This Sunday we continue our series called The Body of Christ: Learning & Re-Learning How to Be a Christian. We started at the beginning with the Baptism of Jesus, and then we explored our unity in God’s Holy Spirit.
As we continue, we understand that there is beautiful diversity in God’s creation and even within our unity. Paul’s letter draws a powerful illustration, reminding us that we are beautifully unique with individual gifts that make our union in the Spirit profoundly strong. Because of our diversity and because of our unity, we are more than the sum of our individual parts.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a (CEB)
12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. 19 If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? 20 But as it is, there are many parts but one body. 21 So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. 23 The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. 24 The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor 25 so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. 27 You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.28 In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. 29 All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they? 30 All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they? 31 Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts.another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. 11 All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.
Consider these questions:
- Paul observes that some gifts seem to have more “honor” than others. Which gifts are more esteemed or respected here at LJUMC? Which gifts are likely to be underappreciated?
- Paul is writing to an ethnically diverse group in Corinth. There would also have been clear status divisions in the society between the freed men and the slaves. How do you think the Corinthian church (or likely groups of churches) would have received verse 13? What are the implications for the church today?
- What point do you think Paul might be making by listing the “various kinds of tongues” last in his list of gifts (verses 28)?
- Are we needier than we like to admit? In other words, do we have trouble stating our needs?
- How might the American virtue of being independent or having autonomy be in conflict with the Christian value of being interdependent? Why do you think being needy is frowned upon by our society? Is being needy always wrong?