12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (1 Corinthians 12:12-20)
Thoughts: Verses 12 and 20 say the same things- there are many parts but one body. The appeal to the Corinthians who Paul earlier rebuked for dividing up within the church, is to be united- to agree to disagree.
When we join the church, we are joining one body, with many members.
When someone "joins" the church we say they are a part of the local "body of believers." We have different perspectives, different gifts, different talents, different ways of learning and looking at things- but we are united in faith and love for Christ. So it is important to ask, when someone joins if they believe, and seek to live/follow Christ, and to promise to not divide the church.
The old joke is of the castaway who is finally saved by a ship passing by. The crew asked the castaway about the two buildings on the island besides his house. One he said was his former church, and the other is his new church that he went to when he got mad.
When we divide from each other we are dividing from ourselves, and hurting our faith.
When we join the church, we are joining one body, with many members.
When someone "joins" the church we say they are a part of the local "body of believers." We have different perspectives, different gifts, different talents, different ways of learning and looking at things- but we are united in faith and love for Christ. So it is important to ask, when someone joins if they believe, and seek to live/follow Christ, and to promise to not divide the church.
The old joke is of the castaway who is finally saved by a ship passing by. The crew asked the castaway about the two buildings on the island besides his house. One he said was his former church, and the other is his new church that he went to when he got mad.
When we divide from each other we are dividing from ourselves, and hurting our faith.
Prayer: Lord, help me to honor the unity of your body.
No comments:
Post a Comment