I Corinthians 12:27 reads: Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Each scripture I relate to, will be from the NIV
Chapter 12 deals with spiritual gifts, and how we as believers have all been given at least one of them. This is how we are each a part of the body of Christ, each having at least one of these different gifts being brought together into one cohesive body; the body of Christ. It also says in verse 7, how to each one of us, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good of all believers concerning these parts. There is to be no jealousy, or those thinking their part is more important than someone else's part in the body.
In the notes from my New International Version Bible, it states how it seems in the Corinthian church, there were those who thought certain gifts were more spectacular than others, which made those who did not have these spectacular gifts feel inferior. Paul is relating how every gift we are given, makes us all part of the body of Christ, forming one body. We are not to be disjointed from each other by becoming many cut off, seperate pieces, which happens as the result of our unloving hearts for each and every part of the body.
We are all part of the body of Christ linked together, each having our different parts, yet linked fully together. One might be a mouth (evangislist or pastor Eph 4:11) one might be the hand (ability to help I Cor. 12:28) and so on. If the mouth or hand is apart from the body, or cut off (by our own pulling away from the body, or someone else cutting us off) nothing would work very well, and these cut off parts, would most certainly die off, as to being a part of the body of Christ anymore.
We were meant to be together, live together, and work together as a unit, with our different parts in perfect harmony. In verses 12-31 in I Corinthians it talks again of us being this one body, with many parts. It ends with stating the word "Love" and how Paul will show us the most excellent way, as he leads us into chapter 13. Chapter 13 then tells us then of this most excellent way of having, and acting out in "Love" beyond the gifts given us by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible also tells us that "God is Love" in I John 4:16. In this verse, it goes on to say "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Glatians 5:22 is love. It is most important then, that we all should be displaying love, along with these Holy Spirit given gifts in the body of Christ. Love is so important that to be without it, we are only as a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal and gain nothing (I Corinthians 13:1-3) even with these spiritual gifts.
If we are moving together smoothly in love, as the body of Christ, the world will see we are Christ's disciples, and we will ultimately be the light to the world as He wants and desires us to be. Jesus tells us to be in this way, as He stated in John 13: 34-35 : "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So it seems, by this passage, and the I Crointhians 12:27 passage, to be of real use for our own common good, and a witness to the world around us of Christ, we must come together in our Holy Spirit given gifts, with love being the means to join us together, and keep us together.
Questions:
Do you know what spiritual gift or gifts you might have, to be of use for the common good of all?
If you do know, are you using this spiritual gift "in love", for the betterment of all, to display Christ to the world?
If part of the body is suffering, do you suffer with it. And if part is honored, do you rejoice with it?
Did you know that the bulk of these gifts are listed in the following seven passages:
Romans 12:6-8
I Corinthinas 12:8-10
I Corinthians 12:28
I Corinthinas 13:1-3
I Corinthainas 14:26
Ephesians 4:11
I Peter 4:11
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