1 Corinthians 12:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They ought rather to be despised more than all else. A dishonorable slave in a household not only receives no greater care, but is not even deemed worthy of equal care with the others. Therefore, if these members too were ignoble, they should not receive greater care, nor even equal care with the others. But now greater care is given to them, and this is through the action of God's wisdom. God has so arranged things that some members by nature need nothing, while to others we must supply what nature has not given them. Yet for this reason they are not dishonorable. In the same way, animals by their nature mostly need nothing, neither clothing, nor footwear, nor shelter. Yet our body is not more dishonorable than theirs because it needs all these things. Indeed, if one examines attentively, these members are honorable and necessary by their very nature. The Apostle himself hints at this. He gives his judgment about them not on the basis of our attention and greater care for them, but on the basis of the very nature of things. When he calls them weak and less honorable, he says, "which seem." But when he calls them necessary, he does not add, "which seem." He gives his own judgment and says that they are "much more necessary." And he is entirely right. They are truly necessary for the birth of children and the continuation of our race. For this reason Roman legislators impose punishment on those who mutilate these members and make themselves eunuchs. They do this as to people who harm the whole human race and mutilate nature itself. But let corrupt people understand, those who subject the works of God to censure! Many curse wine because of drunkards, and the female sex because of prostitutes. So too these members are considered shameful because of those who use them improperly. But one must not judge in this way. Sin does not depend on the nature of the thing. It comes from the choice of those who commit the offense. Some, however, think that Paul here calls the eyes and feet the weaker and less honorable members, the more delicate members that receive greater care. By the weaker and more necessary members they understand the eyes. Though weaker in strength, they are more excellent in use. By the less honorable members they understand the feet, for which much care is also taken. Then, so that there may be no exaggeration on the other side, he says: "But our presentable parts have no need" (1 Cor 12:24). Someone might say: What, then? Must the noble members be left neglected, while care is taken for the less noble? He says: We do this not from neglect of them, but because they have no need of it. And note how briefly he expressed their praise, and then moved on to what followed. In this he acted both fittingly and usefully. Without stopping there, he also adds the reason: "But God," he says, "has composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there should be no division in the body" (1 Cor 12:24-25). If God has blended the body together, then He has left no possibility of distinguishing in it what is less honorable. What is blended becomes one, so that what it formerly was is no longer visible. Otherwise it could not be said to have been blended. And see how everywhere he mentions defects only lightly, saying, "to the part that lacked it." He did not say, to the dishonorable or shameful part, but "to the part that lacked it." Why did it lack? By nature. "Giving greater honor." For what purpose? "That there should be no division in the body." Since the Corinthians, after receiving many consolations, still grieved that they had received less, the Apostle proves that they had, on the contrary, received greater honor. "To the part that lacked it," he says, God gave greater honor. Then he brings forward the reason, showing that God both gave less and honored more to their profit. What is this reason? "That there should be no division," he says, "in the body." He did not say, in the members, but "in the body." Indeed, there would be great inequality if some members received greater care both from nature and from us, while others had this from neither side. Then they would fall apart, unable to preserve union with one another. And if some fell away, the others too would suffer harm. Do you see how he proved that the members which lacked had necessarily to receive greater honor? If it were not so, he says, all would perish together. Indeed, if you did not take great care for them, they would be harmed, since they are not guarded by nature. Once harmed, they would be ruined. Once ruined, they would divide the body into parts. And once the body was divided, the other, much more important members would also perish. Do you see how care for those members is joined with care for these? The members have the foundation of their existence not so much in their own nature as in the fact that they