The Body Of Christ-1

'The BODY Of CHRIST'-I—1Corinthians 12:12-31

Attention:

?Has anyone here ever had to go to multiple medical doctors?...

?Has anyone here ever had to be referred to a ‘specialist’?

A ‘specialist’ is a medical doctor who specializes in or is an expert in a certain area of the body—an internist, audiologist, cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, urologist, gynecologist, orthopedist, neonatologist, etc.

What happens when these specialists work separately with no communication or sharing of their information regarding your physical condition?—Bodily injury & loss of quality of life occur!

But what happens when all the specialists communicate & coordinate their findings?—Healing occurs!

Colossians 1:24-25—“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and 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 Body Of Christ Exhibits...

1—An IDENTIFIABLE COMPOSITION(:12)

Explanation:

:12—“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”

“The Body”—“Many members”(separately identifiable parts) functioning together.

Example: An analog clock or watch—Any ‘cog’ that is warped or broken negatively effects the purpose of the clock or watch.

•Likewise every ‘cog’ that is well tuned to it’s purpose(ministry) positively effects the overall effect of the entire apparatus.

“The Body is one”

“The Body” “has many members”

•“So also is Christ”—Christ Jesus’ “body” is composed of “many members.” Yet all the “members” compose “one body.” & thus they work cohesively & ‘tellingly’ together.

Rom. 12:4-5—“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

2— The Body Of Christ Exhibits...

A WILLINGLY EMPOWERED INVITATION(:13)

Explanation:

:13—“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

•“By one Spirit”—“One body”—Due to the fact that all OF that body, are of that body by immersion in God’s Holy Spirit, originating from God’s response to individual, personal faith.

•“Whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free”—Beyond(regardless of) belief system, origin, or perceived social status.

•“Baptized” & “Made to drink”—Personally committed by your faithfulness to God, as well as Eternally committed by God’s faithfulness to you.

•“Into one Spirit.”—Into nothing less than the fullness of God in Christ!

•NOT baptized or made to drink “into”—‘false Religion’—ritualistic or philosophical.

•NOT baptized or made to drink “into”—a ‘worldly Philosophy’—A belief system comprising the examination of values & reality from a subjective viewpoint.

•NOT baptized or made to drink “into” ‘Humanism’—a philosophy that is wholly man-centered, & is thus in opposition to that which is God-centered(Christianity).

3—The Body Of Christ Exhibits...

BELONGING(:14-17)

Explanation:

:14—“For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

•*If a local manifestation of the Body does NOT exhibit ‘belonging’ among it’s membership, then it is acting independently of God, & thus is NOT manifesting the Body of Christ. Prayerfully there will always be individuals acting in faith in any local church. Yet the overall manifestation of the body of Christ that arises from that local body of believers—one that does NOT exhibit ‘belonging’—is skewed, incomplete, & unfulfilled.

•Likewise the manifestation of the body extends to not only the local body, but also to the global manifestation of Christ’s presence among His people in every culture.

*Paul uses four comparisons to say, ‘simply because someone or another is of the personal opinion that ‘supposes’ him/herself to “not” be “of the body”, does NOT make that skewed or aberrant opinion, REALITY!’

4 COMPARISONS:

:15—“Foot”—“not of the body?”

“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?”

:16—“Ear”—“not of the body?”

“And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?”

:17a—“Eye”—“If the whole body we’re an eye”

“If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?...”

:17b—“Hearing”—“If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?”

:17c—“Smelling”—

If the whole body consisted of one type of member then there would be no place for the others & the “body” couldn’t possibly function. There would then be no actual “body” at all because a “body” consists of many separately interrelated parts.

“It is obvious in a body that no part is autonomous.”—DEG in BECNT