1 Cor 12:12-31 - Our Oneness in the Diversity
Paul explained in the previous section that God has given the Body of Christ the various gifts necessary for the growth of His church.
• The spiritual gifts come from a common source (the Holy Spirit) and for a common purpose – the building up of the Body of Christ, for the common good.
• Hence, building on what he has already said, Paul now addresses the problems of the divisions in the church regarding spiritual gifts.
1 Cor 12:12-13 ESV – BAPTISED INTO ONE BODY
12For 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. 13For 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.
Paul uses the analogy of the human body to describe the church, Christ’s body.
• The basis for us being brought together as one church is our common faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
• Faith in Christ unites us as one body. We are “baptised” into one Spirit when we profess faith in Jesus and are regenerated by His Spirit.
• We are born again into a new life by the work of the Holy Spirit who now dwells within us.
So whether we are, as Paul said, “a Jew or Greek, slaves or free”, we are all believers of Christ and therefore members of His body called the church.
• Our basis of unity is our common faith in Jesus Christ.
• God brings us together, so what does this congregation look like?
1 Cor 12:14-20 ESV – ONE BODY MANY MEMBERS
14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If 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. 16And 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. 17If 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? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
WE ARE DESIGNED TO BE DIFFERENT
When we become members of the church, one thing we will come to know is that everyone is different.
• We are different by DEFAULT – different because we come to know Christ at different times, and we are at different stages of growth in our relationship with Christ.
• But we are different also by DESIGN – different in our roles and functions because God has gifted us differently in the Body of Christ.
Paul likens the different members of the church to the different parts of the human body to show us the necessity of diversity. They need to be different.
• To have the foot say I do not belong because I am not a hand, or the ear say I am not an eye, therefore, I do not belong, is ridiculous, and to the point of being funny.
• We don’t think that way about our physical body, so it is odd to think that way concerning the Body of Christ.
And we get his point! Why is it difficult to accept that others are different from us?
• Paul stretches it a little further. It would be ridiculous for the members to be all the same, with the body functioning only with the sense of sight or hearing or smell.
• Not only are the individual parts important, but diversity is also necessary for the body to function properly as a whole.
• The different spiritual gifts are both important and necessary for the Body of Christ.
12:18 “… God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose.”
• If the gifts are assigned by His Spirit, then the differences are of His sovereign will. He planned it on purpose.
• God builds in the differences by design. They are important and necessary.
• They are not incidental. They are not redundant, no matter how insignificant they might seem to us. There are no “inferior” gifts.
1 Cor 12:21-26 ESV – THE PARTS ARE INTERDEPENDENT
21The 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.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honourable we bestow the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.
WE ARE DESIGNED TO BE INTERDEPENDENT
We may not be the same but we are all important to the whole.
• Paul says the parts that seem to be “weaker” or “less honourable” have more important functions than we first thought.
• Many of the less presentable parts of our bodies are indispensable. They may be less obvious or presentable but still essential.
• Do you notice that most of our vital organs are unseen, like our heart, our lungs and kidneys? Their functions are critical and cannot be compromised.
• Anything that hits any of them can be life-threatening, while we can still lose our eyes, ears, or limbs and still live.
You see, the seen and often more prominent parts do not necessarily mean they are valuable. The unpresentable or less obvious parts do not mean they are expendable.
• Paul is telling the Corinthians, “Don’t think that the sensational gifts make you very special or indispensable. The truth is, every gift is important.”
• Everyone is an essential part of the Body because God has given us His gifts. Every part matters and we need each other.
Hence for the Corinthians to compare Apollos with Cephas or Paul with Cephas or Apollos, or to pit their spiritual gifts with one another, is foolishness.
• It is silly to do so if we are designed to be different and interdependent, and when these gifts are sovereignly given. Boasting about them only shows their ignorance.
• Spiritual gifts are not markers of spirituality. They are not signs of spiritual maturity or status.
A pastor shared this interesting illustration: Tools in the Hands of the Carpenter.
A group of tools once came together for a meeting. The HAMMER was presiding but SCREWDRIVER said, “HAMMER must go because he is always making a lot of noise, always knocking and knocking.”
HAMMER reacted, "SCREWDRIVER ought to go because we have to twist and turn you round and round all the time to get you to do your job.”
Someone else said, "The FILE has to go because he always wants to just touch the surface. He never goes deep." The FILE said, "Then what about the SANDPAPER? He is always rubbing people the wrong way.”
