Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given
for the common good. To one there is
given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge
by means of the same Spirit, to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to
another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing
between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to
still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same
Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its
many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one
Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we
were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one
part but of many.
The
fourth issue Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians is worship (chapters 11-14). The church at Corinth were having several specific
problems with the primary worship gathering.
There was a dispute about head coverings, another about the role of
women in worship (Note: I will do
another whole reflection on this specific issue later), and another about people
being left out of the Lord’s Supper.
People speaking in tongues were creating confusion and there were other
problems hinted out as well.
While
Paul does address each issue specifically, he lays some teaching of larger principles
that should govern community life in the church. The three overarching principles are unity,
order, and love. In chapter 12, Paul
teaches about unity and order and then in chapter 13, he teaches on love. We’ll discuss chapter 13 next time, so lets
talk now about unity and order.
To illustrate
Paul’s concept of order in the church, he uses the metaphor of the human
body. The church should function like a
healthy human body does. Every part of a
human body works in orderly fashion with every other part. The action of a body is coordinated action,
all the parts working together in a unified purpose. Paul likens each member of the church as one unique
part of the body, which means each person works in coordination with all the
other members in unified purpose.
When one
or more members tries to get their own way at the expense of other parts, it is
like a human body that is no longer coordinated. The eventual result is that body becomes dysfunctional,
meaning it is unable to carry out it’s work in unified purpose. In a human body, we can see a vivid depiction
of what this looks like when we witness a person that is suffering from any number
of diseases that causes parts of the body to work against others. The is what the church looks like when it
does not have unity and order.
Next
time, we’ll talk about where that unity and order comes from. But for now, consider the following
questions.
Questions: Think of a
time when some part of your body did not work as it was designed (disease,
injury, etc) How did that affect the function
of the rest of your body? What
implications might that have for the way you are to function in your church
community?
Prayer: Holy Spirit,
show us how we are to function in Your church.
Make us very clear on the role You have called us to contribute. Coordinate us with others so that we will
carry out Your purposes in a unified and orderly manner. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for other specific members of your church community that you haven’t prayer for
in a while.
Song: Many Gifts, One
Spirit – Hallelujah Singers
