Articles
"The Body Is Not One Member"
In Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul drew an analogy between our human bodies and the church, the body of Christ. His purpose was to illustrate how we ought to interact with each other. Whether we are thinking of the body of Christ in the universal sense, inclusive of all Christians, or in the local sense of a specific congregation, “. . . the body is not one member, but many” (v. 14).
The Body Is Not the Worst Member
There might be a hypocrite or two in the bunch, but that doesn’t mean all are, and it doesn’t justify someone self-righteously avoiding church membership. There may be a brother who is a little different or an outright odd-wad! There may be a sister who “isn’t your cup of tea.” There likely are several who are struggling mightily in their spiritual warfare. These, too, are God’s people. Don’t get down on them or on the group as a whole because of them. The body is not the worst member.
The Body Is Not the Best Member
Only God knows who that is! The Corinthians’ assessments were way off, and ours likely would be, too. Yet most congregations have some really great people: excellent Bible students, well-rounded characters, kind dispositions, skilled workers, helpful outlooks, etc. They are steady and reliable. Don’t get discouraged because you are not as mature yet, and don’t envy them because they are surpassing you. Learn from them. Draw strength from them. Let their example motivate you to greater heights.
The Body Is Not Any One Member
It isn’t the preacher. It isn’t one of the elders or one of the deacons. They are not the body, and it doesn’t belong to any of them or to any other member. It isn’t the property of the largest financial contributor. No one should think of himself as indispensable. No one should start acting like Diotrephes and running things to suit himself (3 John 9-10).
The Body Is Not a Handful of Members
That handful might be an exclusive clique which holds at arm’s length any who, for whatever reason, don’t measure up. More often it is the “faithful few”—the same ones who somehow seem to always end up doing most of the work.
The body is many members, in fact, all members. Its success, therefore, is determined by the accumulated efforts of every member. Ask yourself, If I had a body part that was as useful and reliable as I am in the local church, or if it had my attitude, what would I think of it? What does Christ think of me?