Someone said, “The SAW must go because he is always cutting things up and leaving sawdust all over the place." Everyone has something to say about someone.
Until the CARPENTER stepped in. "I need all of you. We have a job to do. Put yourselves in my hand. Let me do something.”
So when each one gave themselves into the hands of the carpenter, something beautiful and significant was built.
That is what happens when all the tools are used for the purpose for which they were made. [From a sermon by Scott Chambers, "Understanding What Leaders Do" 1/18/2009)
Paul concludes with this - what affects one, affects all.
• 12:26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together. What affects one member ought to be felt by all.
WE ARE DESIGNED TO BE ONE
Sadly what is known naturally to our physical body is not always apparent to the church body. We don’t always feel the pain other members are going through.
• We have to make an effort to do that, at least for a small group of believers.
• We want to care for and support one another, to encourage and help one another to stay strong, spiritually speaking.
• The Scripture is filled with exhortations of “one another” – to love one another, comfort one another, serve one another, forgive one another, honour one another…
• This is the basis of Christian community and our witness to the world.
God desires that there be no division in the Body of Christ and that the Body remains united as one.
• For this reason, Satan is doing whatever he can to tear it apart, to create differences and divisions.
• Jesus’ concern is reflected in His prayer in John 17:20-21 20“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
1 Cor 12:27-31 ESV – USE THE GIFTS TO SERVE GOD
27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And 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. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Use the gifts that God has given and bless the Body of Christ.
• For the THIRD time, Paul stresses that God, not man, assigned the gifts.
• Desire the “higher” gifts, likely referring to those listed first - apostles, prophets and teachers – ministries that are foundational for the whole church.
And he urged the Corinthians to do it in the “more excellent way”, which is covered in chapter 13. We use the gifts to bless the church because we love one another.
• The thing that undergirds our use of the various gifts is love. Love for the Body of Christ. Serving God this way will not bring about competition or rivalry.
• Come to think of it, the Fruit of the Spirit anchors the Gifts of the Spirit.
• Focusing on the gifts alone has misled the Corinthians into arrogance and strife.
So we are ONE in the Diversity
• We are Designed to be Different
• We are Designed to be Interdependent
• We are Designed to be One
LET US SUMMARISE the pointers from today’s text:
God designed the church as a body with many members and each with its unique function.
• Every member of the body has an important role to play and no one is dispensable.
• None of its members can function without the support of the rest of the body.
• No single gift is possessed by every member. No one has all the gifts. We need one another.
Hence every member is to be treasured because each has a unique and valuable contribution to the body.
• We are interdependent and none can function independently.
• The church is to be united as one in diversity, with no dissension and divisions.
• Our task is to meet the needs of the Body which God has gifted us to meet so that we can all grow up into maturity ( as Paul described in Eph 4).
• All of us are to have the same care for members of the body. Whatever affects the members affects the church as a whole.
Let us all use the gifts God has given us to serve Him faithfully, whether in big or small ways, in prominent or subtle ways. We are good and faithful stewards of God’s gift.
• Never mind if no one notices what you are doing, or your gift is less obvious.
Look at Elijah’s experience. He had two encounters with God in 1 Kings 18 and 19.
• In 18 he was challenging 850 false prophets on top of Mount Carmel to bring down fire from God to burn up the sacrifice on the altar.
• That was awesome and spectacular. Fire came down and consumed the sacrifice.
But then in the next chapter 19, we see Elijah running for his life for fear of Queen Jezebel. He was tired and discouraged and wanted to die.
• God stepped in again, to provide for him and speak to him, but in a quieter way.
• 1 Kings 19:11-12 11And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. God spoke and enlightened him.
Both are acts of God but we tend to prefer the sensational, mountain-top experience, rather than the quiet conversation at the mouth of the cave.
• Yet that conversation changed Elijah’s life and empowered him for his unfinished ministry. It was miraculous and life-changing!
We don’t need the spectacular. The Spirit of God empowers us when we do His work (12:11), even in quiet and discreet ways. We just need His presence, and He is.
Let us serve Him faithfully. There is no insignificant service for Christ.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for all that you have given us. Help us treasure this life and all the gifts that you have given us, including our talents and skills, and let us use them for your glory and the work of your church.
Empower us, so that every member of this body is blessed and edified. Unite us as one and let us stay faithful to the task that you have given us, until the day we see you.
In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.
Note: You can listen to the audio sermon with slides at https://youtu.be/5iEbrmNjfcc
Earlier audio sermons are available at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
