One Body with Many Members, Working Together

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: 1 Corinthians

Last week we studied verses 1-11, with the pivotal verses being (v. 7), “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good,” and (v. 11), “All these [the gifts given to believers] are the work of the one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

In our study today (vv. 12-27), Paul stresses the diversity, unity, and single purpose of the members of the church.
Verse 12… Paul uses the analogy of a human body to exemplify the interrelationship we have as members of Christ’s Body, the church; Paul uses this analogy also in Romans, Ephesians, and Colossians.

When we consider the uniqueness of the human body with all its different parts and organs and systems, it is indeed an amazing creation of God – one body, yet so many parts, working together in synergetic unity.

The Body of Christ, the Church, is made up of every believer, past-present- future, forming one spiritual organism containing all the followers of Christ; there are many Christian denominations, organizations, institutions, agencies and groups, across the world, and yet, there is only one true church, and (v. 12) “So it is with Christ.”

We are made one in Christ! There is no true spiritual life or connection to the true church, apart from Christ.
Verse 13… John, baptizing people in the Jordan River, who were confessing their sins, said (Matt. 3:11), “there is one coming after me who is more powerful than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.”

Jesus, as Savior, baptizes with the Holy Spirit, bringing forgiveness and eternal life in heaven to all who believe in Him; Jesus, as Judge, baptizes with fire, symbolizing the judgment and eternal condemnation of hell to everyone who reject Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

Paul is not talking here about water baptism, for water baptism saves no one, and is only an external washing symbolizing an internal washing that has taken place by the Holy Spirit, it is an identification with God’s Son.

Paul is speaking here of Spirit baptism, this happens at salvation, when the Spirit of God indwells and marks a person as God’s own property (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Everyone who repents and believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is baptized into the Body of Christ; in fact, you cannot be saved without God’s Sprit in you, and there are not multiple baptisms of God’s Spirit; there is only one Spirit baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6).

The baptism of Christ with the Spirit of God, takes place when you are eternally born again, born of the Spirit of God (John 1:12-13).

In John 14, Jesus on the last night with His disciples before His arrest, says (vv. 16-17), “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth… you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

Verses 14-17… The church of God is a body with many members, each member is spiritually gifted to serve; but in Corinth, some of the believers weren’t happy with their “giftedness,” they were envious of other’s gifts.

Every believer is a gift to the church, but in order to be effectual with their gift they must serve others, while at the same time bringing glory to God; to refuse to use your spiritual gift in serving is to say “NO” to the Holy Spirit and to deprive the church of God’s blessings.

Again, the body of Christ is made up of many different members, if there was only one part it could not function, and yet, God intends the members to operate in unity, for the purpose of accomplishing His will.
Verses 18-19… For any believer to not be gifted is simply impossible, and for any believer not to use their gift to serve in the church, is to rebel against God.

We are placed in a body to work together, and we are all very necessary; if we all had the same giftedness and served in the same way doing the same ministry, most of us would be unnecessary, but that is not the case.

None of our human body parts has its own will to act and move, but is instead controlled by our mind, or we might say, our head. Well, the same is true in the church, but Christ is the Head, and God has placed the members of HIs body, each one of them, right where He wants them to be, that they might together, do His will.

When the body parts aren’t working in unison, for the purpose of bringing edification to the other members and honor to the Lord, or when believers aren’t content with their own spiritual gifts, or are unwilling to serve using those gifts, the body is unproductive and impotent.
Verses 20-21… Paul emphasizes the dependence we are to have on one another’s gifts, ministries, and callings.

Some Christians (many of us, at times) act as if we are so complete in Christ we don’t need one another; but nothing could be further from the truth, we are made to work in unison, as many members in one body, mutually dependent on each other.

Take Jesus for example, He was God in the flesh, and yet He spent three years of ministry in companionship with the twelve men who were His disciples, and before returning to the Father in heaven, Jesus again fellowshipped with His human followers and friends.

The apostle Paul traveled thousands of land and sea miles with other believers as companions (Barnabas, Mark, Silas, Luke); Paul encouraged other believers while being encouraged himself by them (Romans 1:11-12), “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong– that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

Why do some Christians never seem to get involved in serving in their local church?

There are those who don’t feel they have gifts, or they are unaware of their gifts because they fail to step out and begin serving; instead they let others do all the work.

There are also those who feel they are above the need for help from others (v. 21), “I have no need of you.”

Both, those who evaluate themselves as having no value, saying, “they don’t need me,” and those who give themselves too much value, saying “I don’t need them,” are viewing themselves wrongly; no member of the body of Christ is self- sufficient, and no member is insufficient.
Verses 22-26… Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, are all readily seen by all, but what about the parts of the body that aren’t seen: liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, spine?
Are they any less important? What about parts of the body that are unpresentable [shameful], those considered private that really ought to be covered [modesty]?

Not to stretch this analogy too far, but in the body of Christ are members who are more out in front (teaching, leading, managing); and those who serve out of view (maintenance, landscaping, going shopping for supplies, visiting shut-ins, changing diapers and wiping snotty noses in the nursery, or mopping up toilet overflows.

Mutual respect, support, and encouragement, is what God desires, so that there is no division within the body; but that we have (v. 25) “the same care for one another.”

In fact (v. 26) “if one member suffers, all should suffer with him/her; if one member is honored, all members should rejoice with him/her.

If someone in the body is hurt in some way or suffers loss, we come alongside to console and comfort them; if someone in the body is blessed, we rejoice with them.

The body of Christ is not a place for envy or rivalry, malice or disdain, inferiority or superiority, it is a place where love and care for one another is expressed and encouraged, as we each seek and proclaim the truth.
Verse 27… As Christians, we are to seek unity within the family of God, for although we come individually to Christ as Lord, we are immediately placed into the body of Christ, the Church, along with all those for whom Christ died; and we have each been spiritually gifted, fully equipped (Ephesians 2:10), “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”