August
3rd The
body the church
12:
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13: For
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to
drink into one Spirit. 14: For the body is not one member, but many.
15: If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the
body; is it therefore not of the body? 16: And if the ear shall say,
Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body? 17: If the whole body were an eye, where were the
hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18: But
now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it
hath pleased him. 19: And if they were all one member, where were the
body? 20: But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21: And
the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again
the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22: Nay, much more those
members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23:
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable,
upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts
have more abundant comeliness. 24: For our comely parts have no need:
but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant
honour to that part which lacked: 25: That there should be no schism
in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for
another. 26: And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer
with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28: And
God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29: Are all
apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of
miracles? 30: Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret? 31: But covet earnestly the best gifts:
and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Paul
is talking about the unity of the body of believers. He says that
although the body of Christ has many members yet all the members of
Christ’s body, are one body. Then Paul explains how this body of
believers came about. He says in one Spirit the Holy Spirit all of us
as believers are baptised into the one body of Christ – the Church.
Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freemen, we are all one in Christ. Our
human body does not just have one part to it. Imagine how damaging it
would be if the foot said, l am jealous of the hand. It wears a ring
and does all the important stuff but I’m ignored and l trail in the
dust and no body thinks of me, maybe I’m not part of the body. And
imagine if the ear should say, I’m not beautiful like the eye.
Nobody looks longingly at me. I don’t sparkle or shine. Maybe I’m
not part of the body. Is the ear not part of the body? Imagine how
grotesque it would be if the whole body were an eye? How would the
eye hear anything? And if the whole body were an ear how would it
smell beautiful scents? God has put all of the parts of the body
together in a way that pleases him. If all the body were an eye then
where would the body be? The eye cant say to the hand l don’t need
you. Nor can the head say to the feet l don’t need you. Sometimes
the parts of the body that seem to be weak are actually very
necessary. And those parts of the body which we don’t think are
very beautiful are in fact very important. God has knit all the body
together in such a way that there is no division in the body and that
it all works together in perfect harmony. And that all the parts of
the body look after each other, so that if one member is hurt all the
rest feel it. And if one part of the body is appreciated by someone
all the rest of the body rejoices too. Now says Paul it is like this
in the body of Christ. You Corinthians are the body of Christ. God
set in the church firstly apostles, secondly prophets and thirdly
teachers. These three represent the three orders of ministry. The
Apostles brought the very words of Christ as eye witnesses of
Christ’s life and teaching. The Prophets followed them in bringing
divine revelation to the Church of God before the NT was complete and
in fact some of them with the Apostles are the writers of the NT. And
thirdly there are those who now teach the word of God from the
inspired writings. And then after these gifts come those that perform
miracles, then there are those with the gifts of healing, There are
those who administer, those who govern churches, those that have
different languages. Now says Paul let me ask you, is everyone an
apostle? No of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Is every
believer a teacher of the word? No not at all. Does every Christian
perform miracles? No of course not. Does every christian heal people?
No. So does every believer speak in languages and do all believers
have the ability to interpret languages. No not at all. We are all
different and each christian receives the gift that God gives to him.
We are to long for the best gifts yet there is a much better way (and
l will explain this in the next chapter). (We must remember that this
passage was written during the apostolic period before the death of
the Apostles and the destruction of Jerusalem when the Apostolic
signs and gifts ceased.)
- In what sense does Paul describe Christian unity?
- What are the points that Paul teaches in his illustration of the body and its members?
- What is the answer to Paul's seven questions?
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