1 Corinthians 12:31

Context

Chapters 12–14 of 1 Corinthians, the letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, deal with the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives, that is, the abilities and ministries that God bestows freely. The Corinthian church is generally understood to have prized conspicuous gifts such as speaking in tongues. In chapter 12 Paul compares the church to one body with many members and stresses the diversity of gifts. He then closes the chapter with this verse: "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31, KJV). Since chapter 13 goes on to treat love, the verse marks the transition from the discussion of gifts to the subject of love.

Interpretation

• Imperative reading: This is the reading adopted by most translations. It takes the verse as an exhortation to actively seek the gifts that benefit the church. On the basis of chapter 14, many commentators understand "the best gifts" (rendered "greater gifts" in many translations) as the gifts that build up the church, especially prophecy.
• Indicative reading: Grammatically, the verb in the original Greek can be read either as a command or as a statement, "you are earnestly desiring." Some scholars take the verse as a rebuke of the Corinthians' pursuit of showy gifts and interpret Paul as offering love as the alternative.
• The meaning of "a more excellent way": Some interpreters regard love as the greatest of the gifts, while others hold that love is not a gift at all but the manner in which every gift is to be exercised.

Debates and Issues

This verse is often cited in the cessationism and continuationism debate. The Pentecostal and charismatic traditions, along with the Full Gospel churches of Korea, read the verse as grounds for earnestly desiring gifts such as prophecy and tongues today. By contrast, cessationists, represented by the American Presbyterian theologian Benjamin B. Warfield, hold that the gifts connected with revelation and miracles ceased with the apostolic age, and they place the weight of this verse on love.

Because chapter divisions were added later, some observe that the chapter boundary obscures the fact that the second half of the verse introduces chapter 13. Critics argue that detaching the first half and using it as a slogan to encourage the pursuit of gifts misses the flow of thought leading into the love of chapter 13.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean churches, the expression "earnestly desire the gifts" is commonly used at prayer meetings and revival gatherings as an exhortation to seek spiritual gifts. The following chapter, 13, is frequently read at wedding services in Korea, and this verse is sometimes read with it as its introduction.

Related Passages

• 1 Corinthians 12:28
• 1 Corinthians 14:1-5
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
• Colossians 3:14