One Body, Many Members.

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

 

1 Corinthians 12:12

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.

(ESV)

 

Anyone reading this post who is married knows the challenges of two people being together who must work through their personality differences and disagreements. Unfortunately, for many who do not have the determination to work through these differences, the answer is to separate in divorce. God’s plan for marriage from the beginning was for a man and woman to become one flesh. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul compares the Church to the human body to illustrate how the diverse members of the Church must work together in harmony like the parts of the human body. Failure of the Church to function as a body will lead to divisions within the Church, something occurring in the Church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 3).

 

Paul makes a comparison about how the Church should function by comparing the different roles of members of the Church to the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12). This comparison is beneficial for like the body, the diverse members of Church function under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and are baptized into one body regardless of whether they are Jews, Greeks, free, or slaves (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Church, like the body, has many members, but they all belong to the body (1 Corinthians 12:14-16). Just as the body cannot function if every part were the same, the Church has people of diverse talents contributing to making the body work (1 Corinthians 12:17-20).

 

Paul then uses the body as a comparison by illustrating that the eye cannot say to the hand it does not need it or the head telling the feet it does not need them for the eye needs the hand to grab things and the head the feet to move (1 Corinthians 12:21). Each member of the human body has a role to play in the overall function of the body (1 Corinthians 12:22-24). Any divisions between members of the human body would lead to dysfunction for the members of the body are to care for one another, suffering when one suffers, and rejoicing when one rejoices (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).

 

Paul then takes the example of the body and applies it to the body of Christ. Each member of the Church is part of the body of Christ with God appointing apostles, prophets, and teachers (1 Corinthians 12:27-28a). God then provides miracles, gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues or languages (1 Corinthians 12:28b). However, like the human body, every member of the Church does not have the same role as an apostle, prophet, or a teacher. Not all members of the Church work miracles, possess gifts of healing or speak with tongues (1 Corinthians 12:29-30). Each member of the Church is to desire the higher gifts with 1 Corinthians 13 showing the more excellent way of love (1 Corinthians 12:31).

 

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul mentioned divisions within the Church in Corinth with 1 Corinthians 12:24b-25 teaching that the church functioning as a body has no divisions. Using the analogy of the human body, this makes sense for we would have problems if the parts of our body refused to work with its other parts. Imagine the legs refusing to work with the rest of the body, how would we be able to walk and see other places with our eyes? We may see a flower with our eyes but if the nose refused to work with our eyes, how would we smell it? If a teacher of the Bible teaches but some members who follow some other teachers refuse to listen, how will they grow in Christ from what is taught? The divisions in the body of the Church in Corinth were stifling spiritual growth in the Church preventing the members from eating the solid food of the Word of God, relegating them to milk (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Just like a harmoniously working physical body is healthy, a harmoniously working body of Christ is spiritually healthy.

 

Anyone reading this who has been through a schism in a church will attest to how damaging such divisiveness is to the spiritual health of the Church. While some may go to another Church causing numerical growth in that Church, some may also quit going to Church altogether forsaking the gathering together, something vital to spiritual growth (Hebrews 10:24-25). A schism over theology that is nonessential is not beneficial for there should be debate over nonessential doctrine so the congregation can determine a biblically sound interpretation and application of biblical truth. Even more troubling are schisms due to personality clashes such as occurred between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41).

 

While the schism between Paul and Barnabas caused a greater spread of the Gospel with each taking the Gospel to different parts of the world at the same time, Mark may have felt Paul was unforgiving. Later in scripture, Paul does give Mark a second chance (2 Timothy 4:11) indicating he forgave Mark for leaving him at Perga (Acts 13:13). Perhaps the events in Cyprus (Acts 13:4-12) were not what John Mark expected in ministry, causing him to leave but The Lord does call us to forgive as He does (Ephesians 4:32). However, Paul may have believed John Mark did not have a genuine calling to ministry and needed to have time to determine if His calling was genuine. While the schism between Paul and Barnabas worked for the good of the Church, for the Church to work harmoniously as a body it must work out its nonessential doctrinal differences or personality differences between each other in the Spirit.

 

If anyone reading this post has not prayed to receive forgiveness for their sins and to enter a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I invite you to do so by praying with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.