1 Corinthians 12
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.
In verses 15-20, Paul is dealing with potential issues in the body of Christ, namely with the issue of belonging. Paul utilizes ridiculous scenarios in verses 15-17 to make the point in verse 18, that “the body is formed by God’s own design ‘in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be’ (v18). The emphasis is upon the fact that each member is there by divine placement.” [Fee, NICNT 1 Corinthians, page 677].
Paul uses this metaphor to show how ridiculous and out of place it is to disqualify oneself because we are comparing ourselves to one another!
And the deeper reality is that just because we take ourselves out, Paul says that it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. So, it would be like the ‘ear’ disengaging and not functioning by saying—I am not as important as the eye, so I am out of here! Yet the ear will not stop being part of the body, but it does mean that the body will suffer hearing loss. Today, let’s love the body and be fully functioning and growing members.
Let’s be encouraged to fully belong to the body of Christ, as He has made each member indispensable to the body. Today as you worship with the song “Ready for You”(click here), pray for your ministry group.
-GK