make up one body. Therefore, if the body is destroyed, there will be no profit from the soundness of each member separately. Whether the eye remains whole or the nose is preserved, there will be no benefit once the union is broken. But if the union is preserved, even if they are injured, they hold together and quickly recover. Perhaps someone will say: In the body, it is indeed possible to say that the members which lack received greater honor. But how can this be seen among men? Among men this can be seen even more. Those who came at the eleventh hour received their reward first. For the lost sheep, the shepherd left the other ninety-nine, went after it, and, when he found it, carried it rather than drove it. The prodigal son was counted worthy of greater care than the son who had behaved honorably. The thief was crowned and glorified before the Apostles. The same may be seen in the parable of the talents. The one who received five talents and the one who received two were counted worthy of the same reward. The very fact that the latter received two talents was a sign of greater care for him. If five had been given to him, he would not have been able to increase them and would have lost everything. But after receiving two and fulfilling his task, he was counted worthy of the same reward as the one who gained five talents. He gained more than the other, in that for lesser labors he was granted the same crowns. Though he was the same kind of man as the one who received five talents, the Master did not exact from him or compel him to labor as much as his fellow servant. Nor did He say: Why were you not able to gain five talents? He could have said this justly, yet He crowned him also. Therefore, knowing this, let those who are higher not oppress those who are lower, lest they themselves suffer harm before the others do. For if the lower separate, the whole body too will be destroyed. What is the body, if not the union of many members? As the Apostle says: "The body is not one member, but many." Therefore, if such is the body, let us strive that the many remain many. When this is not preserved, a mortal wound is opened. The Apostle requires not only that we not be separated from one another, but that we be joined together in the closest way. After saying, "that there should be no division in the body," he was not satisfied with this. He added, "but that all the members should have the same care for one another." Here he presents another reason why greater care is taken for the lower members. God arranged it this way not only so that the members would not be separated from one another. He also did so that there might be great love and concord among them. If each person must care for the salvation of his neighbor, then do not speak to me of lower and higher. Here there is no higher and lower. The difference among members can be seen only when the body remains whole. But when it is destroyed, this cannot be seen. And it is destroyed if even the lower members are absent. Therefore, if the important members are harmed when the lesser members are harmed, then the former must care for the lesser as much as for themselves. For the preservation of the important members depends on the preservation of the lesser. Therefore, even if you repeat a thousand times that such a member is slight and insignificant, harm will fall on you yourself if you do not care for it as much as for yourself. The same is true if you neglect it as insignificant. Therefore the Apostle did not say only that the members should care for one another. He added that "all the members should have the same care for one another." That is, the insignificant member should receive exactly the same care as the important one. Do not say, then, that such a member is not important. Remember that it is a member of the same body which contains all the members within itself. The eye, and every other member, make the body a body. In the structure of the body, no member has precedence over another. The body does not consist in this, that one member is important and another insignificant. It consists in this, that there are many members, and different ones at that. As you, being greater, make up the body, so another, being lesser, also makes it up. Therefore, in relation to the body's structure, his smallness is equal in honor with you. He contributes to this beautiful whole just as you do. This is clear from the following. Let there be no important and unimportant member, no noble and ignoble member. Let everything be an eye, or everything a head. Will the body not perish? This is evident to everyone. Again, if all were insignificant, the same thing would happen. In this respect the insignificant members are equal to the more important. One may say still more. The insignificant member is insignificant precisely so that there may be a body. Thus it remains insignificant for your sake, so that you may remain important.

