1 Corinthians 12:12-30

1 Corinthians 12:12-31
¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Paul is continuing is message concerning the distribution of gifts.  Explaining that we who are in Christ are one.  Yet, like a body, we are different parts of that body.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

Saying something or feeling something does not make it true.  There are days we will look at our lives and feel alone and worthless.  We may feel we are not part of anything because we're not as good or as smart or as talented as another.  That is when we need to turn to scripture.  We ARE part of the body.  It's in God's word.  When we feel like dirt, one is wrong.  Either our feelings or God's word.  Our feeling need to flow from who we are, not from the current events in our lives.

  ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

How would church run if everybody got up to preach?  What if everybody wanted to be the song leader?  The church works when each person does the job God has assigned them.  When I say church I mean the people.  The body of Christ does not exist within the walls the we in the USA call a church.  We are more than the 4 hours we gather on Sunday.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

How long would people attend our worship service if the janitor stopped cleaning the bathroom? 
We need each other.  We were not meant to go through this life alone.  We need to take joy in those who are publicly honored and we need to appreciate the folks behind the scene. 

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.  And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

I smile when I read this because some of out brothers and sisters in Christ insist that a person speak in tongues as a "proof" of salvation.   Yet here Paul lists some of the gifts and tongues is dead last on his list.  And when you real his list of questions in verses 29 and 30 the obvious answer is no.  Paul does say we can desire to speak in tongues but that is not a requirement.

Paul ends with a promise to show the most excellent way.  We will dive into that tomorrow.

God Bless.