But not only do we abuse spiritual gifts when we reject unity in the body; we abuse spiritual gifts when we reject interdependence of the body. We this danger revealed for us in 1 Corinthians 12:14-26:
For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
In these verses, Paul continues using the analogy of the human body to expose God’s divine design of interdependence within the church. Because of the reality of how God divinely designed the human body, Paul explains that while the human body is diverse in its function, this diversity should not produce jealousy or envy between followers of Jesus.
Just as a foot and an ear have a specific purpose that enables a body to function effectively and efficiently, each and every follower of Jesus has been given a specific spiritual gift that must be exercised in order for the body of Christ, the church to function effectively and efficiently. Just as the human body is marked by diversity in terms of the form and function of its parts, the church is marked by diversity in terms of the form and function of spiritual gifts. And while there is diversity within the parts that forms a single human body, there is to be diversity within the spiritual gifts that forms a single community of believers called the church. Paul’s point is that God has established and arranged individual followers of Jesus with diverse spiritual gifts according to His specific purpose and design to form the local body of Christ, the church.
Paul then explains that this diversity, however, should not produce an attitude of independence by followers of Jesus from the church. Paul explains that just as individual parts of the human body cannot detach themselves and function independently effectively, individual followers of Jesus cannot detach themselves from exercising their spiritual gifts in the body of Christ and expect the church to function effectively. Instead, just as each individual part of our body functions in interdependence to one another, each follower of Jesus exercises their spiritual gift in interdependent relationship to one another in the church.
Paul then uses three examples from our human bodies to prove his point.
First, Paul explains that it is much truer that the members of our body which seem to be weaker are necessary. Second, Paul explains that and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor. The word honor here conveys a sense of importance and respect. Paul’s point here is that there are some parts of our body that seem insignificant or unimportant at first glance are actually extremely important and are granted great respect and care. Third, Paul states that “our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it.” In our humanity, there are some parts of our bodies that we display modesty towards by covering them up. But while we cover them up for modesties sake, these parts of our bodies are extremely important and play a prominent role in our lives.
When I was 29 years old, I experienced this principle first hand when I was diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease, by which the body does not use the glucose, or sugar, it produces properly. In my case, my body no longer produces insulin. Insulin is like a key that opens the door of our cells so that the sugar can get in and provide energy to the cell. Now insulin is produced in our bodies by little cells called islet cells that reside in you pancreas. Your pancreas is about the size of your hand and sits below and behind your stomach. These tiny little cells failure to function according to God’s divine design in producing insulin caused my entire body to suffer. These microscopic cells failure to function would kill me without daily insulin shots.
To understand why Paul is making this point to the church at Corinth, and to us today, with these analogies, we first need to understand what was happening in the church at Corinth. At the church at Corinth, there were members of the church that viewed some spiritual gifts as being more important, more respected, and more necessary than others. As a result of this view, there was a tendency to evaluate a person’s spiritual growth and maturity based on the gifts that they were given and were being exercised. The members of the church at Corinth were diminishing and discounting those who had spiritual gifts that they did not view as being important and necessary for the church.
And in the same way, we can find ourselves falling into the same temptation, can’t we? We can find ourselves diminishing some spiritual gifts at the expense of others, can’t we? We can find ourselves placing some followers of Jesus on a pedestal or respect, honor, and prominence as a result of the spiritual gifts that they have received.
Paul responds to the situation at the church at Corinth by explaining that every single follower of Jesus has a spiritual gift that must be exercised. Every follower of Jesus and every spiritual gift is significant, important, and necessary within the church. Paul then explains that the diversity that is seen in the human body is divinely designed to remove division and promote a unified concern and care for its well-being. The human body is not designed to experience division as a result of conflicting aims and agenda of the individual parts of the body. The human body is not made of independent parts; instead the human body is made of interdependent parts that are to work together in a complementary fashion.
Paul then provides an example of this reality by explaining that when one part of our body suffers, the entire body suffers. And in the same way, when one part of the body has their reputation enhanced so as to receive honor, the rest of the body experiences the result.
So what are you doing with the Spiritual gifts, the talents, and the abilities that God has given you? Are you interdependently partnering together by investing the spiritual gifts, the talents, and the abilities that you have been given into the kingdom mission we have been given as a church? Or is your independence causing the church and the kingdom mission to suffer?
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