The BODY Of CHRIST-VI—1Corinthians 12:12-31
The Body of Christ can suffer under the burden of individual & even gathered lusts that are couched in self-aggrandizement.
For some weeks we’ve looked at God’s design for Unity within 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. A successful unity of the Body of Christ is seen particularly thru our cooperative successes.
*Remember that the global Church, along with it’s smaller manifestations is the embodiment of Christ Jesus(Col. 1:24).
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?
So far in our study of 1Cor. 12:12-31, we have 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)
6. A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY(:21-22)
7. A REASONABLE DIVERSITY(:23-24)
8. A CARING DIVERSITY-Mutual-(:24-26)
The Body Of Christ Exhibits...
9—A COMPOSITION BEYOND INDIVIDUALITY(:27)
:27—“Now you are the body of Christ, & members individually.”
Paul returns to his statement made in :12.
Each local church congregation collectively represents Christ’s body...
Yet the ‘collective’ nature cannot happen unless there are individuals...Individuals collectively dedicated to the shared ‘source’ of life. The “individuals”(constituent parts) are “members” together with all other “members”, all being ‘part’ of the larger collective global Body of Christ. And thus the ‘parts’ or “individuals”(constituent parts) are integral as “members” of Christ’s body.
The church is “the body of Christ” “meaning that collectively, in their common relationship to Christ through the Spirit, they are His one body.”—Gordon D. Fee in NICNT[GDFNICNT]
It may ‘seem’ ironic that God’s Kingdom work in the world must ‘begin’ with individuality...Yet the fullness of His Kingdom work can only be accomplished thru the ‘collective’ commitment of those individuals.
A spiritually ‘healthy’ individual is a spiritually healthy Christian. And a spiritually healthy Christian is only one part of that Body which is larger than themselves.
Unfortunately, people without Christ(as well as some in Christ) are largely given to an individual-ism that prioritizes ‘self’ above anything that might reek of: anything shared; mutual exchange; a collective, team or group endeavor; or cooperation. Admittedly, each of us work individually. But that individual effort/labor is willingly conjoined to the individual labors of others, in a common desire & goal to exemplify Christ Jesus.
“You”—umeiv—Personal Pronoun 2nd Nominative Plural—1) You. Strong—You(as subjective of verb); irregular plural of su[Personal pronoun of the 2nd person singular].
“Are”—este—Verb—1) Second person plural of “to be.” Strong—Ye are; second person plural present indicative of eimi[I exist(used only when emphatic)].
“Body”(See :12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25)—swma—Noun Neuter—1) The body both of men or animals—1a) A dead body or corpse, 1b) The living body—1b1) Of animals; 2) The bodies of planets & of stars(heavenly bodies); 3) Is used of a (large or small)number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body—3a) so in the NT--Of the church; 4) That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself. Strong—The body(as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.
“Members”(See :12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26)—melov—Noun Neuter—1)A member or limb--A member of the human body—1a) Of bodies given up to criminal intercourse, because they are as it were members belonging to the harlot's body. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A limb or part of the body.
“Individually/Each/Particular”—merov—Noun Neuter—1) A part—1a) A part due or assigned to one, 1b) Lot, destiny; 2) One of the constituent parts of a whole—2a) In part, partly, in a measure, to some degree, as respects a part, severally, individually, 2b) Any particular, in regard to this, in this respect. Strong—A division or share(literally or figuratively, in a wide application). Used 43X.?From an obsolete but more primary form of—meiromai—To get as a section or allotment.
Illustration:
I have a lot of dealings with fire ants—Every time I mow the lawn I get stung by them/overly simplified—Most ants are divided by their ‘work’ into distinct hierarchical categories/While some workers are patrolling their area for food & enemies, there are others totally dedicated to sustaining the queen/Others are dedicated to taking care of the eggs which the queen produces/Still others are dedicated to placing of & tending to the ant larvae & others specifically to the pupae(stages in an ant’s growth)/Still others are foragers for food/Others are protectors who strategically place themselves along the ant’s ‘food or movement roads’/“This cooperation & division of labour, combined with their well-developed communication systems, has allowed ants to utilize their environment in ways approached by few other animals.”/Only those ant colonies that operate with a firm commitment to their collective survival will thrive & reproduce!/—@antwiki.org in ‘Life in an Ant Colony’/A COMPOSITION BEYOND INDIVIDUALITY
The same is true for the church/the Body Of Christ.
