other wonderful works. For since on their coming over from idols, without any clear knowledge or training in the ancient Scriptures, they at once on their baptism received the Spirit, yet the Spirit they saw not, for It is invisible; therefore God's grace bestowed some sensible proof of that energy. And one straightway spake in the Persian, another in the Roman, another in the Indian, another in some other such tongue: and this made manifest to them that were without that it is the Spirit in the very person speaking. Wherefore also he so calls it, saying, "But to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withal;" calling the gifts "a manifestation of the Spirit." For as the Apostles themselves had received this sign first, so also the faithful went on receiving it, I mean, the gift of tongues; yet not this only but also many others: inasmuch as many used even to raise the dead and to cast out devils and to perform many other such wonders: and they had gifts too, some less, and some more. […]
In like manner, when treating of the gospel, we have proved from the sacrament of the bread and the cup the verity of the Lord's body and blood in opposition to Marcion's phantom; whilst throughout almost the whole of my work it has been contended that all mention of judicial attributes points conclusively to the Creator as to a God who judges.
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 240 · Written before 458.
proposed
In former times those who accepted the divine preaching and who were baptized for their salvation were given visible signs of the grace of the Holy Spirit at work in them. Some spoke in tongues which they did not know and which nobody had taught …
The Medieval Church1 voice
After discussing the three sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony and the Eucharist, the Apostle begins to talk about things pertaining to the reality signified in the sacraments. But this is twofold: one is signified and contained, namely, grace, which is conferred at once by the sacrament; …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
That is, about the gifts of the Spirit. The matter is as follows. Those who believed and were baptized in the beginning all received the Spirit. Since He was invisible, an outward proof of His power was given; and those who received Him either spoke …
The Reformation1 voice
But besides this diversity, the construction is in other respects confused; but still, the meaning is evident. Literally, it is this -- Ye know, that when ye were Gentiles, after dumb idols, according as ye were led, following I have, however, faithfully given Paul's meaning.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now concerning spiritual gifts - The abundance of these in the churches of Greece strongly refuted the idle learning of the Greek philosophers. But the Corinthians did not use them wisely, which occasioned St. Paul's writing concerning them.
Now concerning spiritual gifts,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
spiritual gifts--the signs of the Spirit's continued efficacious presence in the Church, which is Christ's body, the complement of His incarnation, as the body is the complement of the head. By the love which pervades the whole, the gifts of the several members, forming reciprocal complements to each other, tend to the one object of perfecting the body of Christ.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Now concerning spiritual gifts - This was a subject about which they appear to have written to the apostle, and concerning which there were probably some contentions among them. The words περι των πνευματικων may as well be translated concerning spiritual persons, as spiritual gifts; and indeed the former agrees much better with the context. I would not have you ignorant - I wish you fully to know whence all such gifts come, and for what end they are given, that each person may serve the Church in the capacity in which God has placed him, that there may be no misunderstandings and no schism in the body.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Περὶ | peri | Concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πνευματικῶν, | pneumatikon | spiritual [gifts], | G4152 → | 26 times |
| ἀδελφοί, | adelphoi | brothers, | G80 → | 343 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| θέλω | thelo | I do want | G2309 → | 208 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἀγνοεῖν. | agnoein | to be ignorant. | G50 → | 22 times |
ΠερὶConcerning
periG4012 →332 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
πνευματικῶν,spiritual [gifts],
pneumatikonG4152 →26 times
ἀδελφοί,brothers,
adelphoiG80 →343 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
θέλωI do want
theloG2309 →208 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἀγνοεῖν.to be ignorant.
agnoeinG50 →22 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Peter 3:8Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
it leads to
- Psalms 90:4
For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.
- Psalms 90:4
Through
Ephesians 4:11And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
it leads to
- Jeremiah 3:15
Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:28–29
And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
- Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- 2 Timothy 4:5
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
- Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
- Jeremiah 3:15
Through
1 Corinthians 14:37If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
- 2 Corinthians 10:7
You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.
- 1 John 4:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, A Treatise on the Soul; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 240; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.