The Care of the Body

Series on I Corinthians

VI Meeting for Worship

D Assignment in Worship, Text: 12:12-31a

Title: The Care of the Body

Introduction

In the first part of I Corinthians 12, Paul has set before us the goal of our gifts and service and work, the common good of the body of Christ. Now he unfolds the relationship of the parts of the body with a view to each of us seeing more clearly our position in the body. It is an organic relationship. There are some depressing forecasts being made about families in the 21st century. These are suggestions of increasing isolation of separate families. As media technology grows people will be able to do more and more out of their homes without ever walking out the door. Whether this is true or not, we already suffer greatly from isolation because of the “me first”, individualistic, selfish preoccupation of our society . Blood may be thicker than water, but according to the apostle Paul it is the water of baptism, and the Holy Spirit which it represents which join us in an intimate way. In verse 13, Paul speaks of “drinking” the Holy Spirit to show this is not just an outward unity, but unity at the deepest level. Let us consider then the completeness of the body, the construction of the body and the care of the body.

I The Completeness of the Body

Paul is writing to a local church here. What he says applies to the whole body of Christ throughout the world, but if the principle doesn’t work in a specific local assembly then all he says goes for nothing. The first principle is the completeness of the body in verses 12-20, The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 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 cease to be part of the body. 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? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The body is a masterpiece of exquisite design. The Psalmist says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The body is governed by several hundred systems of interacting control. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells. The skin has more than 2 million tiny sweat glands – about 3000 per square inch – all part of the intricate system to maintain an even temperature. The heart makes his blood travel 168 million miles a day – equivalent of 6720 times around the world! The lining of the stomach contains 35 million glands to aid the process of digestion. And these are but a few of the involved processes and chemical wonders which are essential to sustain life. Given the number of product recalls isn’t it amazing that the first time God put it together it worked? And every part of it is vital. Paul begins and ends with the same main point “one body, many parts.” if you have made a public profession of Christ you are some part of the body, and you are necessary or else the body is maimed and disabled. Paul pictures the parts saying “I don’t belong.” The premise is that because you are not an important part you are not a part at all. Paul makes clear that there are no unimportant parts. He argues two things. First that God made us whatever part we are, and secondly, if we were all the same part the body wouldn’t be able to function. Now this is an argument from Scripture, friends. It doesn’t matter what your personal opinion about yourself is. We are being taught here that each of us is vital to the operation of the body. Everyone excels in something in which another fails. Henry Van Dyke wrote “The woods would be silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.” If we continue to deny our gifts by our lack of involvement, we are going against God. This brings me to the second point, the construction of the body.

II The Construction of the Body

We go now to verses 27-31, Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. We have already noted that the apostle teaches us that God put the parts in the body in a way that pleases him. A. W. Tozer said, “These are gifts from God arranged by infinite wisdom, notes that make up the scores of creation’s loftiest symphony, threads that compose the master tapestry of the universe.” A tree does not bear fruit for its own consumption, but for others. Bearing fruit does not please God when it is for your own reputation. He is glorified when you serve others with your talents. In these verses Paul describes how God has set the parts. This is not an exhaustive list. It is merely an example which reveals the most fundamental plan of the body. Paul lists both offices and gifts here, and he mixes the ordinary and the extraordinary. He speaks of Apostles who are the foundation of the church but also of teachers. Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets and Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. In Ephesians 4:11-13 Paul in similar fashion about these gifts, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. He speaks here in our text of healing, but also of administration or government. Now speaking in tongues was a big issue in the Corinthian church, and Paul is already laying the groundwork for further discussion of that gift. First of all he lists it last. Secondly he mixes it with more ordinary gifts such as helping and governing. Thirdly, he suggests that everyone cannot be all of these things or do all of these things and that it doesn’t matter as long as you do what God wants you to do. Now along with Corinthians and Ephesians Paul also gives a list of gifts in Romans 12: 4-8, Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Many of these gifts are ordinary, but here he makes the same point that all do not have the same function but we do all belong. I don’t think that all of these lists together is exhaustive. The point is you have something which will bless others and you need to get involved before you can find out what it is. Sitting on the sidelines bemoaning your lack of talent won’t cut it, which confronts us with the most important issue here. the care of the body.

III The Care of the Body

We observe in verses 21-26 that Paul says the weaker parts of the body are indispensable, The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. As this is true of the human body it is true of the Church. These gifts must be cultivated. History records many gifted persons whose undeveloped talents were overlooked talents by themselves and others. Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school. A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had “no good ideas”. Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college, and Werner Von Braun failed ninth grade Algebra. Haydn gave up ever making a musician of Beethoven, who seemed a slow and plodding young man with no apparent talent. A reporter once said to George Bernard Shaw: “You have a marvelous gift for oratory. How did you develop it?” Shaw retorted, “I learned to speak as men learn to skate or cycle, by doggedly making a fool of myself until I got used to it.” The Greek word translated weak in verse 22 is used in the New Testament primarily to designate a problem in the individual. For example in Matthew 25 Jesus says, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me. It is the word sick. In Jesus’ well known warning about prayer he says, The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and it is a word used right here in Corinthians to describe the weaker brother whose conscience was offended by the eating of meat which had been used in idolatrous worship. In my judgment the weak here are people who need help and assistance. They are not simply people with less flamboyant gifts but people who because of their particular gifts are considered to be less important. The gifts are inferior in the same sense as in society there are superiors and inferiors. Some people would like to have a church where everybody is a Rolls Royce or a Cadillac. but their are a lot of Hundais and Yugos among us. Think of a person who is a slow learner, or very shy, or who lacks wisdom and knowledge. Think of a person who needs help all the time. The church tends to think of these people as liabilities. They are regarded as contributing to the problem instead of the solution. It is precisely this situation the Apostle is trying to correct. This is not just an academic discussion of gifts. In real life, as it works out, it has to do with patience and love toward weaker brothers. It has to do with people who appear to be less sanctified because they are less gifted, and this is not always the case. Sanctification and gifts don’t always go together. We tend to believe that anyone who is really committed will have great gifts just as those who speak in tongues think everybody ought to do it or else they are not very spiritual. In fact Paul says that in our bodies we protect the less attractive parts with clothing. So God protects the less attractive parts of his body. He is solicitous over them. He gives them greater honor because he cares. He has placed all of the parts in the body and each is very important to him. He just doesn’t see things the way we do. Churches are not made up of all Apostles, or all prophets and evangelists or teachers. To be sure Paul says desire greater gifts, but we should not be smug and self-satisfied. We need to give the same honor to the weak as to the strong just as God does.

Conclusion

A mother, trying to encourage her young son’s piano studies took him to a Paderewski performance. That night they were seated and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting silent on stage. Soon the mother became engaged in conversation and the boy disappeared. When the spotlights came on there was the boy up on the bench, innocently picking out, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Before his mother could react, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy, “Don’t quit-keep playing.” Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon he circled the child with his right arm to add a running obbligato. Together they mesmerized the crowd. That is the way the gifts God has given should work together in the church. The greater and the lesser in harmony create a work of amazing beauty. Without a doubt the most satisfying ministry a person can have is not fellowshipping with the strong, but helping the weak. Some people just want to complain about the less attractive parts of the body or be part of a church where everyone is a prince, but you will be more like God when you care about the weak.