“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Corinthians 12:28 Mean?
Paul describes the divine ordering of the church: God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
God hath set (etheto) — God himself placed, appointed, arranged. The ordering of gifts in the church is not human administration. It is divine arrangement. God set them — each gift, each role, each function — in the body according to his design.
The list follows a deliberate sequence. First, secondarily, thirdly — the numbering is explicit for the first three: apostles, prophets, teachers. These three are word-ministries — gifts centered on communicating God's truth. Their placement at the top indicates that the church is primarily built through the teaching and proclamation of God's word.
After that — the numbering shifts to a general sequence: miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. The transition from numbered to unnumbered suggests a distinction between foundational gifts (apostles, prophets, teachers) and supporting gifts.
Helps (antilepsis) — assistance, support, the ministry of helping others. Governments (kubernesis) — steering, administration, leadership. These practical gifts are listed alongside miraculous ones, indicating that administration and service are as divinely appointed as miracles and tongues.
Diversities of tongues appears last — not because it is least important in essence, but because the Corinthians had elevated it to first importance. Paul's ordering corrects their priority: tongues is a legitimate gift, but it is not the primary one. The teaching gifts come first. The body needs truth before it needs spectacle.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean that God 'set' — personally placed — each gift in the church?
- 2.Why does Paul number the word-gifts (apostles, prophets, teachers) first — and what does that reveal about the church's priorities?
- 3.How does listing 'helps' and 'governments' alongside 'miracles' elevate practical gifts?
- 4.What gift has God set you in the church with — and are you treating it as divinely appointed?
Devotional
God hath set some in the church. God set them. Not a hiring committee. Not a talent assessment. God himself arranged the gifts in the church — every role, every function, every person placed where they are by divine appointment. Your gift is not an accident. Your place in the body is not random. God set you there.
First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers. The first three are numbered. The order is intentional. Word-gifts come first — the ministries that communicate God's truth, that teach, that proclaim. The church is built on teaching before it is built on anything else. Truth first. Everything else follows.
After that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Notice what is listed alongside miracles: helps. Governments — administration, organization, the practical work of keeping things running. These gifts are divinely appointed with the same authority as healing and miracles. The person who organizes, who administers, who helps — they are as set by God as the miracle worker.
Diversities of tongues — listed last. Not because it does not matter but because the Corinthians had put it first. Paul is reordering their priorities. The flashy gift is not the foundational one. The teaching gift is. The helping gift is. The governing gift is.
What gift has God set you in the church with? If it is helps — you are divinely appointed. If it is administration — you are divinely set. Do not despise your placement because it does not look spectacular. God set you there. That is enough.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And God hath set some in the church,.... As before the apostle gives an account of the various different gifts of the…
And God hath set - That is, has appointed, constituted, ordained. He has established these various orders or ranks in…
God hath set some in the Church - As God has made evident distinctions among the members of the human body, so that some…
I. Here the apostle sums up the argument, and applies this similitude to the church of Christ, concerning which…
God hath set Literally, placed, i.e. when He founded the Church. See 1Co 12:18, of which this is the application.
first…
Cross References
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