I have always liked how this passage describes the body of Christ. What do you picture when you hear reference to “the body of Christ”? Even more exciting, we are part of that body! This is a great carryover from our reading yesterday on spiritual gifts in that our “part” of the body is dependent on our gifting.
Paul uses an analogy here in likening parts of the body to those members of the church (body of Christ). It is helpful to note that the church is more than just people standing alone, it is people connected to Jesus, so the analogy works. We are all parts of the bigger picture, God’s plan for saving the world. We are all bonded together by the Spirit, the glue that is holding us all together into the body of Christ. Without the Spirit, we are lost and set apart.
I also like how Paul goes out of his way to empower all parts of the body, and he doesn’t single one or two out as most important. This is a helpful reminder to us to not judge each other or feel inadequate when we look at others and how they have been gifted. God gave us the gift he wanted us to have. God is designing the perfect body of Christ. Diversity was his plan, and we are to be interdependent members, all trusting in the same Spirit.
Does this truth frighten or empower you? How has God positioned you for this battle? Are you ready and prepared? Take some time to reflect on your place in the body of Christ.
Let’s pray. Lord thank you that you have entrusted a job for me in the body of Christ. May I hold this position well and work for you to the best of my ability. Help me encourage and love those around me who may be struggling. You know the needs here, God, reveal to me how I can uplift and bring your love to them in their darkness. In your Son’s precious name. Amen.
This is only one of several places where spiritual gifts are discussed. As Paul tells us, a spiritual gift is from God given to us to help others. We don’t all get the same gifts, God gives us the gift (or gifts) he wants for us. Paul needed to corral in the Corinthians because they were misusing their gifts with showy displays of spirituality. They were disrupting worship gatherings by drawing attention to themselves. Paul has to be careful in his cautioning so as to not dispute the authenticity of their experience. It was also important for them to remember who initiated the gift giving, it was God and not themselves.
You probably noticed the familiar language that we hear as we prepare for Holy Communion in our church services. It is helpful to remember that Jesus gave us this “ritual” to celebrate and remember him. What we might not always remember is that in the early church, when followers met together, this remembrance was not set apart in a worship service but was most likely an actual meal shared between believers in a home. The wine and bread were there, but so also might have been other food.
Paul continues to share with the people of Corinth good practice information. The new church was, no doubt, in communication with Paul seeking clarification with respect to continuation of certain practices. I’m not a Bible scholar, so this passage about the distinctions between men and women is a bit troubling to me.
It is good to remember the past, maybe not best to “dwell” on it, but to look back and remember, and let the lessons learned speak to our hearts. That’s a good thing. That is exactly what Paul is doing as he starts out this Chapter. Remember when…