Application:
?Does our extension of the Body of Christ exhibit A COMPOSITION BEYOND INDIVIDUALITY?...
•It can & should!
•...OR are we rather a bunch of individuals running around doing what we each want to do?
?Do you(individually)/we(collectively) faithfully exhibit The Body Of Christ?
The Body Of Christ Exhibits...
10—EDIFICATION By APPOINTMENT(:28(cf-:18))
Explanation(:28):Role
:28—“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”
“And God has appointed these in the church:”...
•Remember our previous acknowledgment, that God Himself is the one who dispenses the gifts, by His will, to whomever He chooses(hinted at in :4, & made plain in :11, 18).
•That which God has “appointed”, consists of ‘spirituals’ or things/powers/abilities—‘spiritual manifestations of the Spirit of God’. These are specifically associated with the Spirit of God.
•Additionally, He “has appointed these”...“in the church”. These ‘spiritual manifestations of the Spirit of God’ are NOT for the person who is without Christ!
“Appointed/Set”—tiyhmi—2Aorist Middle Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To set, put, place—1a) To place or lay, 1b) To put down, lay down—1b1) To bend down, 1b2) To lay off or aside, to wear or carry no longer, 1b3) To lay by, lay aside money, 1c) To set on(serve) something to eat or drink, 1d) To set forth, something to be explained by discourse; 2) To make—2a) To make (or set) for one's self or for one's use; 3) To set, fix establish—3a) To set forth, 3b) To establish, ordain. Strong— To place(in the widest application, literally & figuratively; properly, in a passive or horizontal posture, & thus different from isthmi, which properly denotes an upright & active position, while keimai is properly reflexive & utterly prostrate); a prolonged form of a primary yew(which is used only as alternate in certain tenses).
“First apostles, second prophets, third teachers,”...
All of the initial three “appointments”(1st, 2nd, 3rd) describe gifts of the Spirit by which persons would be made capable of directing the church.—WHMEBC
The same ‘first-ranked’ or ‘primary role’ gifts seem to reflect & be suggestive of similar priorities(1Cor. 12:28) as those in Eph. 4:12 & 2:20.
•Eph. 4:11-13—“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”
•Eph. 2:19-22—“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints & members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
“First”—prwton—Adverb—1)First in time or place—1a) In any succession of things or persons; 2) First in rank—2a) Influence, honor, 2b) Chief, 2c) Principal; 3) First, at the first. Strong—as adverb (with or without o, h, to); Firstly(in time, place, order, or importance).
“Second”—deuterov—Adj.—1) The second, the other of two. Strong—as the compare of duo; ordinal--Second(in time, place, or rank; also adverb).
“Third”—tritov—Adj.—1) The third. Strong—Third; neuter... as noun--A third part, or as adverb--(or the)third time, thirdly.?From—treiv—a primary (plural)number; “three.”
“Apostles”—Strictly speaking, an “apostle” was one who was officially commissioned by Christ Jesus to declare the Gospel—the good News of Jesus Christ. “Apostles” represent the basis upon which all communities of faith were & are founded.
•Those so gifted as “apostles” were eyewitnesses of the resurrection.
•“The office of apostle was all-encompassing, including the gifts of prophecy, teaching, miracles,” etc.—WHMEBC/MTNAC
•Paul did not think of a local church as having multiple “apostles” responsible for it’s affairs as some today consider themselves.—GDFNICNT
“Apostles”(See :29)—apostolov—Noun Accusative Plural Masc.—1) A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders—1a) specifically--Applied to the twelve apostles of Christ, 1b) in a broader sense--Applied to other eminent Christian teachers—1b1) of Barnabas, 1b2) of Timothy & Silvanus. Strong—A delegate; specially--An ambassador of the Gospel; officially--A commissioner of Christ["apostle"](with miraculous powers).?From—apo—“Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative); a primary particle.—&—stellw—1) To set, place, set in order, arrange. Strong—To set fast("stall"), i.e. To repress; Abstain from associating with.
