1 Corinthians 12:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having rebuked the envy of the lower and removed the sorrow they might feel because others had been deemed worthy of greater gifts, the Apostle now humbles the pride of those who received more. He had done this earlier when speaking with the former. He taught that a gift is a gift, not a merit. But now he does the same with greater force, continuing the same comparison. From the body and its unity he passes to a comparison of the members themselves with one another. This was especially necessary for them, the Corinthians, to know. For they could be comforted less by knowing that all constituted one body than by being convinced that, even with the gifts they had received, they were not at all dishonored.

Having restrained those who have lesser gifts, he now turns his speech to those who have greater gifts and exalt themselves over those who lack them.

For, he says, just as the eye cannot say to the other members, "I have no need of you," since the whole body is imperfect when one member is lacking, so those who have received greater gifts cannot exalt themselves over those who have received lesser gifts.

The former need the latter, since by themselves they cannot order the Church. He rightly said, "cannot." A man can wish for many things, but in reality it will not be so.

Who found salvation with God? Those who performed miracles, or those who did not? The Apostle Peter raised the dead; see Acts 9:40. Simon Magus also did many things; see Acts 8:10. And there were some Christians who could not perform miracles, neither what Peter did nor what Simon did. Yet why did they rejoice? Because their names were written in heaven. For this is what our Lord Jesus Christ said to the disciples when they returned regarding the faith of the Gentiles. Filled with joy, the disciples said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Lk. 10:17). Though they made an excellent confession and ascribed glory to the name of Christ, what did He answer them?

The Church has true eyes, namely, ecclesiastical writers and teachers, who see the mysteries of the Lord in Scripture. Of them it is said, “the seeing.” On the other hand, she also has hands. She forms men capable of action, who are not eyes, but hands. Do they penetrate the mysteries of Scripture? No, but they are mighty in labors. She also has feet, which do not see and do not labor, but have various paths. Therefore the foot goes so that the hand may know what to do. Let neither the eye despise the hand, nor the hand despise the foot. On the other hand, let them all not despise the belly as though it were idle.

The apostles considered it wrong to leave the word of God and serve tables. Yet both are a gift of wisdom, and Stephen, chosen for the service of tables, was full of wisdom; see Acts 6:2-5. Let the minister honor the teacher, and let the teacher encourage and strengthen the minister. For the body of the Church is one, although the members are different, and one needs another. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” Nor can the head say this to the feet, and the ear cannot deny that it belongs to the body. Though some members are principal, the others also are necessary.

That is, the higher member cannot say of himself in relation to the lower, "I have no concern for that." For the eye sees something, but the hands are given in order to make something.

Nor can the head say to the feet, "I have no need of you." That is, one who is higher in degree of dignity cannot do without the lower, for there is something the lower can do that the higher cannot. Thus iron can do what gold cannot. So also the feet in fact create honor for the head.

The weakest and most necessary parts of the body are the liver and the brain, because the bones are much harder than they are. For this reason they have been placed in greater safety by the Creator.

The feet also seem to be the most dishonorable of the bodily parts, yet we take great care of them by covering them with footwear.

To explain the actions and mutual relations of the members of the Church, the Apostle points to the actions and relations of the members of the human body. Through this comparison, he clarifies the need for mutual care, cooperation, and even dependence among the members of the Church.

Having spoken of the one source of the gifts of grace, the Apostle Paul wished to bring the Corinthians into harmony and unity. They were jealous of one another because of the unequal miraculous gifts of grace they had received. He explains to them the necessity of a strong union among the members of the Church in the one Christ Jesus. This is like the common good of the bodily organism, which depends on the unity of all the bodily members. It also depends on our common care for them, despite their diversity and differing degrees of relative dignity. “For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the one body, though many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12). That is, so also is the body of Christ, which is the Church, according to St. Chrysostom.

Most directly, his comparison of the Church with the body expresses this thought. As the members of the body, though many, form one body, so the bearers of gifts of grace, as members of Christ’s Church, must form one whole through love. Each serves the common life of the Church by his own gift. A second essential thought follows from this comparison. It teaches the equal necessity and equal value of all gifts for the fullness of the Church’s life. This remains true despite their apparently sharp difference, corresponding to the difference among the members of the body. Each member performs its own particular function and has the common purpose of serving the benefit of the whole body.

“Having rebuked the envy of the lower and removed the sorrow they might feel because others had been deemed worthy of greater gifts, the Apostle now humbles the pride of those who received more. He had done this earlier when speaking with the former. He taught that a gift is a gift, not a merit. But now he does the same with greater force, continuing the same comparison. From the body and its unity he proceeds to compare the members themselves with one another. This was especially necessary for the Corinthians to know. For they could be comforted less by knowing that all constituted one body than by being convinced that, even with the gifts they had received, they were not at all dishonored. The lesser gift is also necessary.