Daily Bread

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

You Are the Body of Christ

Date: Oct. 20, 2015

Passage

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

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 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, 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.

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

First, so it is with Christ (12,13). The Christians in Corinth had divisions among them based on who they followed. But the truth is that they were created by God to be one unit and not divided. Paul gave the analogy of the human body, which has many parts but is one body. In the same way they were created to be different parts, and they were given unique and different manifestations of the Spirit. But this was not meant to divide them, but rather to make them new as the body of Christ.

Second, each one is a part of the body of Christ (14-31). The human body has many parts, but it is still one body. An eye and a foot perform very different functions, but each one is a part of the same body. The human body is one testimony of God, who has arranged each part just as he wanted. The church is even more, for God created it to be the body of Christ. When we see others who have different gifts, do we see division? We learn from Paul to see the magnificent and varied display of the body of Christ all around us. The most excellent way is to love others in the body of Christ.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, help me to see the body of Christ in your church. Bless me to practice the most excellent way and love the body of Christ.

One Word: Many parts form the body of Christ

God is Our Deliverer

Psalm 78:40-72

Key Verse: 78:65

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.

Today's Question

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