by Timothy W. Burnett
We also addressed the difficult subject of how the body of Christ is greatly divided between different church subgroups. The members of the different churches amy not sense the division because they are ike minded with others of their church, but the division can be seen when we ook at the bigger picture. God made one body of Christ, yet there are many different churches with their own beliefs and practices. This is a topic which warrants more attention in the future.
1Corinthians 12:14-31 clearly reveals a problem that God knows will naturally occur within the body Christ. He does so with the wonderful analogy of the human body. This perfecty fits with the reference to the body of Christ. The human body is made of many different members that uniquely serve as part of the whole body. The members are put for the many members of the people who form the body of Christ.
The verses address different ways that the members might approach themselves and others in the body. It says in vers 15, "if the foot shall say, 'Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body.'" It then poses the rhetorical question, "is it therefore not of the body?" I might think, since I don't have another beiever's strong suits, then I'm not part of the body of Christ. Does this mean that I'm truly not part of the body? No!
It's a very natural thing for us to feel insecure if we are not strong in an area that somebody else is excelling. This is especially real considering that we as Christians want to excel in every area possible. god wants to lovingly remind us that each member will be spiritually strong in different areas.
Verse 19 gives a funny analogy, "If they were all one member, where were the body?" What if our whole human body were made up of thumbs? What a mess! Sometimes we feel like we're all thumbs. But instead God designed our bodies with different and uniquely important members.
Verse 22 addresses another important issue, "And the 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.' No, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary." Wow! That is fantastic!
It continues, "And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor...for our comely parts have no need. But God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked." God gives more abundant honor to the part of the body of Christ which is lacking. If God gives the honor, then we must give no less.
We do this because God does the tempering and God gives the honor.
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