Sovereign Design of the Body: Part 2

Paul continues the discussion of the church as Christ body by giving some scenarios that could very well been real problems in the Corinthian church or they could’ve been hypothetical problems related to spiritual gifts that Paul wanted to address. In these verses, Paul gives us a great exposition on the meaning of God’s community of God’s people in the church as we are unified among diversity.

The first one is the feeling of inadequacy.

A. Feeling of inadequacy (vs 15-16)

1 Corinthians 12:15–16 NASB95

15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

As you can imagine with human beings interacting with one another, there is always inner battles going on in the heart of a person that must be resisted at times.

One such battle is the feeling of inadequacy in the Church. We can think about this generally, as well as specifically in the realm of spiritual gifts. On the general level, that feeling of adequacy in the Church comes because of a different level of spiritual maturity. Some people are able to serve the body more than others. Some people understand the Bible better than others. Some people are more patient, and as they serve among the children and others. With these varying differences, there can be an inner battle with a person who feels that they don't measure up to the rest of the church.

Illustration: My childhood growing up with my half brother and sister. I felt I did not belong even though, they never made me feel that way. This is Satan lying to us and trying to lead us away from the truth.

Be aware of the effects of feelings of inadequacy

our feeling of inadequacy can lead to inactivity

our feeling of inadequacy can lead to bitterness or contempt

our feeling of inadequacy can lead to discontentment

feelings of inadequacy lead to isolation not participation

All of these responses to feeling inadequate is not how God intends for His people to feel in the church. Paul will argue against that thinking in 17-19

B. Confirming logic (vs 17, 19)

1 Corinthians 12:17 NASB95

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

1 Corinthians 12:19 NASB95

19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

Paul argues first from a logical standpoint. Consider how a one organ or one member body would function. It would only be disfunction, not function. We cannot only have the body of Christ and be filled with one type of person or one gift dispersed among everyone.

Calvin writes,

Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians Chapter 12

He sets aside a foolish aiming at equality, by showing the impossibility of it. “If all the members,” says he, “desire the honour that belongs to the eye, the consequence will be, that the whole body will perish; for it is impossible that the body should remain safe and sound, if the members have not different functions, and a mutual correspondence between them. Hence equality interferes with the welfare of the body, because it produces a confusion that entails present ruin. What madness, then, would it be, should one member, instead of giving way to another,2 conspire for its own ruin and that of the body

Secondly, Paul addresses the issue from a theological perspective.

C. Confirming the promise of God’s sovereign plan (vs 18,24,28)

1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB95

18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

1 Corinthians 12:24 (NASB95)

24 ...But God has so composed the body,

1 Corinthians 12:28 (NASB95)

28 And God has appointed

Two of these three verses contain the idea of God sovereignly setting something in its proper place. That is used of a military unit setting rank among its class of soldiers. The other verb in v 24 can also be translated mixed together or composed. Both of these ideas speak of the Sovereign God of the universe so properly and precisely setting the pieces together and in place exactly in the church where He wants them. Notice in v 18…it is his will and his desire that is being carried out.

Psalm 135:6 NASB95

6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

The church belongs to God and therefore he can place each member into local bodies as He sees fit. Once he places you, there is no room for us to waste the Lord’s time by arguing or disputing the Lord’s appointment. You would be better off arguing with the Lord as to what color eyes he gave you.

Our feelings of inadequacy are corrected by Paul to say look to the divine plan of God who loves you and put you into a body to be loved and to love, to be served by others and to serve. He gave you gifts and relationships, not to be ignored or squandered but to be enjoyed and utilized for His glory.

I was reminded of a great illustration of this in the gospels when Jesus tells the parable of the land owner and the tenants. This land owner is finding workers for his field. He picks up some in the morning and they agree to a payment of a denarius for working all day. Later in the day he goes and finds more workers and he agrees to pay them to work a denarius as well, even though it won’t be a full day. When the work day concluded, and the workers, who worked longer, heard the other workers were receiving the same pay, they complained. Listen to what the landowner said:

Matthew 20:15 (NASB95)

15 ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? ...

If there were division at Corinth based on gifts and some were feeling inadequate because of their gifts, then they and we should put our trust in a holy God who diversifies the church that every church has what it needs.

Macarthur writes,

1 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Gifted by One Lord

When we refuse to follow God’s will and God’s plan we deny His authority and Lordship as well as His wisdom and goodness. As members of Christ’s Body we are not to do our own will but the Lord’s. The arm does not have one will, the foot another, and the eye still another. Each is controlled by the head—the mind, will, and spirit. It is possible for the body to be so remarkably coordinated only because it is directed by one will. One will tells each part of the body to do what it is best designed and equipped to do, and consequently they work in marvelous harmony together. How much more should the Lord Jesus Christ control His own Body, the church, of which He not only is Head but Creator

The second problem that Paul addresses, is the feeling of superiority.

D. Attitude of superiority (vs 20-21)

1 Corinthians 12:20–22 NASB95

20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

Notice the phrases,

“I have no need of you”

“members which seem to be weaker”

In both of these statements, Paul is drawing attention to the fact that a quite opposite problem from inferiority exists: superiority. There were also some in Corinth who felt as if those with certain gifts were the backbone of the church while the rest were not really needed. This attitude of elitism is a cancer to the church of Jesus Christ for a few reasons.

Attitudes of elitism lack love: Chist love

Attitudes of elitism reject God’s sovereignty: God placed all in church

Attitudes of elitism lead to factions not fellowship

Notivce in v 22-24 how Paul repsonds:

E. Confirming promise that those weaker will receive honor (vs 22-24)

1 Corinthians 12:22–24 NASB95

22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

Paul states that those who appear or who are identified as weaker, are very necessary to the body. Paul is not labeling them as weaker, but merely acknowledging what others think of them.

