Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #16 – 12:12-31a}
3. 12:12-31a FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN BODY: ANALOGY TO BODY OF CHRIST
a. 12:12 CHRIST: COMPARABLE TO THE HUMAN BODY
KaTHAper gar to SOma [4983] HEN es-tin, kai MEle[3196] polLA Echei,
For even as the body is one, and has many members,
PANta de ta MEletou SOma-tos, polLA ONta, HEN es-tin SOma; HOUtos kai ho ChrisTOS.
and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also the Christ.
b. 12:13 THE SPIRIT: KEY TO OUR PLACEMENT INTO CHRIST’S BODY
kai GAR en heNI PNEUma-ti [4151] heMEIS PANtes eis hen SOma e-bapTISthe-men [907],
For in one Spirit also were we all baptized into one body,
EIte IouDAIoi EIte HELle-nes, EIte DOUloi [1401] EIte eLEUthe-roi [1658];
whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free;
kai PANtes hen PNEUma a-poTISthe-men [4222].
and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
c. 12:14. For the body also is not one member, but many.
kai gar to SOma ouk EStin hen MElos, alLA polLA.
d. 12:15 THE FOOT IS IN THE BODY, THOUGH UNIQUE FROM OTHER MEMBERS
eAN EIpeho pous [4228], HOti ouk eiMI cheir [5495],
If the foot shall say, Because I am not a hand,
ouk eiMI ek tou SOma-tos; ou paRA TOUto ouk EStin ek tou SOma-tos.
I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
e. 12:16 THE EAR IS IN THE BODY, THOUGH UNIQUE FROM OTHER MEMBERS
kai eAN EIpeto ous, HOti ouk eiMI oph-thalMOS [3788],
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not an eye,
ouk eiMI ek tou SOma-tos; ou paRA TOUto ouk EStin ek tou SOma-tos.
I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
f. 12:17a If the whole body were eye, where werethe hearing?
ei HOlon to SOma oph-thalMOS, pou hea-koE[189]?
g. 12:17b If the whole werehearing, where the smelling?
ei HOlon a-koE, pou heOSphre-sis [3750]?
h. 12:18 GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY: CAUSES MEMBERS TO DIFFER
nuNI de ho TheOS Ethe-to [5087] to MElehen HEkas-ton auTON
But now has :God set the members each of them
en toSOma-ti kaTHOS eTHEle-sen [2309].
in the body even as he willed.
i. 12:19 And if all were one member, where werethe body?
ei de en ta PANta hen MElos, pou to SOma?
j. 12:20 But now the members are many, but one body.
nun de polLA MEle, hen de SOma.
k. 12:21 EACH MEMBER REQUIRES FUNCTION OF ALL OTHER MEMBERS
ou DUna-tai de ho oph-thalMOS eiPEIN techeiRI, CHREIan [5532] sou ouk Echo:
And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you:
EPAlin heke-phaLE[2776] tois poSIN [4228], CHREIan huMON ouk Echo.
or again the head to he feet, I have no need of you.
l. 12:22-25 FEEBLE MEMBERS REQUIRE SPECIAL CARE
alLA, polLOMALlon, ta doKOUNta [1380] MEletou SOma-tos
Nay, much rather, the members of the body
as-theNEste-ra [772] huPARchein [5225] a-nagKAI-A [314] es-tin:
which seem to be more feeble are necessary:
kai ha doKOUmen a-tiMOte-ra [820] EInai tou SOma-tos,
23 and what partsof the body we think to be less honorable,
TOUtois tiMEN [5092] pe-ris-soTEran [4055] pe-riTIthe-men [4060];
on these we bestow more abundant honor;
kai ta asCHEmo-na [809] heMON eu-sche-moSUnen [2157] pe-ris-soTEran Echei;
and our :uncomely partshave more abundant comeliness;
ta de euSCHEmo-na [2158] heMON ou CHREIan Echei: alLA ho TheOS su-neKEpa-sen [4786] to SOma,
24 whereas our comely parts have no need: but :God tempered the body together,
tohus-te-rouMEno[5302] pe-ris-soTEran dous tiMEN;
giving more abundant honor to that which is lacking;
HIna meeSCHISma [4978] en toSOma-ti; alLA to auTO huPER alLElon me-rimNOsi [3309] ta MEle.
