WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday May 17, 2015
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readers worldwide
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THE
HOLY SPIRIT CREATES ONE BODY
(All
parts of the Body of CHRIST are important)
(1
Corinthians 12:12-31)
In 1 Corinthians 12, in verse 12, we
see being summarized, a wonderful three-part wrap-up of the remainder of the
chapter. Here Paul draws an analogy between the human body, and, the body of CHRIST,
which is the Church. In this passage Paul explains that, just as the human body
has many parts that work together, so does the body of CHRIST.
In the Church, the
various body parts are those people possessing the various gifts and talents
that GOD gives us, through the HOLY SPIRIT, and are contained in us. And like
the various parts of the human body, each member in the body of CHRIST, or, each
“body part”, has a different function or role to fulfill.
All roles are equally
important, in that, each function can only be performed properly by the member
of the body which GOD expressly intended to perform in that role within the
body. And like the human body, whenever a part is not functioning properly, or,
is missing, the whole body feels, and knows, about it. And so, in this verse we
see three specific truths;
·
The
Church, like the human body, is a unit
·
The
Church, like the human body, has many parts
·
The
Church, like the human body, works together as one
And so, before we get
too puffed up about the importance of our role in the Church, we need to be
mindful of the fact that, the HOLY SPIRIT, WHO gives all gifts, is also the ONE
WHO makes the use of those gifts possible in the Church, and, HE gives them all
equal value under CHRIST, WHO is the HEAD of the Church. In fact, those parts
of the human body, and the Church, that seems to be the weakest and least
important, are really the ones that are most necessary.
In the general makeup
of the human body, those parts that we see as being less honorable are the same
parts that we clothe the most carefully. It is also a fact, that, the most
important parts of the human body, those parts that we absolutely cannot
function without (i.e. the heart, brain, liver, etc.), are the very parts that
we don’t physically see, even when we look at the human body in its full nakedness.
It is like that also in
the Christian Church, where we do not physically see the most important parts.
Those parts are without a doubt, GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY
SPIRIT. The Church, like the HOLY TRINITY, should all be baptized in one
SPIRIT, and everyone in the Church, the body of CHRIST, is of “equal” and
“inseparable” importance.
The baptism of the HOLY
SPIRIT is experienced by all who believe in CHRIST JESUS, and show it through
their behavior. All believers, regardless of race, creed, color, nationality,
or position in life, are automatically identified with CHRIST in that baptism.
Many parts are
necessary to maintain the health and existence, of both, the human body, and
the Church. It would be a mistake for any one part to see itself as being superior
or inferior to the other, or, to desire to do the divinely assigned role of the
other. It is GOD WHO determines the role of each believer, and those roles are
carefully and perfectly assigned for maximum success under HIS plan.
Sometimes a person in
the Church may seem to have a more important role than another and, through the
antichrist influence, may fall under the delusion that he or she can function
alone, without the assistance of others. However, one must come to realize,
that, like with the human body, GOD places a “corresponding mutual dependence”
on each member, or part, making it virtually impossible for any one person to
function and succeed in a “lone wolf” capacity.
Paul used the
illustration of the “human body” to show how the Christian community in
general, and each individual church in particular, must be unified under CHRIST
in order to succeed in the commissioned work that has been charged to us by
HIM. All parts have a unique and divinely appointed role that is separate from,
and yet, dependent on, each other, and all members are equally important to GOD.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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