The Greek word diairesis means a distribution, division, or variety of different kinds — a difference or apportionment among many. It appears three times in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Paul's foundational passage on spiritual gifts: 'There are varieties (diaireseis) of gifts, but the same Spirit; varieties of service, but the same Lord; varieties of activities, but the same God.'
Paul's triple use of diairesis in 1 Corinthians 12 establishes the theology of unified diversity in the body of Christ. The varieties — gifts, ministries, activities — all trace back to the same Triune God: the Spirit distributes gifts, the Lord assigns service, and the Father energizes activities. This diversity is not a problem to be solved but a beauty to be celebrated. The Spirit who distributes gifts is also the source of unity (1 Corinthians 12:13). A church that suppresses its variety impoverishes itself; a church that celebrates variety without unity fragments. The diairesis within the Godhead itself — Father, Son, and Spirit each present — models the unified diversity He builds into His people.