25 that no schism be in the body; but thatthe members should have the same care one for another.
m 12:26 SUFFER OR REJOICE WITH ONE ANOTHER: DUTY OF ALL MEMBERS
kai EIte PASchei [3958] hen MElos, sunPASchei [4841] PANta ta MEle;
And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it;
EIte doXAze-tai [1392] MElos, sunCHAIrei [4796] PANta ta MEle.
or a member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it.
n. 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body, and severally members thereof.
huMEIS de es-te SOma ChrisTOU, kai MEleek MErous.
o. 12:28 GOD SOVEREIGNLY SETS THE VARIOUS MEMBERS
Kai hous men Ethe-to ho TheOS en teek-kleSIa [1577],
And :God has set some in the church,
PROton a-posTOlous [652], DEUte-ron proPHEtas [4396], TRIton di-dasKAlous [1320],
first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,
Erei-ta duNAmeis [1411], Epei-ta chaRISma-ta iaMAton [2386],
then powers, then gifts of healings,
an-tiLEMpseis [484], ku-berNEseis [2941], GEneglosSON [1100].
helps, governments, kinds of tongues.
p. 12:29-30 ONE MEMBER DOES NOT SHARE ALL FUNCTIONS
mePANtes aPOSto-loi? mePANtes proPHEtai?
Are all apostles? are all prophets?
mePANtes diDASka-loi? mePANtes duNAmeis?
are all teachers? are all power workers?
mePANtes chaRISma-ta [5486] Echou-sin iaMAton?
30 have all gifts of healings?
mePANtes GLOSsais laLOUsin? mePANtes di-er-meNEUou-sin [1329]?
speak all in tongues? Do all interpret?
q 12:31a But desire earnestly the greater :gifts.
zeLOUte [2206] de ta chaRISma-ta ta MEIzo-na [2909].
NOTE:This analogy of Paul by the Spirit is much like a parable of Jesus. We mustthink of our human body and its parts and functions, if we are to understand the body of Christ.
Everything in our natural world can be used to illustrate some spiritual truth. Without a parable Jesus did not teach. He used common illustrations from down here to illustrate the Kingdom of God in its spiritual sense both in heaven and down here on earth. No wonder His teaching made sense, and caused the crowds to hang on His words and illustrations. It would behoove more of us as preachers and teachers to do more of what Jesus did.
Think of how God has made our human bodies. David said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that my soul knows right well!” See the various amazing systems that function in harmony to make our body alone work, without considering the greater complexity of our soul, and especially our spirit!
There is the skeletal system, the nervous system, the digestive system, the circulatory system, the glandular system, the muscular system, the respiratory system, the excretory system, the reproductive system, our 5-fold sense system, and much more! And to think that someconsider that Darwin’s evolutionary hypothesis (theory) holds water in explaining this! Many a doctor has become a believer by studying these systems and helping people back to health. They end up by saying – “Doctors don’t heal – they merely remove hindrances so that God'shealing processes can take effect!”
And just as God has arranged that all parts of the human body work together in harmony for the good of the whole –soin the spiritual body of Christ – the Church – of which He is the Head – the Holy Spirit helps every member work together for the common good – as firsteach member yields to the full Lordship of Christ, and fully trusts and obeys the leading of the Holy Spirit according to the Word of God. Acts 5:32 says that the Holy Spirit is given to them who obeyHim!”
Jesus says to one of the 7 churches of the book of Revelation that notall Jews who call themselves Jews are such – but are of the synagogue of Satan! And likewise not all professing Christians are truebelievers. In the Sermon on the Mount to manywho operate in the gifts of the Spirit – Jesus says, “I never knew you. Departfrom Me, you that work iniquity.”
But – all those fully yielded to Jesus and His good Spirit – they can move in the harmony,
unity and mutual edifying of our passage above – just as all members of a healthy human
body move in a mutually self-edifying and serving manner.
Think of it! Now reread the above passage of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a – several times – and then say to God – “Abba Father! Thank You for making my body in such a wonderful way. Now help me to know my place as a fellow member of Christ’s spiritual body, so that I can function for the good of His body, the Church, as a whole!”
Will He answer this prayer of yours? Of course He will! And Christ will be pleased; the Holy Spirit will be pleased; and your fellow members in Christ’s spiritual body will be pleased with you. - J.A.W.