The Body Of Christ

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.

1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

1Co 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

1Co 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

1Co 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

The church at Corinth was having a lot of problems; Paul had a mess on his hands. There was division between the members over just about everything. This chapter was written to address spiritual gifts. How do I it know this? Paul says so in verse 1, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” They were divided over who’s spiritual gifts were better and they were grouping themselves by their certain gifts. These cliques were hindering the fellowship of the church and their effectiveness to spread the gospel. Some thought they were more important than others in the church and some probably thought they weren’t important at all but divisions over music, over translations, over carpet color (don’t laugh, it happens) can split a church and hinder the gospel message.

Verse 14 “For the body is not one member, but many.”

1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Our feet are important, but can they grab things like our hands can?

Our ears are important, but can they see?

If you give ears a vision test, they’ll fail them every time; does that mean they are not important. Of course not, you cannot compare your spiritual gifts with others and think you are not beneficial or think you are more important. The Corinthians needed to realize their gifts were to be utilized for the whole body, not just themselves.

1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

If they all divided according to their gifts, then where is the body? We would have eyes in onecorner, bragging about how they can see, with hands pointing at the eyes, saying, “Look at them fools over there, they don’t even have nails.”

When I wake up in the morning, I would hate to wait for my knees and feet to stop fighting before they would work together. The Corinthians needed to stop comparing and start caring. There is too much friendly fire in churches and they wonder why they are not growing. We have the First Baptist church of Ears over here and First Baptist church of Eyes over there and it is all silliness.