1 Corinthians 12.20-26 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 12:20-26, which read,
v.20, 21 - But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the hand to the feet, "I have no need of you."
Paul continues the word picture of the human body as one and its many members to relate to the body of Christ as one and its many members and their various spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Yesterday the focus was that of being not content with the spiritual gift that we have been given or using it as false humility to not being useful to God or the rest of the body.
Today it is using the spiritual gift to show a false superiority over another because of the spiritual gift that that you have. I think a very important point about spiritual gifts is coming. The spiritual gifts are of equal importance but they also have distinct roles. The distinct roles might put some spiritual gifts more in the open but it doesn't negate the other spiritual gifts as not needed.
v.22-25 - On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
One spiritual gift is not superior to another. We may deem some less honorable but God doesn't and neither does Paul. Our judgment of the less honorable, God has protected with more care. Think of our members of the physical body that are within us. They are not something easy to look at like the eye or the hand when you consider holding a stomach but the stomach is protected with the skin and cavity of the body. Something that is less honorable by us is protected more by God.
If we were to think of some spiritual gift and the person holding that gift given by the Holy Spirit as less honorable than what we have in a more upfront, presentable spiritual gift then realize that pride has clouded our vision of God's extra protection to them and not to us. Pride brings divisions and factions in the body of Christ but God has given the spiritual gifts for the purpose not to divide us but to unify us. The spiritual gifts unite us as we use them to care for one another and not to use them to elevate ourselves over others.
v.26 - And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Not only are we to see the spiritual gifts with distinct roles but equal value, but also that the spiritual gifts are to affect us on a deeper, emotional level. In contrast to pride dividing, we are to see the spiritual gifts given to our brothers and sisters in Christ by the Holy Spirit as directly related to us also.
I am to suffer with others and I am to rejoice with others. You can not do this if you are acting with pride in your life. Pride will not allow you to have the close emotional tie with the family of God. Pride puts you at a disadvantage to the person who humbly submits to God's discernment about the spiritual gifts given to them and to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
"Lord, pride is a main tool of Satan upon me and the body of Christ. He uses the lie of our self-worth to cloud the worth that You have given us. May I look at each brother and sister in Christ with the eyes of gratitude that You have provided them and myself to care for one another in a body of unity. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.20, 21 - But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the hand to the feet, "I have no need of you."
Paul continues the word picture of the human body as one and its many members to relate to the body of Christ as one and its many members and their various spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Yesterday the focus was that of being not content with the spiritual gift that we have been given or using it as false humility to not being useful to God or the rest of the body.
Today it is using the spiritual gift to show a false superiority over another because of the spiritual gift that that you have. I think a very important point about spiritual gifts is coming. The spiritual gifts are of equal importance but they also have distinct roles. The distinct roles might put some spiritual gifts more in the open but it doesn't negate the other spiritual gifts as not needed.
v.22-25 - On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
One spiritual gift is not superior to another. We may deem some less honorable but God doesn't and neither does Paul. Our judgment of the less honorable, God has protected with more care. Think of our members of the physical body that are within us. They are not something easy to look at like the eye or the hand when you consider holding a stomach but the stomach is protected with the skin and cavity of the body. Something that is less honorable by us is protected more by God.
If we were to think of some spiritual gift and the person holding that gift given by the Holy Spirit as less honorable than what we have in a more upfront, presentable spiritual gift then realize that pride has clouded our vision of God's extra protection to them and not to us. Pride brings divisions and factions in the body of Christ but God has given the spiritual gifts for the purpose not to divide us but to unify us. The spiritual gifts unite us as we use them to care for one another and not to use them to elevate ourselves over others.
v.26 - And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Not only are we to see the spiritual gifts with distinct roles but equal value, but also that the spiritual gifts are to affect us on a deeper, emotional level. In contrast to pride dividing, we are to see the spiritual gifts given to our brothers and sisters in Christ by the Holy Spirit as directly related to us also.
I am to suffer with others and I am to rejoice with others. You can not do this if you are acting with pride in your life. Pride will not allow you to have the close emotional tie with the family of God. Pride puts you at a disadvantage to the person who humbly submits to God's discernment about the spiritual gifts given to them and to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
"Lord, pride is a main tool of Satan upon me and the body of Christ. He uses the lie of our self-worth to cloud the worth that You have given us. May I look at each brother and sister in Christ with the eyes of gratitude that You have provided them and myself to care for one another in a body of unity. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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