The BODY Of CHRIST-III—1Corinthians 12:12-31
Attention:
For the past two weeks we’ve been looking at God’s design for Unity & it’s importance in the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
All the local-to-global manifestations of the Body of Christ are built upon a God-sourced Unity of ‘individual’ Christians. Any successful unity of the Body of Christ is seen particularly thru our cooperative successes.
And finally ‘some’ of those individuals, who are absolutely vital to the manifestation of the Body of Christ, are fathers of children. They are godly fathers for their children. They have made & do make every effort to raise up their children in the nurture & admonition of the Lord Himself(Eph. 6:4).
Today is officially Father’s Day.
So it would be beneficial to you ‘fathers’—of any age— to apply what we are learning to your own particular & unique fatherhood.
‘Godly’ fathers are committed to Christ & thus also to God’s design for the Church.
Godly fathers, you are key to openly presenting the fullness of Christ Jesus to a lost & hell-bound world!
*Remember that the church is the embodiment of Christ Jesus(Col. 1:24).
Colossians 1:24-25—“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, & fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,”
The apostle Paul maintained the significance of the Church's being the Body of Christ.
What is exhibited by that entity known as the Body of Christ?
The last two weeks we’ve found that ‘The Body Of Christ Exhibits...’
1. An IDENTIFIABLE COMPOSITION(:12)
2. A WILLINGLY EMPOWERED INVITATION(:13)
3. BELONGING(:14-17)
4. A DIVINE PLACEMENT(:18)
5. A REASONABLE UNITY(:19-20)
Today we’ll find that:
The Body Of Christ also Exhibits...
6—A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY(:21-22)
:21—“And 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—“No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.”
On the one hand, we hear a lot of political talk in our nation about the subject of ‘diversity’ & ‘inclusion.’ Those are civilly acceptable when they intersect or parallel God’s design, & do not reach outside the realm of God’s moral truth.
•However what the world means by ‘diversity’ & ‘inclusion’, is that it expects Christians to receive & place their belief on a par with that of the world, regardless of whether the world's beliefs are ‘clever’ or ‘felt’ diversions from truth(God’s truth). The result being that Christian truth is made into a subjective religion.—No unique Savior, No unique God, No unique destiny(heaven or hell), No unique problem(sin), No unique anything.
•With such belief, everything becomes the same as every other thing, so that nothing means anything, & everything means nothing. That plays directly into the hands of a great deal of socialism & particularly into the hands of communism, fascism, & authoritarianism.
*Such worldly thinking is absolutely ludicrous!...If it weren’t so pitifully sad , so ill-thought-out, & so damning to so many, it would be funny because it’s completely illogical!
On the other hand, the ‘diversity’ that Paul is encouraging here, thru the Holy Spirit, is a ‘diversity’ of giftedness among God’s people, that makes the body whole or operational, at an optimal level or at the level of it’s greatest potential/possibility.
:21—“And 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.”
Here Paul describes two pictures that illustrate identical concepts:
1)A picture drawn here is of the sheer arrogance of a ‘wrongly opinionated’ “eye.” It is the picture of a ‘wrongly opinionated’ “eye” that actually believes it is in-&-of-itself, so important that it “has no need of” “the hand.” This “eye” is so arrogant & close-minded that it believes itself to be all that an entire body should ever be!
•It does not see itself as one member of the larger body operating in harmony with other members. It does not see itself as fully supported by other aspects(members) of the body.
• the circulatory system(&/or every other ‘support’ system) would be cut off or ‘embargoed’ from “the head”...It would cease to function altogether.
2)Another picture drawn here is of the sheer arrogance of a ‘wrongly opinionated’ “head.” It is the picture of a ‘wrongly opinionated’ “head” that actually believes that it is in-&-of-itself, of such utmost superiority that it “has no need of” “the feet.” This “head” is so arrogant & close-minded that it believes itself to be all that an entire body should ever be!
•It does not see itself as one member of the larger body operating in harmony with other members. It does not see itself as fully supported by other aspects(members) of the body.
