Saturday, 20 December 2014
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 1 Corinthians 12:20
This verse condenses and reiterates what he had previously said in verse 12 which was, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
Now speaking specifically of the body of Christ, he notes the similarity of it to the natural body. And in the natural body he made his argument, even to the point of absurdity, that the parts were interdependent upon one another. As this is true, the same is true with the spiritual body. He will continue to demonstrate this in the verses ahead.
The reason for all of this detail is probably because there were individuals in the church at Corinth that felt that their greater spiritual gift meant that they didn’t need to rely on those with lesser gifts. But as Paul has shown this to be false with the human body, he will also show it to be false with the spiritual body.
Life application: Too often, Christians will put a figure on a pedestal. Pastors and preachers are elevated to unhealthy levels of esteem when they are simply fulfilling a particular role within the body as it was appointed by the Spirit. They are completely dependent on the other members for their continued success; they are not independent of the body. While giving them due honor, we still need to make sure they aren’t turned into idols.
Oh Lord, there are those days where I get up and don’t feel like doing anything but crawling back into bed. The Bible sits there in front of me, waiting to be opened and yet I resist picking it up. But then I think, “This is when I need it most.” Obedience and discipline are easy when everything is going right, but when tough times hem me in, that’s when I need to double down and show that I will be obedient and disciplined through them. And so strengthen me for the battle and I will pursue You through the storm. Thank You for Your encouraging hand. Amen.