July 25, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
Paul now turns his attention to a third aspect of the life of the church in corporate worship, namely the exercise of the spiritual gifts. The Corinthians seem to have been elevating the gift of tongues above the others, as it was more “showy” or impressive in their eyes than the others. Paul rebukes this kind of thinking and reminds them that all the gifts are empowered by one and the same Spirit, that every one of the gifts is necessary for the overall health and upbuilding of the church, and that the entire point of the gifts in the first place is to use them to build others up, not ourselves.
This, once again, goes back to the way in which we approach corporate worship and the church in general. So many of us approach the life of the church looking to see what we can get out of it, how we can be “fed” or benefitted, and we buy into this consumeristic mindset that is worldly and unspiritual. Paul reminds us here that if all you are doing is consuming and never contributing you are being a leech on the body of Christ!
The metaphor Paul uses of the church being like a body is one of the most vivid and beautiful descriptions in the Bible of what the church is meant to be and how it is meant to function. Like a body with all its individual members, the building up of one builds up the whole. If one is harmed, the whole body suffers. Each member is absolutely necessary to the whole. This picture of mutual care and upbuilding and love is something we miss so frequently in the church today, and something we need to strive for!
1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
One Body with Many Members
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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Do you feel that your contribution to the life of the church is necessary to its overall health and growth? Why or why not? How can we strive to better embody the idea of the church that Paul lays out here?
God has made everybody somebody in His body by providing the only body, Jesus, to pave the way for our forever union with Him. Because of His sacrifice, we are forever family. Now let’s invite others into the journey that will change their forever.
Amen
It is an indescribable joy to be part of the body of Christ! To be able to serve, to contribute, to pray for, to love His body of believers is an incredible gift, a never-ending source of fulfillment!
Dear Heavenly Father,
I know that each of us have been given gifts and talents that we can use to edify and help grow the church. All of the church body is needed to be a full functioning group of believers. Without any part of the body we become inefficient. Help us to use our gifts to honor and glorify You. If we each give the most of ourselves, then You will use that gift and multiply it in a way that will be most helpful. Just as feeding the multitudes or turning water into wine, You can make miracles happen. We just have to take a leap of faith and offer ourselves for your service and say,”Here am I, send me.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Lord help me to continue to use the gifts of the spirit you have given me so I can continue to bring others to you.
Good morning Lord!
“In Christ we who are many share one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12: 15
Good morning again Lord!
How about I change that Romans 12: 15 citation to Romans 12: 5
Heavenly Father, Thank you for our wonderful bodies with all the parts that work together so perfectly. Help us as parts of the church to work together with unity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! Good morning Lord, I want to be one body with my Lord and my church. I want to serve my church and church family the best way that I can. I want to thank you for the body you have given me. I want to be able to work together with my church family to know how to bring more souls to our family and our church. In Jesus name I pray Amen
I earnestly desire the higher gifts.
I pray I give you glory today Father, through the gifts you have given me, empowered by the Holy Spirit, blessing the church as Jesus did by his life and sacrifice. Help me speak truth, teach, encourage, lead, and see people heal emotionally/psychologically.