1 Corinthians 12:17
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
Original Language Analysis
ὅλον
the whole
G3650
ὅλον
the whole
Strong's:
G3650
Word #:
2 of 14
"whole" or "all", i.e., complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb
τὸ
G3588
τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 14
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σῶμα
body
G4983
σῶμα
body
Strong's:
G4983
Word #:
4 of 14
the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively
ὀφθαλμός
were an eye
G3788
ὀφθαλμός
were an eye
Strong's:
G3788
Word #:
5 of 14
the eye (literally or figuratively); by implication, vision; figuratively, envy (from the jealous side-glance)
ἡ
G3588
ἡ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 14
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὅλον
the whole
G3650
ὅλον
the whole
Strong's:
G3650
Word #:
10 of 14
"whole" or "all", i.e., complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb
ποῦ
where
G4226
ποῦ
where
Strong's:
G4226
Word #:
12 of 14
as adverb of place; at (by implication, to) what locality
Historical Context
Paul's reductio ad absurdum echoes Greco-Roman rhetoric's use of exaggeration to expose faulty reasoning. His hearers, familiar with body-politic analogies, would immediately grasp the lunacy of a single-organ society.
Questions for Reflection
- What happens in churches where one gift-type dominates (all teaching, all evangelism, all worship)?
- How can you help your church celebrate gift-diversity rather than pursuing gift-uniformity?
- What 'senses' (gift-types) might be missing or underutilized in your church body?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?—Paul pushes the absurdity to comic extremes: imagine a body composed entirely of one gigantic eyeball—it could see but not hear, smell, taste, or touch. Such a creature would be grotesquely deformed, severely handicapped. The rhetorical question (pou, "where?") emphasizes the loss: the other senses would simply not exist.
Application: if the whole church were prophets, who would administer? If all were evangelists, who would shepherd? If everyone taught, who would listen and learn? Uniformity produces dysfunction. The Corinthians' desire for everyone to possess the prestigious gift (tongues) would create a monstrous church-body. God's wisdom in diverse distribution ensures the body has eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to work, feet to go—all functions necessary for kingdom mission. The church needs contemplatives and activists, teachers and doers, visionaries and administrators.