Having reviewed 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 in the previous few articles, we discussed unity in the church, which is important because Jesus is the leader of the church. However, unity isn’t limited to following the same leader. It also includes the parts of the church (including each of us) working together. In verses 1-11 of chapter 12, Paul talks about “gifts of the Spirit” (see v1), and how the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to various people in the church, to work together for a common purpose.
After that, we find this passage:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV
We use the word “body” in different ways. A phrase like “Body of Parliament” might bring up images of a bunch of guys (maybe with powdered wigs or black suits) sitting around in a large room. Sometimes, we might think of the church in the same way: as a bunch of people who sit in a sanctuary together. However, while being together for a worship or teaching service is something that we might do, it is not who we are.
The example of the church that Paul uses here isn’t a “body” in the sense of a group of people (who may self-sort into groups and disagree with each other), but rather that of a human body. Remember, God didn’t make mistakes when creating human beings, but rather gave us bodies with a carefully-crafted design and a purpose.
Let’s think about it. What if I want to raise my hand, maybe to report myself present in class? Is that my hand doing so on my own? Of course not:
- Without my arm, my hand could only flail around.
- Without the bones in my arm, the muscles couldn’t lift it.
- Without the nervous system, my muscles wouldn’t move.
- Without my brain, the nerves wouldn’t know to fire.
- Without my circulatory system, none of these other cells would remain healthy and able to work.
- Without my blood, my heart would have nothing to pump and there would be nothing to bring fuel to cells and carry away waste.
Even the simplest actions in my body are the result of many pieces and parts working together. However, my body isn’t composed of just one of its systems. I don’t live in a body that is just nerves or blood vessels or muscles or a brain, but rather the combination of all of these things working together.
The same thing should be true of the church, as the body of Christ. Jesus sought for us to be in unity – one body, one faith – all working together.
Here’s the tough message: When it comes to the body of Christ, it’s not about me, and it’s not about you.
- A worship service isn’t about our preferences, but rather for worshiping God.
- A sermon or lesson should have nothing to do with making us feel superior (so that we’ll give money and return next week), but rather be about helping us become better disciples of Jesus.
- A church building shouldn’t be measured by our personal contributions or how well its design suits us, but it should rather be a tool to help the kingdom of God grow.
If the church is not about me, and it’s not about you, who is it about? Since this series of articles started out as a Sunday School lesson, we can correctly say “Jesus” (the most common answer to Sunday School questions). However, Jesus also commissioned his followers to make disciples, so it’s also about others.
Remember, discipleship is a process, so there are times when the church will reach out to those who don’t yet know the good news about Jesus, and there are times when it will reach inwards to those who follow Jesus but still need to keep growing as disciples (which is all of us). On a good day, the church is serving people all along their potential range of maturity in Christ.
So, to help us achieve the kind of unity that isn’t optional in the body of Christ, let’s focus on two things:
- Following Jesus, not people, denominations, preachers, or even churches.
- Remembering that we are an interconnected body, and treating each other with respect, both serving others and allowing ourselves to be served by them.
Perhaps with that mindset, we can fulfill the vision that Jesus set out for His church.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 3, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, March 3, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 