ALL THE MEMBERS OF THAT ONE BODY, BEING MANY, ARE ONE BODY: SO ALSO IS CHRIST

In His wisdom, the Spirit of God chose beautiful imagery when He used the metaphor of a body for the church. None could so communicate its truth as the one chosen.

It conveys completeness. While a body can grow, it is a com­plete body from the moment of its birth. In like manner, the church, the Lord’s body, existed from the moment of its birth on the day of Pentecost. It has grown in size, but it has existed since that day as a body, v. 13. The wonder of its unity has been a scriptural truth since its birth.

The truth of cooperation is innate to the functioning of a body. This will be explained later, vv. 14-21. Paul is facing the problem of rivalry and carnality at Corinth. He will soon apply the teaching of the diversity within unity of these verses to the local situation there, v. 27. But now, he is establishing the princi­ple of mutual dependence in the functioning of a body.

The principle of consideration is beautifully exemplified in the function of a body, vv. 22-26. ‘That the members should have the same care one for another’, is instinctive to the human body. The Lord’s intention is the same within the spiritual body. Had this been present at Corinth, rivalry, contentions and schisms would not have been allowed to thrive, v. 25.

While the teaching of the headship of Christ is not in the chapter, the imagery implies this great truth. As such, one addi­tional consideration suggested by the body metaphor is that of coordination. To function properly, not only must the members cooperate and be considerate one to another, but there must be the control exerted by the head. Wisdom, direction, and discern­ment, all are supplied by the head to its members that there might be a coordinated functioning of the body as a whole.

These truths, and more, find expression in the metaphor of the church as His body, which includes every believer belonging to Christ. In verse 27, however, Paul applies the imagery to the local assembly. But what of the assembly of which I form a part? Is there unity, consideration, and cooperation? Or rivalry, schisms, envy, and Corinthian chaos?