Paul now applies his illustration to the Corinthians’ situation (so with yourselves
; see also 1 Corinthians 14:9). They should not allow tongues or any other gift to estrange themselves from each other. On the contrary, church members must strive to excel in building up the church.
Literally, the Corinthians are said to be zealots for spirits.
The word zealot
is used here in a positive sense, to denote spiritual eagerness (compare Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 3:13). In this context the word spirits
stands for spiritual gifts (see also the comments under 1 Corinthians 12:10, The Ability to Distinguish between Spirits
).
12 De même vous, puisque vous aspirez aux dons spirituels, que ce soit pour l'édification de l'Eglise que vous cherchiez à en posséder abondamment.