The Body Of Christ-4

The BODY Of CHRIST-IV—1Corinthians 12:12-31

Attention:

For the past three weeks we’ve been looking 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 are the embodiment of Christ Jesus(Col. 1:24).

*Lily Tomlin is credited with saying, “I always wanted to be somebody”...“But I should’ve been more specific!”...

...In the same vein, the apostle Paul maintained the significance of the Church's being the Body of Christ ‘specifically.’

What is exhibited by that entity known as the Body of Christ?

So far 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)

6—A NECESSITY For DIVERSITY(:21-22)

The Body Of Christ Exhibits...

7—A REASONABLE DIVERSITY(:23-24)

Background—:22—“No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.”

:23—“And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; & our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,”

:24—“but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,”

:23a—“And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable,...”

To the worldly thinking/suppositions of humanity—thinking that is unsurrendered to the Holy Spirit—there are “members of the body” which are considered by some to “be less honorable” or less ‘valuable’ than others.

•To that kind of aberrant flesh-driven thinking, the UNSEEN “members” are sidelined as “weaker” & thus ‘wrongly’ considered as less important(:22) than others.

“Think/Deem”(See :22)—dokew—Present Active Indicative 1st Plural—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).

“To Be/Are”—einai—Present -X- Infinitive—1) To be, to exist, to happen, to be present. Strong—present infinitive from eimi; To exist.

“Less Honorable/Void of Honor”—atimov—Adj. Accusative Plural Neuter—1) Without honor, unhonored, dishonored; 2) Base, of less esteem. Strong—negatively--Unhonored or positively--Dishonored. Used 4X--Mat. 13:57; Mk. 6:4; 1Cor. 4:10; 1Cor. 12:24; .?From—A(as a negative particle)—&—timh—A value, i.e. Money paid, or Valuables; by analogy—Esteem(especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.

:23b—“...on these we bestow greater honor;...”

•However, on those very unseen & “weaker” members(:22) Paul “bestows”(place around) a more abundant “honor”(value)...

Which means that those ‘less desirable’ members are in actuality “necessary”(:22).

*Paul’s discussions & arguments here are simultaneously & intentionally, exhortations against personal pride!

“Bestow/Treat/Put About”—peritiyhmi—Present Active Indicative 1st Plural—1) To place around, set about; 2) To put on a garment; 3) To put or bind a thing around another; 4) To present, to bestow, confer, a thing upon one. Strong—To place around; by implication--To present. Used 8X.?From—peri—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong— properly, Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.—&—tiyhmi—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).

“Greater/More Abundant”2X(See :24)—perissov—Adj. Accusative Sing. Fem.—1)Exceeding some number or measure or rank or need—1a) Over & above, more than is necessary, superadded—1a1) Exceeding abundantly, supremely, 1a2) Something further, more, much more than all, more plainly, 1b) Superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon—1b1) Pre-eminence, superiority, advantage, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent. Strong—Superabundant(in quantity) or Superior(in quality); by implication--Excessive; adverbially (with ek/ex)--Violently; neuter(as noun)--Preeminence. Used 10X.?From—peri—in the sense of beyond—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong— properly, Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

“Honor”(See :24)—timh—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) A valuing by which the price is fixed—1a) Of the price itself, 1b) Of the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold; 2) Honor which belongs or is shown to one—2a) Of the honor which one has by reason of rank & state of office which he holds, 2b) Deference, reverence. Strong—A value, i.e. Money paid, or concretely & collectively--Valuables; by analogy--Esteem(especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.?From—tinw—strengthened for a primary tiw(which is only used as an alternate in certain tenses); To pay a price, i.e. as a penalty.