02/03/2021 ONE BODY; MANY PARTS
I Corinthians 12: 14, 18-19 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many….But in fact, GOD has arranged the parts in 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. [New International translation]
Scripture Discussed
1 Corinthians Chapter 12: discusses an often-used analogy in the New Testament. The church is described as “the body” and CHRIST as “the head.” Believers are “the members” of the body. Like the human body, each part has a different function and like the “the body of Christ” (i.e., the church), different individuals have different and various gifts that help the church function.
One of the things that 1Corinthians Chapter 12:14, 18-19 addresses is the fact that not everyone will have the same gift or function in the same way in the body of Christ. Some of those gifts may be “front and center” (such as a talented lead singer, a pastor, or in Paul’s day those who have what was viewed as the spectacular gift of tongues ---i.e., the gift of being able to speak on unlearned, living language) while other gifts and members of the body may work “behind the scenes or have gifts that seem “less glamorous.” However, Paul makes it clear that no member of the body should think of his or her gift as “inferior” or desire another member’s gift.
Paul makes it clear that “all the parts of the body” are arranged by GOD. We are not haphazardly gifted. GOD has carefully arranged all the gifts and each part of GOD’s plan and each member of GOD’s plan is important.
We are arranged according to GOD’s will.
There should be no division in the body.
Loving GOD and loving one another should be the unifying force that keeps the body functioning as a unit.