John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 12:13

"For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit." — 1 Corinthians 12:13 (ASV)

For we are all baptized by one Spirit. Here a proof is brought forward from the effect of baptism. “We are,” he says, “engrafted by baptism into Christ’s body, so that we are bound together by a mutual link as members, and live one and the same life.

Therefore, everyone who would remain in the Church of Christ must necessarily cultivate this fellowship.” He speaks, however, of the baptism of believers, which is efficacious through the grace of the Spirit. For, in the case of many, baptism is merely in the letter—the symbol without the reality; but believers, along with the sacrament, receive the reality.

Therefore, with respect to God, this invariably holds true: that baptism is an engrafting into the body of Christ. For in that ordinance, God does not represent anything but what He is prepared to accomplish, provided we on our part are capable of it.

The Apostle also observes here a most admirable balance in teaching that the nature of baptism is to connect us with Christ’s body. However, lest anyone should imagine that this is effected by the outward symbol, he adds that it is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Whether Jews or Greeks. He specifies these instances to indicate that no diversity of condition obstructs that holy unity which he recommends. This clause, also, is added suitably and appropriately, for envy might at that time arise from two sources: because the Jews were not willing that the Gentiles should be put on a level with them; and, where someone had some excellence above others, with the aim of maintaining his superiority, he withdrew himself to a distance from his brothers.

We have all drunk in one Spirit. It is literally, “We have drunk into one Spirit,” but it would seem that, so that the two words ἐν (in) and ἑν (one) might not immediately follow each other, Paul intentionally changed ἐν (in) into εἰς (into), as he frequently does.

Therefore, his meaning seems rather to be that we are made to drink through the influence of the Spirit of Christ, as he had said before, than that we have drunk into the same Spirit. It is uncertain, however, whether he speaks here of Baptism or of the Supper. I am rather inclined, however, to understand him as referring to the Supper, as he mentions drinking, for I have no doubt that he intended to make an allusion to the likeness of the sign.

There is, however, no correspondence between drinking and baptism. Now, although the cup forms only half of the Supper, there is no difficulty arising from that, for it is a common thing in Scripture to speak of the sacraments by synecdoche. Thus he mentioned above in the tenth chapter (1 Corinthians 10:17) simply the bread, making no mention of the cup.

The meaning, therefore, will be this: that participation in the cup has this in view—that all of us drink from the same cup. For in that ordinance we drink of the life-giving blood of Christ, so that we may have life in common with Him—which we truly have when He lives in us by His Spirit.

He teaches, therefore, that believers, as soon as they are initiated by the baptism of Christ, are already imbued with a desire to cultivate mutual unity. And then, when they receive the sacred Supper, they are again led by degrees to the same unity, as they are all refreshed at the same time with the same drink.