•Again, suppose the circulatory system(&/or every other ‘support’ system) would be cut off or ‘embargoed’ from “the head”...It would cease to function altogether.
*Of course, Paul’s discriptions of “eye” to “hand” & “head” to “feet” are obviously ‘representative’ illustrations of an overall Necessity for Diversity.
*NO ONE of the family of God can can ‘rightly’ say that they are NOT in “need” of ‘certain’ other ‘members’ of the family of God. Christianity is ‘inclusive’ of all people, while being ‘exclusive’ in that inclusion! Saving faith in God’s revealed truth is a ‘minimal’ commonality among all Christians!
•Now I don’t want you to be duped/fooled into believing that there is a ‘need’ for divisive people(a catch-all term) in the Church at every level(1Cor. 11:19).
1Cor. 11:19—“For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”—Paul is ‘not’ condoning factions, but ‘is’ condoning the approved by faith!
•You see, to ‘love everybody’ equally is a godly exercise & practice...That is, ‘to love the sinner’ is godly. However to ‘love everybody’ to the point that their sin is allowed to continue unchecked & thus fester, is no less than condoning or promoting the sin itself!...
•So we must also ‘hate the sin.’...As it is said, we must ‘Love the sinner, but simultaneously we must ‘Hate the sin.’
*If the Church allows sin to continue unabated in it’s membership(official or otherwise), & particularly in it’s leadership, then she actively invites a disruption to the Unity that God intends for the Church to exemplify for the sake of others!
The Church is plainly told in Scripture to ‘come out from among’ such unclean people(2Cor. 6:17), & the Church is also told to lovingly excommunicate such people(Mat. 18:15-17; 1Cor. 5:4-5), & the Church is also told to carefully avoid the presence of such divisive people(2Jn. 1:9-11).
•An example: Homosexuality is a sin in God’s eyes. It is not about how you or anyone else ‘feels’ at any given moment. In God’s scheme of things you do not change your mind, willy-nilly, about your sexual orientation. God knows your heart!
•2Cor. 6:17—“Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
•Mat. 18:15-17—“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go & tell him his fault between you & him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen & a tax collector.
•1Cor. 5:4-5—“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
•2Jn. 1:9-11—“Whoever transgresses & does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father & the Son. If anyone comes to you & does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”
“Need”2X—creia—Noun Fem.—1) Necessity, need; 2) Duty, business. Strong—Employment, i.e. An affair; also by implication--Occasion, demand, requirement or destitution. Used 49X.?From the base of either—craomai—To furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, "graze" [touch slightly], light upon, etc.), i.e. To employ or To act towards one in a given manner.—-OR--crh—It needs(must or should) be.
“You”—umwn—Personal Pronoun 2nd Genitive Plural—1) Of yours. Strong—Of(from or concerning) you; genitive case of umeiv[you].
:22—“No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.”
The reality is, that the opposite of “I have no need of you”(:21) is actually true.
Those which some would say are ‘so called’ “weaker” members are actually absolutely “necessary” to the function of the body.
•Without the LESS-openly visible(“presentable” :24) parts, the body itself as a whole cannot be maintained.
•Without the LESS-openly visible(“presentable” :24) parts, the body suffers ‘physical’ deficiency, & likewise the Body of Christ will suffer ‘spiritual’ deficiency.
“No/But”—alla—Conjunction—1) But—1a) Nevertheless, notwithstanding, 1b) An objection, 1c) An exception, 1d) A restriction, 1e) Nay, rather, yea, moreover, 1f) Forms a transition to the cardinal matter. Strong—neuter plural of allov[else, i.e. different]; properly--Other things, i.e. adverbially--Contrariwise(in many relations). RWP—Perhaps, "nevertheless," in spite of the difference just noted.