“Prophets”—“This word properly means, to predict future events; but it also means, to declare the Divine will; to interpret the purposes of God; or to make known in any way the truth of God, which is designed to influence men.”—Albert Barnes in ‘Barnes’ Notes On The Bible’[ABarnes]
•Strictly speaking, “Prophets” would denote those who are faithful so as to be granted new revelation from God, which would then be faithfully shared with others. “Prophets” would have included ‘teaching’ but not ‘apostleship’, given that “apostles” are listed separately as a “select group.”—WHMEBC cf.- Acts 11:24; 13:1; 15:32; 21:10. “Prophets appear in [the book of]Acts predicting the future, as well as serving as teachers & encouragers.”—DEGEBCNT
•We should probably think of “prophets” as operating in a limited sense in comparison to a teacher(below). That is, a “prophet” would have largely been limited to his prophecy(ies).
•The spiritual gift of ‘prophecy’(:10) more broadly, is “the Spirit’s special enablement” “to testify of Jesus.”—MNTC
“Prophets”(See :29)—profhthv—Noun Accusative Plural Masc.—1) in Greek writings--An interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things; 2) One who, moved by the Spirit of God & hence his organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, & in particular such as relate to the cause & kingdom of God & to human salvation—2a) The OT prophets, having foretold the kingdom, deeds & death, of Jesus the Messiah., 2b) Of John the Baptist, the herald of Jesus the Messiah, 2c) Of the illustrious prophet, the Jews expected before the advent of the Messiah, 2d) The Messiah, 2e) Of men filled with the Spirit of God, who by God's authority & command in words of weight pleads the cause of God & urges salvation of men, 2f) Of prophets that appeared in the apostolic age among Christians—2f1) They are associated with the apostles, 2f2) They discerned & did what is best for the Christian cause, foretelling certain future events. (Ac 11:27), 2f3) in the religious assemblies of the Christians--They were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak, having power to instruct, comfort, encourage, rebuke, convict, & stimulate, their hearers; 3) A poet (because poets were believed to sing under divine inspiration)—3a) Of Epimenides (Tit 1:12). Strong—A foreteller (“prophet”); by analogy--An inspired speaker; by extension--A poet.?From—pro—Before; “Fore”, i.e. In front of, prior(figuratively--superior) to; a primary preposition.—&—fhmi—To show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. Speak or say.
“Teachers”—Those who expound on divine truth already revealed. In order to bring people to fulfill the ‘purpose’ of God’s revelation of Himself to man.—MTNAC/WHMEBC
•“Teachers” is a permanent spiritual gift for the Church.
•James addresses the church regarding “teachers” in Js. 3:1-2ff.
James 3:1-2—“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
“Teachers”(See :29)—didaskalov—Noun Accusative Plural Masc.—1) A teacher; 2) In the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, & the duties of man—1a) One who is fitted to teach, or thinks himself so, 1b) The teachers of the Jewish religion, 1c) Of those who by their great power as teachers draw crowds around them i.e. John the Baptist, Jesus, 1d) by preeminence--Used of Jesus by himself, as one who showed men the way of salvation, 1e) Of the apostles, & of Paul, 1f) Of those who in the religious assemblies of the Christians, undertook the work of teaching, with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, 1g) Of false teachers among Christians. Strong—An instructor(genitive case or specially).
“The purpose of apostles & prophets was to equip the church with right doctrine.” “The purpose of”... “teachers is to equip churches for effective ministry.”—MNTC
*So “Apostles”, “Prophets”, & “Teachers” were, & are still, the basis for determining the Church’s initial & continual direction. These three comprise/make up the spiritual basis upon which the Church & local church are to operate in the world.(DEGBECNT)
•The Holy Spirit thru Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians & ourselves, to recognize the ‘importance’ of the gifts for the edification of the Church & local church, rather than to recognize the ‘status’ of those who bear those gifts...Paul lists “functions” rather than “supergifted persons.”(DEGBECNT)
“After that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”
“After That”—This phrase combined with the previous—“first”, “second”, “third”—signifies that those listed with specific order hold a predominant place(role) ‘over’ the remainder, yet none functions separately. The five spiritual gifts which follow, appear to be given to those members of the church who were/are not involved in headship of the church.—WHMEBC
•What follows is NOT an exhaustive list!
