“All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.”

Applying the body imagery to the workings of spiritual gifts in the local church, there are no gifts which everyone possesses, just like not all parts of the body can be an eye or a hand. The form of the questions begs the answer, “No, of course not!” We surely understand that not all are apostles. And clearly, Paul states that not all speak with tongues, which undercuts those who believe and teach that the gift of tongues is an evidence of the baptism of the Spirit. But as immature as the Corinthian Christians were, the obvious needed to be stated.

How much damage has been done in the church by those who believe that by their own will and desire they have certain illustrious gifts? Modern day so-called “apostles” have arrogated to themselves an authority over churches which God never intended past the original apostles. Why do they do this? While only God can judge the intents of a man’s heart, history is replete with power and prestige-hungry men who lord it over others. Who wouldn’t want the gift of performing miracles and healing? These things certainly would mark a person as “spiritual” and accord to him a high status in the Christian community. But these are not things we can possess simply because we want them. History, again, is replete with charlatans who have learned to work the religious crowds into believing just about anything.

Tongues is probably the most hotly debated subject. Some believe the gift of tongues offers “proof” that God is truly supernatural in their lives, evidence of a deeper devotion to Him. Paul will address this further in the next chapter, but much of that which is purported to be the gift of tongues today does not line up with what the Bible is talking about when it speaks of “tongues.”

Paul’s point is that Christians should not go for the glitter of spiritual gift manifestations, but to “earnestly desire the greater gifts.” In other words, the Corinthians set their sights too low. They wanted the miraculous, the self-serving pizzazz, the illustrious that would build them up as individuals, at the expense of what was good for the whole body. They (and we today) should focus higher, to the gifts that are greater than what has been said so far. And Paul will show them that next—a more excellent way.

Lord, I do not want to seek what is best for me, but what is the greatest for all.