March 21, 2022
One Body, Many Parts: To God's Glory and Our Good
1 Corinthians 12
Callie Nixon
Central Truth
God uniquely created you with every gift you have. Let us use them to bring Him glory, in tandem with the rest of the body of Christ.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
1 Now concerning 1 12:1 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians' letter; see 7:1 spiritual gifts, 2 12:1 Or spiritual persons brothers, 3 12:1 Or brothers and sisters I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
One Body with Many Members
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves 4 12:13 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, 5 12:20 Or members; also verse 22 yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 12
When I first got married, I avoided ANY recipe that was more than 4-5 steps. The reason? It intimidated me because of its complexity. But, when I slowed down, chilled out, and remembered that I wanted to learn how to cook, the recipe slowly began to take shape. At times, the finished product left something to be desired (who am I kidding? Often.) But over time, what began as complex started to become more clear.
Many people avoid a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 12 for much of the same reasons I avoided complex recipes. The teaching on gifts—whether prophecy and tongues work in one way, or another, or at all anymore as they once did—can feel complex and overwhelming. These are topics that are worth spending some significant time on to determine where the Holy Spirit leads your heart to land.
But, as you dive, don't lose the forest through the trees! I don't want us to miss the beautiful truth that is laid down for us in this Scripture: We are uniquely different, but better together. I love how Paul uses the picture of a body to show us the intrinsic value in the uniqueness of our gifts. Just as an eye shouldn't long to do the work of a hand, we who are gifted one way shouldn't look at the giftedness of others, craving for it instead. Your gifts have been handpicked for you by an Almighty God. He loves the uniqueness of His body and longs that there be no division in His body (1 Corinthians 12:25).
What we would miss if we listened to a symphony played only by a violinist! We would miss the beautiful deep tones of bass, the chimes and percussion, the thrill of the brass . . . but, when laced together, we have a symphony that plays more lovely than any lone instrument ever could!
Lord, may we all be reignited to play our part for Your glory and our good!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you know how God has gifted you? If not, how could you devote some time to discovering your unique gifts?
2. When was the last time you rejoiced over another's giftedness? How could you selflessly celebrate another member of the body of Christ today?
3. Do you trust that the same God who knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalms 139) chose which special gifts to give only to you? Spend some time today thanking Him for the specific gifts He has placed within you.