1 Corinthians 12:12-20

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

For just as the body is one and it has many members, and all the members of the body – while being many – is one body, thus also is Christ.  For also in one Spirit we all were being baptized in one body, whether Jew or Gentile or slave or free, and all were being given something to drink in the Spirit.  For the body is not even one member but many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, am I not out of the body?” for this reason is it not out of the body?  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, am I not out of the body?” for this reason is it not out of the body?  If the whole body is an eye, where is hearing?  If the whole is hearing, where is the sense of smell?  But now, God placed the members – every one of them in the body – just as He desired.  If all were one member, where is the body?  But now in one case there are many members and in another case there is one body.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought

It is impossible to read this passage and miss the point that Paul began to bring out in the reading we had for yesterday.  We are all unique.  Like the ear and the eye, none of us in the body of Christ are the same.  But the body takes precedence over the individual member.  While we are all unique, it is not me or you that are of ultimate importance.  Christ is of ultimate importance.  We are members of the body of Christ – and that happens only by His grace!

Why is it important to focus on Christ?  How good are you at putting the importance on Christ and not on you as an individual?

Second Thought:

Notice that Paul also takes yet another opportunity in his writing to demonstrate equality among the variety of members of the body of Christ.  Paul talks about the slave at the free.  He talks about the Jew and the Greek.  In the world – especially among the Jews, there was a huge chasm between the Jews and the Greeks.  In the Gentile world there has always been a huge chasm between the slave and the free.  Today we might not say slave and free but we do classify people with respect to the “haves” and the “have nots.”  Paul tells us that all such people are equal.  We are equal because we belong to the body of Christ because of His greatness, not ours.

Do you see yourself as equal to other fellow believers?  When is it easy to feel superior?  When is it easier to feel inferior to other believers?

Third Thought:

At the end of this section we have a really neat thought that we don’t want to miss.  God has placed each member as He desires.  Now, we can take a hard angle on this verse.  We can say that what is important is God’s will and God’s desire, not our own.  And that is most certainly true.  At the same time, though, we can look at these words through the lens of love.  God has placed each one carefully, just where He wants them.  God has created each of us with care and concern.  He knows our purpose and our calling intimately.  That’s a really neat perspective on relationship with Him.

Do you interact with God as if He has an intimate relationship with you?  How do you do this?  Why is this important?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 12:21-26