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Mark Dunagan Commentaries

1 Corinthians 12:16

And if the ear shall say, Because. am not the eye,. am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.

Points to Note:

1. It appears that these verses are directed towards the ungifted, or at least, those that didn't have the gift of tongues. Things were such in Corinth, that such people had received the impression that they were unimportant and therefore completely useless to the Church.

2. Others might have been jealous or hurt. 'The Spirit didn't give me. gift, or the gift of tongues, or the gift that. wanted. therefore. don't belong or fit in.'

3. It might have been taught (as it is taught in some religious bodies today) that unless you spoke in tongues, God hadn't really accepted you, i.e. you weren't. real Christian and hence didn't belong in the body of Christ. Even in the First Century, non-tongue speakers were "real" Christians too!

But, let us suppose that the ear (1 Corinthians 12:16) really got it's wish to be the eye:

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See also 1 Corinthians 12:16 in other biblical comments:

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  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

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  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

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  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

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  • Charles Box Commentaries

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  • Charles Rose Commentaries

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  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

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  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    1 Corinthians 12:15-16 represent with lively fancy the _foot_ and _ear_ in turn organs of activity and intelligence as disclaiming their part in the body, because they have not the powers of the _hand...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

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  • Godet's commentary on Luke, John, Romans, 1 Corinthians

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Old Testament