The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 12:23 Explained

1 Corinthians 12:23

KJV: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

YLT: and those that we think to be less honourable of the body, around these we put more abundant honour, and our unseemly things have seemliness more abundant,

Darby: and those parts of the body which we esteem to be the more void of honour, these we clothe with more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;

ASV: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  those  [members] of the body,  which we think  to be  less honourable,  upon these  we bestow  more abundant  honour;  and  our  uncomely  [parts] have  more abundant  comeliness. 

What does 1 Corinthians 12:23 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 12:20-31 - Each Contributing His Part
The hand and the foot obviously stand in need of each other; but the same interdependence marks the feebler and humbler parts of our frame. Indeed, it would appear as if we bestow more abundant honor on them by covering them with clothes or ornaments. In this way the least important parts of our nature are leveled up and compensated.
The Apostle's aim throughout this passage is to enforce the interdependence of believers. One gives to others that in which they are deficient, and he derives help from each of them in turn. The Christian Church is not an inert mass of mere learners and subjects who are to be authoritatively taught and ruled by a small fraction of its members. It is a great co-operative society, in which each is for all and all for each, and the object is to bring Christ into every department of our being and our fellowship, as the life-blood nourishes the body of man. A new word has lately come into use, to express the interdependence and mutual interests of men and nations; and nothing could more aptly describe the Apostle's ideal than that word solidarity. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 12

1  Spiritual gifts,
4  are diverse,
7  yet to profit all
8  And to that end are diversely bestowed;
12  as the members of a natural body tend all to the mutual decency,
22  service,
26  and helpfulness of the same body;
27  so we should do for one another, to make up the body of Christ

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 12:23

We bestow [περιτιτεμεν]
Literally, We place around as if a garland (Mark 15:17) or a garment (Matthew 27:28). [source]
More abundant comeliness [ευσχημοσυνην περισσοτεραν]
One need only mention the mother‘s womb and the mother‘s breast to see the force of Paul‘s argument here. The word, common in old Greek, from ευσχημων — euschēmōn (ευ — eu well, σχημα — schēma figure), here only in N.T. One may think of the coal-miner who digs under the earth for the coal to keep us warm in winter. So ασχημων — aschēmōn (deformed, uncomely), old word, here only in N.T., but see note on 1 Corinthians 7:36 for ασχημονεω — aschēmoneō f0). [source]
We bestow [περιτίθεμεν]
Elsewhere in the New Testament the word is used, without exception, of encircling with something; either putting on clothing, as Matthew 27:28; or surrounding with a fence, as Matthew 21:33; or of the sponge placed round the reed, as Mark 15:36; John 19:29. So evidently here. Rev., in margin, put on. The more abundant honor is shown by the care in clothing. [source]
Uncomely - comeliness [ἀσχήμονα - εὐσχημοσύνην]
See on honorable, Mark 15:43; see on shame, Revelation 16:15. Compare ἀσχημονεῖν behavethuncomely, 1 Corinthians 7:36. The comeliness is outward, as is shown by the verb we put on, and by the compounds of οχῆμα fashionSee on transfigured, Matthew 17:2. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 12:23

Romans 13:13 Honestly [εὐσχημόνως]
Honest is originally honorable, and so here. Compare Wyclif's version of 1 Corinthians 12:23: “And the members that be unhonest have more honesty; for our honest members have need of none.” From εὐ well σχῆμα fashionSee on Matthew 17:2. Hence becomingly. Compare 1 Corinthians 14:40; 1 Thessalonians 4:12. The word refers more particularly to the outward life, and thus accords with walk, and in the day the time of observation. [source]
Romans 13:13 Honestly [ευσχημονως]
Paul is fond of the metaphor “walk” (περιπατεω — peripateō), 33 times though not in the Pastoral Epistles. This old adverb (from ευσχημων — euschēmōn graceful) occurs also in 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 14:40. The English word “honest” means honourable (Latin honor) and so decent. Wycliffe translates 1 Corinthians 12:23 by “unhonest,” “honesty,” “honest” for “less honourable, honour, honourable.” [source]
1 Corinthians 12:22 Seem to be [δοκοῦντα - ὑπάρχειν]
The allusion is probably to those which seem to be weaker in their original structure, naturally. This may be indicated by the use of ὑπάρχειν tobe (see on James 2:15); compare εἶναι tobe, in 1 Corinthians 12:23. Others explain of those which on occasion seem to be weaker, as when a member is diseased. [source]
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly [ουκ ασχημονει]
Old verb from ασχημων — aschēmōn (1 Corinthians 12:23). In N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 7:36. Not indecent. [source]
1 Corinthians 7:36 That he behaveth himself unseemly [ασχημονειν]
Old verb, here only in N.T., from ασχημων — aschēmōn (1 Corinthians 12:23), from α — a privative and σχημα — schēma Occurs in the papyri. Infinitive in indirect discourse after νομιζει — nomizei (thinks) with ει — ei (condition of first class, assumed as true). [source]
Revelation 16:15 Lest he walk naked [ινα μη γυμνος περιπατηι]
Negative purpose clause with ινα μη — hina mē and the present active subjunctive of περιπατεω — peripateō and note predicate nominative γυμνος — gumnos (naked).And they see his shame (και βλεπωσιν την ασχημοσυνην αυτου — kai blepōsin tēn aschēmosunēn autou). Continuation of the final clause with present active subjunctive of βλεπω — blepō Ασχημοσυνην — Aschēmosunēn is old word (from ασχημων — aschēmōn indecent, 1 Corinthians 12:23), in N.T. only here and Romans 1:27, a euphemism for την αισχυνην — tēn aischunēn (Revelation 3:18). [source]
Revelation 16:15 And they see his shame [και βλεπωσιν την ασχημοσυνην αυτου]
Continuation of the final clause with present active subjunctive of βλεπω — blepō Ασχημοσυνην — Aschēmosunēn is old word (from ασχημων — aschēmōn indecent, 1 Corinthians 12:23), in N.T. only here and Romans 1:27, a euphemism for την αισχυνην — tēn aischunēn (Revelation 3:18). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 12:23 mean?

and those which we think less honorable to be of the body these honor more abundant we bestow the unpresentable [parts] of us decorum have
καὶ δοκοῦμεν ἀτιμότερα εἶναι τοῦ σώματος τούτοις τιμὴν περισσοτέραν περιτίθεμεν τὰ ἀσχήμονα ἡμῶν εὐσχημοσύνην ἔχει

  those  which 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
δοκοῦμεν  we  think 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: δοκέω  
Sense: to be of opinion, think, suppose.
ἀτιμότερα  less  honorable 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural, Comparative
Root: ἄτιμος  
Sense: without honour, unhonoured, dishonoured.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σώματος  body 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
τούτοις  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
τιμὴν  honor 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: τιμή  
Sense: a valuing by which the price is fixed.
περισσοτέραν  more  abundant 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular, Comparative
Root: περισσός  
Sense: exceeding some number or measure or rank or need.
περιτίθεμεν  we  bestow 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: περιτίθημι  
Sense: to place around, set about.
ἀσχήμονα  unpresentable  [parts] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ἀσχήμων  
Sense: deformed.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
εὐσχημοσύνην  decorum 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: εὐσχημοσύνη  
Sense: charm or elegance of figure, external beauty, decorum, modesty, seemliness.

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