We attend to the feet and care for them, though they occupy a low place and seem dishonorable. One may also understand three ranks in these words. Some members are weak and necessary, such as the eyes. Others are dishonorable, such as the feet. Others are uncomely, such as the generative members.

“Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Lk. 10:20). Peter cast out demons. Some old widow, or some person who has love and keeps the integrity of faith, does not do this. Peter serves as an eye in the Body of the Church. That person is a finger in the Body, in the same Body as Peter. And even if the finger is less significant than the eye, it is nevertheless not torn away from the body. It is better to be a finger and still be part of the body than to be an eye and be torn from the body.

The Creator of nature cared so greatly for our modesty, preserving the beauty and dignity of our body, that He placed the openings and outlets of our channels behind, on the back. He hid them from sight, so that the discharge of the stomach would not offend our eyes. The Apostle spoke excellently about this: “The members of the body that seem to be weaker are much more necessary, and those members of the body which we think less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our uncomely parts have greater comeliness” (1 Cor. 12:22-24). By imitating nature, our efforts aided piety. Elsewhere, see Noe 13-30, we have spoken of this more fully. We not only hide certain parts of the body from sight. We also consider unworthy of naming, or of speaking about their use, those things we acknowledge must be hidden.

Thus, by mutual duty and mutual service, superiors and subjects are bound to one another, like the members in the structure of the human body.

The condition of subjects without superiors is poor and unfortunate. Yet what can a superior do without the service of those subject to him? The head in the human body is considered more important than the other members. Yet what can it do without eyes, ears, hands, and feet?

So also a superior in society presents himself as more important than others. Yet what will he do without the service of those subject to him? Nothing.

For the head, which is most rational, to govern the body well, it needs eyes to see, ears to hear, mouth and tongue to speak, hands to work, feet to walk, and the rest.

So also a superior, even the most rational, needs other people if he is to care successfully for society. Some are like eyes, some like ears, some like a mouth, some like hands, some like feet, and so on. Then his government will be prosperous.

What is the head without the other members of the body? Nothing. What is a superior without those subject to him? Nothing. What is a commander without officers and soldiers? Like an ordinary soldier.

What is a prince, nobleman, or master without servants and peasants? The same as an ordinary man.

An army defends the wholeness of its fatherland, but the fatherland supplies it with weapons, provisions, and other necessary needs. It also replaces the fallen with new soldiers. What can an army do when the fatherland does not provide what is necessary?

Cities exalt themselves above hamlets and villages. Yet what are cities without hamlets and villages? Nothing. Hamlets and villages serve cities with bread and other supplies. Cities will vanish if hamlets and villages do not give them their bread.

Thus those considered most contemptible are honorable and necessary. This is set forth not so that subjects should despise their superiors. May this never be! They must render them the honor due to them, according to Scripture: "Render to all their due: tax to whom tax is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor" (Rom 13:7).

But those who consider themselves more honorable must not despise those below them, nor be proud of their titles and names. One thing is required of Christian superiors: that they themselves live in the fear of God and serve Christian society according to their oath and the rule of Holy Scripture.

Then they will truly be great, great here and great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But if they live here according to their whims and do not obey Him who gave them authority, then great will be their eternal misfortune.

Their suffering will be multiplied in proportion to the fear they inspired here. For "the least is deserving of mercy, but the mighty will be mightily tested" (Wis 6:6).

Beloved, you who sit in a high place, look more often upon the humility of Christ. This will not allow you to exalt yourself, despise your brethren who stand lower, rage foolishly in this world, and so fall into ruinous calamity.

Who knows whether you or the one whom you despise is better and more honorable before God? He looks upon the heart and judges by what is within, not by outward appearance. He judges by faith and works fitting to it, not by names and titles.

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’ Nor again can the head say to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Cor. 12:21). On the contrary, the members of the body that seem weaker, such as the tongue, the heart, and others, are much more necessary (1 Cor. 12:22). And the members we think less honorable in the body, such as the stomach, the feet, and others, receive greater care from us (1 Cor. 12:23). Therefore, if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it (1 Cor. 12:26). “And you,” the Apostle concludes, “are the body of Christ, and individually members” (1 Cor. 12:27).

This is especially so for the members that seem, for some reason, insufficiently protected or to impair the dignity of the whole body. So also in the Church, those bearers of gifts of grace who possess them in lesser measure may receive the care of others who bear higher gifts. Thus, as in a normal body no member can complain against its position or condition, but all hasten to serve one another and the whole body, so there must be common contentment and mutual help among members of the Church. This applies both generally and especially among the bearers of various spiritual gifts of grace. Finally, the members of the body cannot leave their own condition, perform functions not proper to them, or occupy another place. Each member performs its functions not by accidental position, but according to the foreseen plan of our all-wise Creator. So each member of the Church must necessarily perform his own work, according to his gift. He does this by faith in the all-working and all-sustaining wisdom and goodness of God the Provider, our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the perfecting Spirit, the one Author of all gifts. As though summing up the Apostle’s thought, blessed Theodoret says: “Therefore let each one love what has been given. For if God has apportioned active powers to the parts of the body, then whoever does not remain within the appointed limits goes directly against Him who set those limits.” St. John Chrysostom says: “As the supreme Artist willed, so it came to be. For He wills as is profitable. If we must not be inquisitive about the members in our own body, still less must we be so in the Church.”