What Does 1 Corinthians 12:30 Mean?
Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all carry across?
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?THE KEY
The Greek speaks of “gifts of healings” in the plural: shared life holds varied capacities, and no single person carries them all.
THE MEANING
These questions answer themselves: not every person speaks in tongues or interprets, and the same is true of healing. Your shared life holds distinct capacities rather than requiring every person to carry each one.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that everyone must possess every gift dissolves here: the questions mark these capacities as distributed, not universal.
THE ROOT
χαρίσματα
charismata
GROWS FROM
χαρ-
char-
Favor freely expressed or granted.
The English “gifts” can sound like possessions, but this word belongs to the family of favor. The verse presents these capacities as favor taking different forms across the body.
ALSO GROWS
charis: favor
χάρις
This is the source word behind the gifts: the capacity is favor made concrete.
charizomai: to grant freely, show favor
χαρίζομαι
Favor moves outward through granting; the verse’s varied gifts are not all held by one person.
ἰαμάτων
iamatōn
GROWS FROM
ἰα-
ia-
To heal or cure.
“gifts of healings” in this verse is iamatōn. The Greek names “gifts” and “healings” in the plural, while English can make healing sound like one uniform specialty. The wording leaves room for varied expressions of healing, and asks whether everyone carries them.
ALSO GROWS
iaomai: to heal, cure
ἰάομαι
The action of healing is part of the same word family as the healings named here.
iasis: healing, cure
ἴασις
This related noun names healing itself, showing how the family holds both the act and its expression.
THE PATTERN
A shared work is carried through varied capacities distributed among many people.
And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the staff of Dan. And in the heart of all the wise of heart I have set wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you.But the one and the same breath works all these, portioning to each one as it wills.As each has received a gift, serve it to one another as good stewards of the many-colored favor of God.THE THREAD
We have gifts that differ according to the favor given to us. If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to trust.Romans uses χαρίσματα (charismata, favor-given gifts) alongside χάρις (charis, favor), the same word family behind “gifts” here. It also names these gifts as differing, showing that variation is part of how favor takes form.
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