Wednesday Devo
Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 12
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
12:12 Paul assumes the Corinthians know that the church is Christ’s body (see also v. 27; 6:15; 10:16; Rom. 12:4–8; Eph. 1:22–23; 4:4, 12–16; 5:23; Col. 1:18, 24).
12:13 Since the Spirit is one, he unites peoples across lines of ethnicity and social class that would otherwise divide them. (See Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:27–28; Col. 3:11.) in one Spirit we were all baptized. The same Greek construction (the verb baptizō plus en [“in”] plus the dative of pneuma, “Spirit”) is used here as in the other six “baptism in the Holy Spirit” passages in the NT (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16), and here it seems clearly to refer to the cleansing and empowering work that the Holy Spirit does in a new convert at the point of conversion. Baptism is used metaphorically here to refer to the Spirit’s work within the believer to unite him or her to the body of Christ, which is also the corporate body of believers. Water baptism is an outward symbol of this reality (cf. Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27). made to drink. Probably not a reference to the cup of the Lord’s Supper but to the outpouring of God’s Spirit on his people (cf. John 7:37–39; Rom. 5:5).
12:14 body … member. See Rom. 12:4–5; Eph. 1:22–23; 4:11–16.
12:17 whole body … an eye … an ear. See also v. 19. One problem Paul seeks to address throughout 12:1–14:40 is the elevation of one gift (probably speaking in tongues) above all others. The general principle applies to an unbalanced emphasis on any particular spiritual gift at any time or place in the church.
12:18 God arranged. The Corinthians’ thinking will be corrected when they consider God’s sovereignty in assigning gifts (cf. also vv. 3, 11, 28).
12:20 many parts, yet one body. One of the key themes in these chapters is unity in the midst of diversity.
12:21 This probably reflects Paul’s assessment of how those Corinthians with the gift of tongues (and perhaps other more spectacular or “showy” gifts) were treating those with other gifts.
12:13 Since the Spirit is one, he unites peoples across lines of ethnicity and social class that would otherwise divide them. (See Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:27–28; Col. 3:11.) in one Spirit we were all baptized. The same Greek construction (the verb baptizō plus en [“in”] plus the dative of pneuma, “Spirit”) is used here as in the other six “baptism in the Holy Spirit” passages in the NT (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16), and here it seems clearly to refer to the cleansing and empowering work that the Holy Spirit does in a new convert at the point of conversion. Baptism is used metaphorically here to refer to the Spirit’s work within the believer to unite him or her to the body of Christ, which is also the corporate body of believers. Water baptism is an outward symbol of this reality (cf. Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27). made to drink. Probably not a reference to the cup of the Lord’s Supper but to the outpouring of God’s Spirit on his people (cf. John 7:37–39; Rom. 5:5).
12:14 body … member. See Rom. 12:4–5; Eph. 1:22–23; 4:11–16.
12:17 whole body … an eye … an ear. See also v. 19. One problem Paul seeks to address throughout 12:1–14:40 is the elevation of one gift (probably speaking in tongues) above all others. The general principle applies to an unbalanced emphasis on any particular spiritual gift at any time or place in the church.
12:18 God arranged. The Corinthians’ thinking will be corrected when they consider God’s sovereignty in assigning gifts (cf. also vv. 3, 11, 28).
12:20 many parts, yet one body. One of the key themes in these chapters is unity in the midst of diversity.
12:21 This probably reflects Paul’s assessment of how those Corinthians with the gift of tongues (and perhaps other more spectacular or “showy” gifts) were treating those with other gifts.
Study Questions:
- The church is a BODY. We are all one of many parts that make up the body of Christ. This means we can never say to someone else, "I don't need you" or think the church body doesn't need us. While we all serve a different function in the body, we are all vital to the body as a whole. We all have a role to play. Just like a body part (finger or toe) dies when it gets removed from the body, so will you if you stay disconnected from the body for too long. Things will not go well for you. And not only does the part suffer, but the body does as well. Is there a time in your life that you got disconnected from the body of Christ? What were the results? Have you ever thought about how the body suffers as well when you get disconnected?
- The opposite is also true... when you are CONNECTED to the body, you thrive and grow and develop. It is vital to your spiritual growth and maturity. This is the main reason that church online or podcasts just aren't enough to sustain you. How have you seen your faith grow in those times when you were the most connected to the body? Do you feel like you have found your place/role in the church body? How can you get even more connected?
Pray:
- That you would stay connected to the body of Christ.
- That you would realize how much the body needs you and how much you need the body.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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