DOES THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST HAVE REAL ANSWERS?
“…CAN THE CHURCH PROVIDE THE KIND OF UNITY THAT OUR WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS?”
“…IF SO, WHY DO SO MANY CHURCHES APPEAR DIVIDED AND DYSFUNCTIONAL?”
…CAN THE CHURCH BE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE FINDS VALUE AND PURPOSE?”
…IF SO, WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE FEELING LONELY AND REJECTED IN CHURCHES?”
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all bapRzed by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or GenRles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
VV. 12-14: “Unity in Diversity”
The Church has both diversity and unity.
Diversity: In spiritual gi8s and ministries; in ethnicity, culture and social status.
Unity: In Christ—one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one bap@sm, one God and Father (v. 13, cf. Ephesians 2:14-18; 4:4-6).
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 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 stop being part of the
body. 17 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? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
VV. 15-20: Self-Abasing Pride: “I Do Not Belong.”
Self-abasing pride looks at one’s perceived lack or nega@ve characteris@cs (“I am not”) and makes it an excuse not to par@cipate in the Body of Christ. This kind of spiritual depression and isola@on can be self-imposed, but it can also be forwarded by imbalance and overemphasis on certain spiritual gi8s in a church community (see vv. 21-26). In any case, when we speak as such, we accuse God who, in His wisdom and goodness, who determined a place for us in His Church
and gi8ed us accordingly (v. 18). When we choose to withdraw from the Body and disuse our gi8s, not apprecia@ng their value, we effec@vely cripple the Body of Christ.
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!”22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
VV. 21-26: Self-Adorning Pride: “I Don’t Need You!”
Some gi8s naturally gi8s garner more acclaim and aXen@on than others. This o8en leads to an inflated sense of self-importance by those possess them, and to undue honor being paid to them by all the others. This further can lead to a culture of “haves” and “have nots” in the church, where those who are “weaker,” “less honorable” or “unpresentable” are ignored, their gi8s are given no place, and they are relegated to “warm bodies” to serve in menial ways that mainly serve the interests of those with the “greater gi8s.”
The Corinthian church was notorious for prizing those they perceived to be great speakers and leaders, and it is not hard them crea@ng cults of personality around them.
Spiritual giZs speak to God’s power and sovereignty, not man’s ability and worth: 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”
Greater giZs require greater accountability. James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
Special honor and care ought to be given to those who lack it. If someone, for whatever reason, is seen as a “have not,” the rest of the Body is tasked to use their gi8s to serve them and build them up. That way, their gi8s and contribu@ons can bless the whole church and bring it up to its full poten@al. Those who are poor, elderly, physically disabled, neurodivergent, or “other” in terms of social class,
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gi]s of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gi]s of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gi]s.
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
VV. 27-31: Now Eagerly Desire the Greater GiZs.
Paul later singles out prophecy as an especially desirable gi8. This is because of its straigh]orward way to “strengthen, encourage and comfort” others in the church. No maXer what gi8s we possess, this is our essen@al charge. Each of will be will be judged, not on how impressive we were before others, but by how we served them and built them up.