“After That/Then”—epeita—Adverb—1) Thereupon, thereafter, then, afterwards. Strong—Thereafter. Used 16X.?From—epi—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; On, at, by, over, against; To, over, on, at, across, against; Over, upon, etc.; At, on, etc.; Towards, upon, etc.—&—eita—Then, moreover; a particle of succession(in time or logical enumeration); of uncertain affinity.
“Miracles”—This work of the Spirit signifies acts of God that are contrary to the normal workings of natural law. —MNTC
•“Miracles” would ‘probably’ have included anything other than the miraculous healing of the sick.
•“Miracles” & “Gifts of Healings” appear here “in reverse order from :9-10, thus suggesting the irrelevancy of rank from here on.”—GDFNICNT
“Miracles/Workers of Miracles/Works of Power”(See :29)—dunamiv—Noun Accusative Plural Fem.—1) Strength power, ability—1a) Inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts & puts forth, 1b) Power for performing miracles, 1c) Moral power & excellence of soul, 1d) The power & influence which belong to riches & wealth, 1e) Power & resources arising from numbers, 1f) Power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts. Dunamiv denotes power, natural ability, general & inherent Strong—from dunamai[To be able or possible]; Force(literally or figuratively); specially--Miraculous power(usually by implication--A miracle itself).
“Then”—This hints/implies that following “miracles” are still more areas of spiritual giftedness to which we would be wise to recognize.
“Then/Also”—eita—Adverb—1) Then; 2) Next, after that. Strong—A particle of succession(in time or logical enumeration), then, moreover; of uncertain affinity. Used 16X.
“Gifts of Healings”—The mention of this gift ‘appears’ to describe a presence & compulsion of the Spirit to assist or be the instigator in bringing physical “healing” to someone, whether by physical means or possibly miraculously.
•If this describes a ‘sign gift’ then it would have been a “temporary” one for the purpose of “authenticating the apostolic message as the Word of God.”—MNTC
“Gifts”(See :30, 31)—carisma—Noun Accusative Plural Neuter—1) A favor with which one receives without any merit of his own; 2) The gift of divine grace; 3) The gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue; 4) The economy of divine grace, by which the pardon of sin & eternal salvation is appointed to sinners in consideration of the merits of Christ laid hold of by faith; 5) Grace or gifts denoting extraordinary powers, distinguishing certain Christians & enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their souls by the Holy Spirit. Strong—A(divine) gratuity, i.e. Deliverance(from danger or passion); specifically--A (spiritual)endowment, i.e. subjectively--Religious qualification, or objectively--Miraculous faculty. RWP—It is used here by Peter as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit(1Co 12:4,9,29-31; Ro 12:6). Used 17X.?From—carizomai—Verb—1) To do something pleasant or agreeable(to one), to do a favor to, gratify. Strong—To grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.
“Healings/Healing”(See :30)—iama—Noun Genitive Plural Neuter—1) A means of healing, remedy, medicine; 2) A healing. Strong—A cure(the effect). Used 3X--1Cor. 12:9, 28, 30.?From—aomai—To cure(literally or figuratively); middle voice of apparently a primary verb.
“Helps”—Those so empowered would be specially gifted with an ability to ‘attend to’ the various social(financial, poverty, ‘creature comforts’) & physical(medical) ills of others. ‘Social ministries’ of the church will be maintained & attended to by those with this gift.
•”Helps” may be related to the ‘showing mercy’ mentioned in Rom. 12:8.
Rom. 12:6-8—“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
•“Helps” is a permanent spiritual gift for the Church.
•”Helps” can be applied in both physical & spiritual realms.
