Unity in Diversity

Being apart of the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12–26 ESV

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Why did Paul use the example of a Body to describe the Church?

The body is complex.

The body is meant to work together.

The body is one of a kind.

The body is complex.

The body has 206 bones, 600 muscles, 30 trillion cells.

We have enough blood vessels in our body that if they were laid out it in a line it would stretch out over 100,000 miles. (2.5 times the circumference of the Earth)

The body of Christ/Church is equally as complex.

We have all been given special gifts, passions, and abilities.

We are unique but we are called to come together to form the body of Christ.

The body is meant to work together.

We are called to use our gifts, passions, and abilities to work together.

Just because we don’t have “that” gift does not mean we should refuse to be a functioning part of the body.

We have a vital role in the body of believers.

The Body is one of a kind.

Psalm 139:13-14

When God created us he had a purpose for us.

God has used the things in our lives to bring us to where he wants us to be.

We are chosen.