Unity and Diversity

Introduction: In 2002, a movie entitled, “Drumline” hit the theaters. Now, I was extra interested in this particular movie because at the time I had been a drummer for 20 years. Come this time next year I will have been a drummer for 40 years. I have played in the school band. I have played in the marching band. I have been the Captain of the Drumline for a 5-A high school. I have played in bands after college. I couldn’t wait to see this movie.

Without going into too much detail, let me tell you what really stood out to me in this film. A marching band typically is made up of between 100 and 300 members. There are a variety of instruments: woodwinds (flute, clarinet, saxophone), brass (trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba), and of course percussion (snare, tenors, bass drums, cymbals). The BEST sounding bands are those who have mastered the BLEND of instruments such that no one instrument is heard above the others. All the instruments play simultaneously to produce a beautiful sound…TOGETHER. The band director of the university in the film, “Drumline,” had a saying, a mantra, if you will. He would have the entire band’s attention and he would shout out, “ONE BAND,” and then every member of the band in complete unity would respond with a simultaneous shout, “ONE SOUND.”

I bring this up by way of introduction because this is exactly what the Lord is trying to teach the local church, every expression of the body of Christ all across the world. Every local church is designed and set up by God to function as ONE BAND, ONE SOUND. God brings his church together with all its diverse members for the purpose of working together to produce one unified symphony…a sound that is truly music to His ears. So let us turn our attention to the Word of God found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 as we read about how this works.

1. Understand the context of unity in the church (1-11)

Chapter 12 begins with a discussion of spiritual gifts that lasts three chapters, chapters 12-14

Foundation: v. 3 “and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”

God is the one who works all things in all people (v. 6)

One Spirit gives a variety of gifts

One Lord gives a variety of ministries

God gives spiritual gifts to individual believers for the good of the church, NOT the individual

a word of wisdom

a word of knowledge

a measure of faith

a gift of healing

the effects of miracles

the word of prophecy

discerning of spirits

gifts of various languages

interpretation of languages

ALL gifts are given by the same Spirit (the Spirit of God) ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD

2. Understand the function of unity in the church (12-14)

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Diversity in Unity (12:12–31)

It takes many different members (NIV parts) to make up a body. Inevitably the members differ, but their differences do not affect the fact that there is a fundamental unity.

The body is one, yet has many body parts; all the parts of the body make up one whole person

Christ works in the same way in the church as he has also designed the human body

We were all baptized into ONE BODY (the church) by ONE SPIRIT (the Holy Spirit of God)

NOTE: It is vital to mention here the means by which a person 1) becomes a part of the body of Christ and 2) receives the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 is instrumental in understanding the prophecy given by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11. John preached that the one coming after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Here in this text we see the fulfillment of that promise. Genuine Christian conversion and the subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit of God signifies one’s entrance into the body of Christ as well as the conduit through which a Christian is endowed with spiritual gifts. So why is this so important? BECAUSE, the primary reason for division or unrest in the local church is the presence of unsaved people in the assembly. A secondary reason is the presence of immature believers who have not been faithfully discipled. What is the answer to this problem? PREACH THE GOSPEL! DISCIPLE NEW BELIEVERS! FOLLOW CHRIST!

Nationality or Ethnicity DOES NOT MATTER in the body of Christ

Socioeconomic standing DOES NOT MATTER in the body of Christ

The ground is level at the foot of the cross of Christ

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Diversity in Unity (12:12–31)

Diversity is no accidental attribute of the body. It is of its very essence. No one member is to be equated with the body. It takes many members to make up one body.

BRIDGE VERSE (14) - THE BODY IS NOT ONE MEMBER, BUT MANY

3. Understand the application of unity in the church (15-27)

The analogy of the human body

The foot does not cease to be part of the body because it is not a hand

The ear does not cease to be part of the body because it is not an eye

If the eye made up the whole body, we could not hear

If the ear made up the whole body, we could not smell

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary (Schreiner) c. Unity and Diversity of the Body of Christ (12:14–31a)

There is no room for self-promotion, for an exclusive spirit denies the unity and diversity of the body.

GOD HAS PLACED THE MEMBERS IN THE BODY JUST AS HE DESIRED (18)

If everyone had the same gifts, the church would be deficient and ineffective

There are many diverse members in the church, but THE CHURCH IS ONE UNIFIED BODY

Paige Patterson:

“The conclusion to the argument is that God ‘set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.’ The importance of the thought is to underscore once more the sovereignty of God in the matter of spiritual gifts…He did not consult with the members of the body He fashioned; He made them to function as it pleased Him…The gifts have been given as God pleased, and they are to function for the good of the whole body” (Patterson, The Troubled Triumphant Church, 221).

Take another look at the human body and its interaction with itself

The eye cannot tell the hand it is not needed

The head cannot tell the foot it is not needed

JUST BECAUSE THE GIFTS ARE DIFFERENT DOES NOT MEAN SOME ARE UNNECESSARY

On the contrary, lit., “to a much greater degree”

the members that seem to be weaker are just as necessary

the members that seem less honorable receiver more abundant honor

the less presentable members become more presentable

the more presentable members have no need of it

GOD HAS COMPOSED THE BODY (24)

He gives more abundant honor to the member which lacked honor

He designed his body such that each member should have the same care for one another

He designed his body such that THERE WOULD BE NO DIVISION

If one member suffers, all members suffer with them

If one member is honored, all members rejoice with them

BRIDGE VERSE (27) - NOW YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF IT

Conclusion: So what does it mean for us to be simultaneously the body of Christ AND individually members of it? Instead of revisiting the marching band illustration with which we began, I thought it would be helpful to think about a football team. Last night a football game was played up in Columbia, SC. It was a rivalry game of epic proportions. Now all throughout that game there were individual players all striving to do their individual jobs. However, in order for their team to win the game, they had to operate has a team…one cohesive unit. They all had to be on the same page. They had to be unified, working toward the same goal. They could not revel in their individual accomplishments because an individual doesn’t win the game. A TEAM GETS THE WIN. Perhaps this would be instructive for us in the local church, the body of Christ. If we are going to operate the way God designed us to operate, then we must function as a team…one cohesive unit. We must all be on the same page. We must be unified, working toward the same goal. We cannot afford to revel in our own individual accomplishments because an individual doesn’t win the game. GOD’S TEAM GETS THE WIN.

What does it look like for us to win? The Apostle Paul told the Philippian church what it looks like to win:

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God” (Php 1:27–28).