The chapter where this passage is found talks about church unity again. It explains that all believers are members of one Body, the Body of Christ. Not everyone is the same – they come from different backgrounds, have different interests, personalities, gifts and talents, strengths, weaknesses, etc. This chapter specifically mentions the different kinds of gifts the Holy Spirit gives to the believers – prophecy, miracles, faith, speaking in different tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits, etc. It also mentions the different offices in the church – apostles, prophets, teachers, administrators, workers of healing, miracles, etc. Thus, it is expected that everyone in the church must work together, complimenting one another’s abilities, and must function together as a whole, since it is in fact the Body of Christ and the Head of the Church is Christ Himself.
This chapter is the backdrop to the chapter on love which is the next chapter – the famous 1 Corinthians 13. That chapter is often read at weddings but it actually speaks not about marital love but of love among believers in the church – having different personalities and spiritual gifts and offices – exhorting them to love one another and to remain united. The passage can apply to couples too, but it wasn’t written by the apostle Paul with marriage in mind. It was meant to be an exposition on brotherly love and was primarily for the church.
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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible, Bible App by YouVersion.com
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Art courtesy of YouVersion Bible app. I am using the Bible App by YouVersion.com for my daily devotion. Download it now for your mobile device. https://j794q.app.goo.gl/nd4yPrGj7Hbhy9Kk8
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