Heb. 12:12-13—“Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, & the feeble knees, & make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”
“Helps”—antilhqiv—Noun Accusative Plural Fem.—1) A laying hold of, apprehension, perception, objection of a disputant; 2) in NT--To aid, help. Strong—Relief. Used 1X--1Cor. 12:28.?From—antilambanomai—To take hold of in turn, i.e. Succor; also to participate. From—anti—1) Over against, opposite to, before; 2) For, instead of, in place of(something)—2a) Instead of, 2b) For, 2c) For that, because, 2d) Wherefore, for this cause. Strong—a primary particle; Opposite, i.e. Instead or because of(rarely--In addition to).—& the middle voice of—lambanw—To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active--To get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Administrations”—The background for this spiritual gift is associated with safely piloting a ship to it’s destination. A pilot must expend much effort toward avoiding the pitfalls of direction, storms, currents, shallows, reefs, etc.
•Those who are gifted with such an ability, effectively motivate & direct the overall objective of the church. Rather than leaving the church to occasionally bring the differing paths of individuals together, those with the gift of “administrations” are able to guide individual endeavors within a cohesive framework. Without proper “administration” there is no efficiency in the church’s movement toward honoring Christ.
•“Administrations” is a permanent spiritual gift for the Church.
•”Administrations” is not limited to pastors.—MNTC
“Administrations/Governments”—kubernhsiv—Noun Accusative Plural Fem.—1) A governing, government. Strong—Pilotage, i.e. figuratively--Directorship(in the church). Used 1X--1Cor. 12:28.?From—kubernaw—To steer; of Latin origin.
“Varieties of Tongues”—“Varieties of Tongues” signifies that there is a great diversity to “tongues.” The spiritual gift of ‘speaking in a tongue’ is addressed in detail in chapter 14.
•“Tongues” is ‘probably’ intentionally listed last due to the Corinthian’s misuse of it as a ‘status symbol’, & thus as a source for division in the church(DEGBECNT/GDFNICNT).
•“Varieties of Tongues” are(from—GDFNICNT):
1)Holy Spirit driven utterances(12:7, 11).
2)The speaker of “tongues” is not ‘out of control’ or in an ecstatic state of mind(14:27-28).
3)Unintelligible to both the speaker & those hearing(14:14, 16).
4)Directed Godward(14:2, 28).
“Varieties/Diversities/Kinds”—genov—Noun Accusative Plural Neuter—1) Kindred—1a) Offspring, 1b) Family, 1c) Stock, tribe, nation—1c1) i.e. Nationality or descent from a particular people, 1d) The aggregate of many individuals of the same nature, kind, sort. Strong—“Kin”(abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective).
“Tongues”(See :30)—glwssa—Noun Genitive Plural Fem.—1) The tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech; 2) A tongue—1a) The language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations. Strong—of uncertain affinity; The tongue; by implication--A language(specially, one naturally unacquired). Used 50X.
This latter part of the gift ‘list’ ‘probably’ deliberately defies an ordered/systematic application, in order to offer the church “a diverse sampling” so as “to illustrate the broad spectrum of spiritual manifestations in the church.”—DEGBECNT/GDFNICNT
Paul’s purpose is not to list gifts as if they can be listed completely. His purpose is to highlight the need for a great divinely-ordered diversity of gifts, with a need for all of them to be mutually working toward the one goal of exhibiting ‘the Body of Christ.’
*Despite how one interprets Paul’s gift-list & gift-ranking, it is abundantly “clear that all” the members of the church “do not hold the same office or exercise the same gift.”—MTNAC
CONCLUSION:
Action:
The Body Of Christ Exhibits...
9—A COMPOSITION BEYOND INDIVIDUALITY(:27)
10—EDIFICATION By APPOINTMENT(:28(cf-:18))
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)
6. A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY(:21-22)
7. A REASONABLE DIVERSITY(:23-24)
8. A CARING DIVERSITY-Mutual-(:24-26)
Pt# 9-10 Video only! Presented 08/02/2020am to:
1BCCbelle(Video to YouTube shared to Facebook @ ‘Byron Sherman’ & ’First Baptist Church Carrabelle’)
206 SE Ave. A(206 Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
