1 Corinthians 12.14-19 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 12:14-19, which read,
v.14 - For the body is not one member, but many.
This issue of the letter to the Christians in the Corinthian church is the instruction about the spiritual gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit. There are other manifestations of other religions and cults that have crept into the church and distinction is needed if something is of the Spirit of God or not of the Spirit of God. The first flag was that spiritual gifts are held by those who hold that Jesus is Lord and there is no other. The second flag is the definition of spiritual gifts that includes that they are for others and not ourselves. The third flag is the giving of the various spiritual gifts and each is tied to the same Spirit, so they are coming from same originating source. The fourth flag is that spiritual gifts are only held by those immersed in Christ and filled with the Spirit and not by those nominally connected to the body of Christ.
Paul brings an illustration in of the physical body and its parts to make a point about the spiritual gifts given as parts or members of the church of Christ as the body. The body, the church, is not one member. It is not person or one spiritual gift but it is many persons and many spiritual gifts.
v.15, 16 - If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
Another flag to be raised about spiritual gifts is if they are used to say that one member or spiritual gift held has more right to be a part of the body, the church. In a previous chapter, Paul dealt with the issue of contentment and here it comes up again. To paraphrase the flag would be to say, "I have a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit to me with His discernment and purpose but I am not content with it and want a different one or pull myself down as not needed in the body because of the gift I have been given." The flag is someone using the spiritual gift to raise themselves over others or put themselves in false humility under others.
v.17-19 - If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be?
We can see the message very clearly when we think about our physical body. We see the use of the eyes and the ears and the hands and the feet. We benefit from all the members of our physical bodies that have been given to us. The same is true in the church. We would be at a severe disadvantage if it was not this way in the church just as it would be in our physical body.
Paul emphasizes again where these spiritual gifts given are given from and who is in charge of them, it is God. God is the Giver and God is the Planner and God is the Designer of His church and its members.
I get the sense that the Christians in the Corinthian church were all desiring a specific spiritual gift. They had elevated that specific spiritual gift above all other spiritual gifts and therefore have elevated themselves over others if they didn't have that spiritual gift. Flags everywhere are flying here. Paul is pointing out that this is wrong and his instruction is based on God's definition that needs to be held to about the creation and distribution of spiritual gifts.
The grounding of our actions need to come from the Scripture and not from ourselves or the direction of the world. We and the direction of the world will be contrary to God's instruction at times and we need to put ourselves and direction of the world aside to rest on God's word. This is why Paul keeps bringing us and the Christians in the Corinthian church back to the origin of the issue.
"Lord, it is amazing that we can take something so precious and so given to us and turn it into something that we think we have a right to and have some merit in to promote ourselves rather than promote You. We can take something that You have given to us and use it to advance the work of Satan rather than the work of You. May we not add to Your definition or gift but realize it is sufficient for us to survive and thrive within the body of Christ. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.14 - For the body is not one member, but many.
This issue of the letter to the Christians in the Corinthian church is the instruction about the spiritual gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit. There are other manifestations of other religions and cults that have crept into the church and distinction is needed if something is of the Spirit of God or not of the Spirit of God. The first flag was that spiritual gifts are held by those who hold that Jesus is Lord and there is no other. The second flag is the definition of spiritual gifts that includes that they are for others and not ourselves. The third flag is the giving of the various spiritual gifts and each is tied to the same Spirit, so they are coming from same originating source. The fourth flag is that spiritual gifts are only held by those immersed in Christ and filled with the Spirit and not by those nominally connected to the body of Christ.
Paul brings an illustration in of the physical body and its parts to make a point about the spiritual gifts given as parts or members of the church of Christ as the body. The body, the church, is not one member. It is not person or one spiritual gift but it is many persons and many spiritual gifts.
v.15, 16 - If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
Another flag to be raised about spiritual gifts is if they are used to say that one member or spiritual gift held has more right to be a part of the body, the church. In a previous chapter, Paul dealt with the issue of contentment and here it comes up again. To paraphrase the flag would be to say, "I have a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit to me with His discernment and purpose but I am not content with it and want a different one or pull myself down as not needed in the body because of the gift I have been given." The flag is someone using the spiritual gift to raise themselves over others or put themselves in false humility under others.
v.17-19 - If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be?
We can see the message very clearly when we think about our physical body. We see the use of the eyes and the ears and the hands and the feet. We benefit from all the members of our physical bodies that have been given to us. The same is true in the church. We would be at a severe disadvantage if it was not this way in the church just as it would be in our physical body.
Paul emphasizes again where these spiritual gifts given are given from and who is in charge of them, it is God. God is the Giver and God is the Planner and God is the Designer of His church and its members.
I get the sense that the Christians in the Corinthian church were all desiring a specific spiritual gift. They had elevated that specific spiritual gift above all other spiritual gifts and therefore have elevated themselves over others if they didn't have that spiritual gift. Flags everywhere are flying here. Paul is pointing out that this is wrong and his instruction is based on God's definition that needs to be held to about the creation and distribution of spiritual gifts.
The grounding of our actions need to come from the Scripture and not from ourselves or the direction of the world. We and the direction of the world will be contrary to God's instruction at times and we need to put ourselves and direction of the world aside to rest on God's word. This is why Paul keeps bringing us and the Christians in the Corinthian church back to the origin of the issue.
"Lord, it is amazing that we can take something so precious and so given to us and turn it into something that we think we have a right to and have some merit in to promote ourselves rather than promote You. We can take something that You have given to us and use it to advance the work of Satan rather than the work of You. May we not add to Your definition or gift but realize it is sufficient for us to survive and thrive within the body of Christ. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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