Paul uses the terms weaker and less presentable so that we might think of less prominent or even covered parts of the body. Our internal organs are not visible, but they are vital. The more presentable members of our body get more attention like our hair or face or skin, but they don’t compare to the importance of the unseen and less visible parts that make a huge difference in the church.

Paul is calling then on the church to give honor where honor is due to those who serve with their gifts and yet often go unseen. The Lord honors them as vital to the health of the body even if their service is less visible than some of the more prominent roles.

Illustration: I have always felt this way about workers with children. As a church, we never want to have the mentality that once all the majors church roles are filled, then we will just stick the leftovers with our children. Our children deserve more care that. Instead, the often under-appreciated role in church ministry are those who work with children. You serve the babies and teach the children. These are impressionable minds that soak up like sponges the biblical attitudes and truths from their nursery and kids class workers. If you teach in the kids class, you have an opportunity to teach the gospel every time your teaching rotation allows. But better service in the church is to evangelize children.

It will never be a secondary or less honorable ministry here at RCC. It is vital to what God desires for us to accomplish.

F. Confirming promise that the unity of the body leads to purposeful care of one another (vs 25-27)

1 Corinthians 12:25–27 NASB95

25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

Now that Paul addresses improper attitudes among the diverse body of Christ that God has designed, he turns to what a diverse body should do. A healthy body cares for one another for this is an example of unity among diversity.

Suffering Together

Paul’s point of course is that with any human ailment, one diseased organ or injured member will always affect the entire body in totality. This is also true of the church. When the Lord assigns our station to a local assembly, we are now joined to that body of Christ so that if suffering comes, God assigned that suffering to the body, not just the individual.

Galatians 6:1–2 NASB95

1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

In this Galatians verse, Paul is speaking of the burden of spiritual sin that the church bears. My struggle with sin is not individual for it becomes a struggle for the church. For suffering with the membership is to suffer with those who are in sin. Paul states to “bear their burdens” and a burden in this context is a heavy stone needed to be carried, but it is to heavy to be carried alone.” Paul is speaking to the restorative process that the church engages in when a brother or sister is caught in sin. “You who are spiritual -RESTORE.” You engage in the process of spiritual restoration by suffering not just in sadness, but in correction with all gentleness.

In light of this command, Luther wrote

Galatians (1) Bearing One Another’s Burdens (6:1–3)

“Run unto him, and reaching out your hand, raise him up again, comfort him with sweet words, and embrace him with motherly arms.”121

Friend, if you do not want others to be involved in your struggle with sin, then church is not for you and Christ is not for you. His design and his plan is that when you come to him, you are placed into a body that cares for your spiritual life more than even your physical ailments. This is your life now, if Christ is your Lord, to be helped by Him through the spirit-filled body that He has placed you in.

I was reading this week about the prophet Nathan. A servant of the Lord under King David and yet a friend to him. When David committed the sin of adultery and murder, Nathan the prophet went to David. Telling a wonderful parable to David about a rich tyrant stealing a poor man’s sheep, David was enraged at the offense. The prophet Nathan responded to his King and friend,

2 Samuel 12:7–9 NASB95

7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 ‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Nathan came to David in love. Nathan spoke the truth to David about his offense against a holy God. Nathan suffered with David in His Sin as God’s people should do.

Another example of suffering is situational suffering with the body. We grieve as others grieve when their is loss of job or loss of loved ones. This may lead us to sit in solitude with them, pray over them, cook them a meal, clean their home, or hold their hand. Whatever need that should be met as others grieve, the church should rise up.

One example of this in the NT is the way that the church in Antioch cared for the church in Jerusalem. There was a great faminie in the land, during the reign of Claudius and the bible states

Acts 11:29–30 NASB95

29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

They were generous to give aid for a difficult time in the church in Jerusalem because they wanted to care for the body instead of being in competition or division.

Rejoicing Together

Living life as a body of Christ also means that we rejoice with them when they are honored as Paul states. Promotions at work, children being born, spiritual victories in life, the church must find ways to rejoice in the good as well as the bad.

Going back to the beginning of 1 Corinthians, Paul rejoices with Corinth in the opening of his letter, being thankful for them.

1 Corinthians 1:4–7 NASB95

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

How we respond to this charge as God’s people is two-fold:

Be aware and respond toward others . We cannot suffer with a rejoice with our brothers and sisters, if we are absent from the body. The assembling of ourselves together is not just on Sunday, for we live our lives together, always aware of the needs of the body so that we may respond appropriately in a way that honors Christ.

Be vulnerable and open in your own life. The church cannot respond to you if you are recluse and so private that the church knows nothing of your praises or pleadings before the Lord. This intimacy in the church rubs some personalities the wrong way but know that this is necessary for the church to be healthy. This transparency is needed if the church is to function in a healthy way.

G. Diverse members=Different but unified responsibilities (vs 28-30)

In these final verses, Paul gives us another list of gifts so that the church may see that with these varieties of gifts in the church are needed. We will spend more time later talking about some of these particular gifts, but it is important to see the scale of gifts. Some gifted in the church are called to be leaders like apostles and prophets, at one time in the churches history, but not all can be prophets. Some are given gifts of teaching, helps, administrations but not all can possess nor need to possess these gifts, which is Paul’s point in v 29-30. Variety is needed and appointed by the Lord for the edification of the saints and the fulfillment of church purpose in the world of bringing glory to the Lord.

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