The
Various Parts of Christ's Church
[1st
Corinthians 12, verses 14-31]
Today
I will conclude chapter 12 of 1st
Corinthians. Last week you will recall how Paul was explaining to the
church at Corinth the many different functions of church membership
and how they are interrelated to one another. He described the gifts
of the Spirit as they are applied to the various church members, with
no one gift being more important than any other. In the conclusion of
chapter 12, the apostle Paul compares the church to the human body
as he analogizes the two, beginning in verse 14.
“Now
the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should
say, 'Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body', it would
not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if the ear
should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body',
it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the
whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the
whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in
fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just
as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the
body be? As it is, there are many parts but one body.”
(1Corinthians 12, verses 14-20, NIV)
Now let's go back to last week's study for just a
minute. You will recall Paul naming the “gifts of the Spirit” as
wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy,
distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues (other
languages), and the interpretation of tongues. When taking them in
context like I am doing in the above Scripture, it is clear that Paul
means multiple things are happening all at the same time within the
true Church (the one that's not a corporation or a social club). Not
everybody can be a pastor, or an elder, or a deacon; not everybody
can have gifts of healing and of miraculous powers, nor do all speak
in tongues, or interpret, and not all prophesy either. But each part
within the church is absolutely indispensable to each other, and each
part is an essential part of the whole body of Christ's church. And,
as Paul wrote, the various parts of the body of Christ are arranged
exactly as God wants them to be. That is all part of His good,
pleasing and perfect plan for each of us, according to His most
excellent will. Let us now continue at verse 21.
“The
eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!'. And the head cannot
say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'. On the contrary, those parts of
the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts we
think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts
that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our
presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the
members of the body and has given greater honor to parts that lacked
it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its
parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers,
every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part
rejoices with it.” (1Corinthians 12, verses 21-26, NIV)
Each part of the true church of Jesus Christ is
interdependent on one another, and all work in unison for the
edification of the church. There is no such thing as a one-man band
in Christianity, but instead the church possesses a “team spirit”
that is Spiritual in nature. And there is total equality among the
membership so that “its parts should have equal concern for each
other”. And so we see that, in the spirit of true Christianity,
everyone has an equal standing within Christ's church, and no one is
higher or better than anyone else. This is why equal protection under
the law is part of the US legal code passed by Congress back in 1965.
It is based on the Bible, as Rev. Dr. King correctly pointed out
repeatedly during the civil rights era prior to his assassination.
I
have one more comment about this passage before I move on. Paul wrote
in verse 22 above, “those
parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the
parts we think are less honorable we treat with special honor”.
The work of those within the Church who are weaker, presumably
meaning those persons of lesser stature either because they are new
or because they have spiritual or personal issues they are working
out, counts for just as much as a long-time member who has grown
strong in his or her relationship with Christ. There is no such thing
as a pecking order or a hierarchy in a church filled with true
followers of Christ. Authority is distributed laterally among the
membership, and Christ is the sole head of the church.
And then there is the part about those who “we think
are less honorable we (should) treat with special honor”. Remember
what Jesus said in the four Gospels about, “Those who put
themselves first will be last, but the last will be first”, and
again when Jesus said, “Those who exalt themselves will be
humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted”.
Jesus is clearly referring to the rich and the poor, and to those in
positions of power and influence, and to those who crave it. And so
the parts of the church, the very poorest and most insignificant
members of the church, who are the least honorable, should be treated
with special honor. Social and economic position count for nothing in
the true church, but passion for Christ is everything. If any of us
should die tomorrow, we can't take anything with us. Our cars,
clothes, furniture, houses (if you are lucky enough to still own one
of those), our jobs and all our friends and loved ones are going to
be left behind when we go home to be with the Lord forever. In the
end our relationship with Jesus Christ is the only thing that will
remain of what we once were. It is that very relationship that sets
apart God's people from the rest of humanity. And now allow me to
wrap up the remainder of today's study.
“Now
you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And
in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having
gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of
administration and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are
all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work
miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do
all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will
show you the most excellent way.” (1Corinthians 12, verses 27-31,
NIV)
Each member of the Body of Christ has their function,
and it will invariably be the one thing that they do best within the
overall structure of the Church. The best way to find out what your
ministry is, or what function you serve for the glory of Jesus, is to
first pray about it. Assume nothing, and do nothing on your own that
you have not prayed about previously. In other words, don't do
anything without talking to God about it first unless you are
absolutely sure that your will and God's will are synchronous. God
will open the right door for you, and He will do it in the right
church. So if you find yourself in a church where there does not seem
to be any place where you can be a helping member, or even where you
fit in for that matter, this is a sign that you need to look
elsewhere for a church you can call home. Keep seeking and let God
show you the way. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to where you belong,
because if it worked just fine for me, then it will for you too. In
the meantime, follow the apostle Paul's advice and “eagerly desire
the greater gifts” of the Spirit. God has the perfect place for you
in his Church, and the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ crucified
and resurrected is what allows us to have this special relationship
with Him. No one place within the church is more important or
valuable than any other, nor is any one single person (with the
probable exception of the pastor). No matter what Spiritual gift you
may have, it all counts equally as much in the true church of Christ.
And if it counts equally within Christ's church, then all is equal in
the sight of God.
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