One Body with Many Members
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Truth Taught- Spiritual gifts all come from the Holy Spirit. Each member using their gift produces a healthy Church.
Last time we looked at Paul’s list of spiritual gifts. We learned that the Corinthian Church had put an unhealthy emphasis of the tongues gift to the neglect of other gifts. We learned that in a healthy Church there will be a diversity of gifts all functioning for the common good and for God’s glory.
Today, we are looking at the illustration Paul uses to help teach us what a diversity of gifts within the body of Christ will look like and how each gift functioning makes the Church a well-functioning healthy body. He uses the picture of the human body made up of different members or parts all functioning in their different designed ways to produce a healthy body. He compares the human body to the Body of Christ, the Church to help us see how important diversity of gifts also will produce a healthy body of believers. We’ll see that all gifts are important because all true spiritual gifts are given by the one Holy Spirit.
There is unity in diversity when the diversity functions together for the common good.
What does it mean to be spiritual? We learned last time that being led by the Spirit in whatever gift He has given you. Working to bring glory to the Lordship of Christ and striving for the common good within the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:12–31 (ESV)
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1. The Church is Like a Human Body (12:12-13)
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Here in 12-13 we see that the body is one and it has many members. There is one Church made up of many members just like the human body is one body also with many members. So, we are shown the great need for diversity within the Body of Christ.
What we also notice with a careful reading is not only a diversity but an urgency. Because there are many members there is a great need for multi-member diverse function. What I mean is because like with the human body with many members there must be multi-member function within the Church.
What would happen to the human body while the lungs decided whether our not, they should function as they were called? What would happen when the heart decides to take a break or the eyes close for a time? You see the urgency in which Paul writes?
What makes the human body a body are all the individual members in their right place functioning as they were designed to function.
What makes the Body of Christ a body is to have all the members also functioning as they were designed to function.
So, as verse 13 tells us we were all called and baptized into the one Spirit and brought into the body of Christ…here we are speaking of Spirit baptism not water baptism. All who believe unto salvation are brought into the Body of Christ. All who are brought into the Body of Christ are made to drink of the one Spirit.
2. The Church, Like a Human Body has Many Members (12:14-20)
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
Here we see two rhetorical statement followed by two rhetorical questions
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,”
Let’s make sure we get his point, there are no inferior gifts. This was a dynamic that took place in Corinth and I’d venture to say that Churches who highlight certain gifts over others would by nature set in place a hierarchy of gifts when in fact all matter.
Even what may seem inferior is desperately needed if the body is to function correctly.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
Notice in the following verses, the diversity of gifts within the Church is by God’s design. The many parts that make up the Church come from God.
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
He tells us that God has arranged the people with certain gifts and set them in various local bodies to function where He has placed them. What we are told here and it’s very important to see this, you are here on purpose. You did not choose to be here; God has arranged all the members within the Body of Christ to be where they are.
This is a sovereign work of God…you are here for a reason and here on purpose.
3. The Members of the Church, Like Members of the Body Rely on One Another (12:21-26)
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Here we see that in Corinth there were those who thought they were the elite perhaps because of their gift. Those speaking in tongues were thought of to be the highest status within the Church.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
Can one member of the human body tell a member that works behind the scene that it’s not important? What if an eye or ear or hand or foot told the liver or kidneys that because you work behind the scene and not visible, you are not important. Those members would find out very quickly how important the liver is to the body.
This is what we are told when it comes to those within the Church. Everyone is important and everyone matters. This should be the attitude of all within the Body of Christ.
25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
All matter and all functioning together in their diverse gifts working together produce a healthy Church that will bring honor to Jesus Christ.
4. We are Members of the Body of Christ and We Make Up the Church (12:27-31)
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The clear metaphor is made apparent when the Apostle writes, 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Within these verses is the second list of gifts. Neither list is to be seen as exhaustive. There seems to be a level of hierarchy in this list and we should see he places tongues and the interpretation of tongues last in both lists.
The Charismata gifts were on a lower level than the proclamation gifts. The Church could function without them but not without the others.
We see various gifts, some very noticeable such as those called to be apostles, prophets, and teachers. Here are those people God has arranged and gifted to help others see and understand God’s Word.
The Prophet was OT. He was gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit; he spoke for God. The Prophet wrote Scripture. The Apostles were hand-picked by Jesus and gifted by the Holy Spirit. They were with Christ as He ministered on earth. They had ministries of their own and they also wrote Scripture.
Now, all the Bible has been written…
The teachers we could also include modern day preachers as well. They help us understand Scripture that has been written by the Prophets and Apostles.
Miracles, here the more amazing gifts were at a lower level than the proclamation gifts. What is Paul telling us. All gifts matter but God’s Word is more important to the Body of Christ than the gift of healing is.
helping, administrating gifts even they are before tongues. What they were placing the highest in rank and desirability comes in last when it comes to importance within the Church. Literally, acts of guidance…counseling or some other helping and guiding function within the Church.
Then he writes to the Corinthians and to all Churches that we should desire the higher gifts.
Let’s understand his point…
a trained biblical counselor is more valuable to the congregation than someone speaking in tongues. Someone who cares for others in practical helpful ways in more valuable than someone speaking in tongues. A pastor, preacher or teacher is more valuable than someone speaking in tongues.
These higher gifts are gifts with love behind them while tongues is a look at me type gift.
Exalt Christ
Resources Used:
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
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