Paul gives us a very valuable portrait of the functioning of the Body of Christ and the value of each member in 1 Corinthians 12. It is very profound and penetrating but also very humorous if you try to literally visualize what he describes.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11-27 NLT )Can you see it? A body made up only of one eye? A body made up of only an ear? How silly! Every part of our bodies is important and serves a purpose. And so, with the Body of Christ. How silly it is for you or me to think we are not important and valuable to the proper functioning of the Body. Let’s choose to look at ourselves, our abilities, and our contribution to ministry as God does. I make six observations of principles in this passage.
➊ Every believer is designed & specially gifted by God to serve in the Body of Christ.
➋ God expects you to use your gift in serving without coveting another’s gift or becoming jealous of their gift.
➌ To Paul, a body member who chooses not to function is an absurdity and unthinkable.
➍ You were custom made by God to minister in a way only you can!
➎ Every member is important to the proper functioning of the body to its fullest potential.
➏ We are dependent on each other to fulfill our individual ministry to our fullest potential.
There it is! By the gracious gift of God, you are enabled to serve in ministry as only you can. You have been specially and specifically gifted to play a key role in the Body of Christ. Don’t believe the lies, believe the truth of God’s Word and get busy using your gifts.
Next: (20) Where do I find strength to serve when I feel like I’m all used up?
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