One Body with Many Parts

Meditations in First Corinthians

June 10, 2022

One Body with Many Parts 

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31a

Sometimes, today’s closing passage in chapter 12 is taken literally. Paul provides a list of spiritual gifts. The first three are numbered, and then he added five more. Some churches interpret this as a ranking order so that the first three are the most important, and then there are the others. When you read the entire chapter 12, I believe you must reject that interpretation as Paul went to great lengths to show that all spiritual gifts are essential to the success of the church’s mission. The ranking order interpretation is seemingly supported by verse 31a, “So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.” If some gifts are most helpful, then are some other gifts less helpful? No, not if you read the entire chapter.

Paul begins this passage by noting the list is some of the gifts of the Spirit God has provided for the church. The list is far from exhaustive, but there is enough listed to give the church a sense of how we can all work together to fulfill the mission of the church.

My Takeaway: The critical success factor is the passage is verse 31b: “But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.” It wasn’t included in today’s reading because it properly introduces the Love Chapter which we will turn to on Monday. When we ponder verse 31b, and then turn to Chapter 13, I believe we will see Paul’s heart for the operation of spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.