“Much”—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong—singular--Much(in any respect) or plural--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
“Rather”—mallon—Adverb Comparative—1) More, to a greater degree, rather—1a) Much, by far, 1b) Rather, sooner, 1c) More willingly, more readily, sooner. Strong—neuter of the comparative of the same as malista[ Most, Chiefly, Most of all]; adverbially--More(in a greater degree)) or Rather.
“Seem”—In appearance to the eye, but not necessarily representing the fullness of reality.
“Seem”(See :23)—dokew—Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Neuter—1) To be of opinion, think, suppose; 2) To seem, to be accounted, reputed; 3) It seems to me—3a) I think, judge: thus in question. 3b) It seems good to, pleased me, I determined. Dokew refers to the subjective judgment, which may or may not conform to the fact. Oiomai is a subjective judgment which has feeling rather than thought(dokew) for its ground. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, dokw(used only in an alternate in certain tenses; compare the base of deiknuw) of the same meaning; To think; by implication--To seem(truthfully or uncertainly).
“Weaker”—Infirm, Feeble, Without Strength.
•Any of the ‘parts’ of any ‘machine’ have no strength in & of themselves. However when each is connected properly the strength of the whole is magnified.
•We would all do well to ask ourselves: “Who do I consider as “weaker” “members”? -OR- “What gifts do I consider as less than necessary in the church?
•Peter’s use of “weaker”(asyenhv) to describe the inter-relation between husband & wife may give us further understanding of Paul’s use of it here & vice-versa.
1 Peter 3:7—“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them[wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker[asyenhv] vessel, & as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
“Weaker”—asyenhv—Adj.—1) Weak, infirm, feeble. Strong—Strengthless(in various applications, literal, figurative and moral). Used 25X.?From—A(as a negative particle).—& the base of—syenow—To strengthen, i.e. Confirm(in spiritual knowledge & power).
“Necessary”—Indispensable, Essential.
•When each ‘part’ is connected properly to other compatible ‘parts’, then the strength of each part is magnified as well. And thus the necessity of each small, hidden, large, or seen part is recognized as “necessary.”
“Necessary”—anagkaiov—Adj.—1) Necessary—1a) What one can not do without, indispensable, 1b) Connected by bonds of nature or friendship, 1c) What ought according to the law of duty be done, what is required by the circumstances. Strong—Necessary; by implication--Close(of kin). Used 8X.?From—ana—properly--Up; but by extension, used distributively--Severally, or locally--At(etc.); a primary preposition & adverb.—& the base of—agkalh—meaning Constraint, or Distress.
*Without the entire Body Of Christ, Jesus remains unknown or foreign to the experience of others(those around you).
Without your individual part in the entire Body Of Christ, Jesus remains unknown or foreign to the experience of others(those around you)....Because the unified Body Of Christ is incomplete until you commit your own giftedness to Him alone.
Illustration:
Mature Live-Oak Trees are a wonder to behold. They are beautiful. They are a source for the life of other things...supporting it’s own plant & animal life(biodiversity). Live oaks represent strength, & perseverance, & consistency, & unity.
If a Live-Oak’s multitude & myriad of unseen roots becomes damaged or exposed for whatever reason, the most noticeable, desirable, & beautiful(above-ground) part of the tree will not survive, & thus it will not be able to provide either the ‘wonder’, the ‘beauty’, or be a source of life/A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Today is officially Father’s Day.
It is beneficial to you ‘fathers’ to apply what we are learning to their own particular & unique fatherhood.
‘Godly’ fathers are committed to Christ & thus also to God’s design for the Church.
Godly fathers are key to openly presenting the fullness of Christ Jesus to a lost & hell-bound world!
Action:
The Body Of Christ Exhibits...
6. A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY(:21-22)
1. An IDENTIFIABLE COMPOSITION(:12)
2. A WILLINGLY EMPOWERED INVITATION(:13)
3. BELONGING(:14-17)
4. A DIVINE PLACEMENT(:18)
5. A REASONABLE UNITY(:19-20)
Pt#s 6 only! Presented 06/21/2020am to:
First Baptist Church Cbelle
206 SE Ave. A(206 Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
