Remember that one of the big problems in Corinth was the rivalry and tribalism among believers. They were in the habit of identifying themselves with particular leaders and seeing their tribe as better than everyone else. The same habit was at risk of infecting their attitude to gifts so that people would see their particular gifting as what mattered and counted and look down on those who did not have that gift.
We are united in our diversity (v12-14)
Paul uses the image of a body. Each of us has different body parts, limbs, organs, bones, ligaments etc but these all come together to form the one entity. Paul says it is the same with Christ. Notice fascinatingly that he doesn’t say “with the church” although it is the church he is speaking about. He wants to remind us that the church is the body of Christ in the world today. He emphasises that unity by drawing again on the Old Testament imagery of the people of Israel united because they went through the Red Sea together and drank from the same rock of water. So too, we are one, united together because we have been through baptism and have received the Holy Spirit.
Stay attached (v15-20)
Occasionally you hear stories about people dashing to hospital with their thumb or finger in ice having accidentally sawn it off. They know that they need to get that limb reattached quickly because disconnected from nerves and blood supply it will die. A Christian cannot live spiritually detached from the church. You need to stay connected in.
Sometimes people disconnect themselves from the church because they feel unworthy, unwanted, useless. They compare themselves to others in the church and because they are not like they people who seem to be getting on well in the church, they convince themselves that they don’t belong. Others disconnect out of pride. They believe that their gifts in evangelism, discernment etc are hindered by the rest of the church and so they choose to go it alone.
Paul reminds us that there are different parts to a body and so the body of Christ, the church is made up of different kinds of people with different gifts. The body cannot just be a foot, or an eye. So, we should not compare ourselves to others and decide that because we are not like them that we don’t belong. In fact, Paul says that you cannot just choose to stop being part of the body.
We need each other (v21-26)
We are connected to each other because we need each other, just as the eye needs the ear and the foot needs the hand. We need all the different gifts in the church and that’s why we cannot declare UDI. In fact, Paul points out that some gifts may seem unimportant, less high profile or visible but are just as, if not more important as those gifts that give people a profile.
We are diverse but not divided and this connectedness means that we share in whatever others are going through. This means we can take joy in the happiness of other believers but we will also suffer with them when they go through difficult times, pain, persecution or grief.
We are the body of Christ (v27-30)
Paul emphatically reminds the believers at Corinth that they, together are the body, that they are connected and united in Christ. This means that the church is blessed with a diversity of gifts, prophets, apostles, teachers, healing, etc. We need all of the gifts that God has given our particular church and that means we need everyone, not just turning up passively but actively involved and serving with their gifts.
Conclusion
There are two sides to this. First, there’s the responsibility on the church and its leaders to ensure that all are welcomed and encouraged to find their place, to use their gifts and to serve in the body. We should beware the danger of creating the impression of hierarchy as though some are more valued than others.
There is also, secondly, the responsibility on each of us not to become disconnected either because we feel unworthy or because of pride. We should value the gifts of others but we should also see the place that Christ has called us to in his church and the gifts the Spirit has given us for the church. We both need the church and are needed in it.
Faithroots 