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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2009
The description of the Corinthians as possessing the mind of Christ and being his body speaks of their new existence. In the first chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul indicates that they are distinct from the world which does not possess the νοῦς Χριστοῦ and cannot comprehend the things of God. In their new corporate existence as God's temple, they should cease their quarreling over leaders. In 1 Cor. 12 Paul calls them Christ's body and likewise calls them to unity.
Just as both instances reflect the Corinthians' existence as members of a new humanity in Christ, so do both speak of the need to “build” the community of God properly. Even though the Corinthians are already united by virtue of their inclusion in new humanity, Paul wants to “build” the community properly in anticipation of the Day of Judgment (3:10–15). In 1 Cor. 12–14 the Corinthians are the body of Christ, united in the Spirit, and Paul wants them to seek gifts that “build” the community (14:3, 4, 5, 12, 17, 26).
The way to do this is love, and Paul says explicitly in 1 Cor. 8:1, “Love builds up.” 1 Cor. 13 is his extended description of love, and 1 Cor. 14 is the application of love to the body, with the result that prophecy is valued more than speaking in tongues.
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