Last week we studied the body analogy Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.  Just as the human body is one unified organism made up of many diverse and interdependent systems and parts, so too the church—the body of Christ—is a unified spiritual community made up of a wonderful combination of uniquely gifted members. 

To drive home his point about unity and diversity, Paul presses us to consider the absurd:  How ridiculous would it be if the whole body were an eye or an ear?   How outrageous would it be if the eye said that it didn’t need the foot or the hand?  Any break­down of mutual harmony and respect between the diverse members of the church is as unthinkable as a human body made up entirely of one organ (in fact, you can’t even call that a “body”)! 

Paul counters two errors with his lecture on human anatomy:   1) An inferiority complex, “Woe is me, I’m nothing but a small, weak, unseen, ‘nobody’ church member” (imagine the pituitary gland having a pity party).   And 2) a superiority complex—the attitude that says, “I don’t need ‘those people’” (imagine an arrogant eye­ball saying it wants nothing to do with those dirty, stinky feet).

Both envy and pride undermine church health.  They lead to division—and whether we’re talking about a physical body or a spiritual body (i.e., a church family), division is deadly. 

In 12:25 Paul says the goal is that there would be no division in the body.  Instead, the members of the church body, despite being so very different from each other, should have “the same care for one another.”   Just picture it:  Diversity of gifting, and uniformity of care.  All caring for everyone.  No division allowed to fester.  “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (12:26).  

God’s design for the church is brilliant and beautiful!   Thank him for how he gifts and guides his diverse people to be one body, and pray that we would cherish his grace together at Goshen!