Our reading from 1 Corinthians continues Paul's teaching on the subject of spiritual gifts. He summarizes this section by stating, “All of you together are Christ's body and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) The statement is reminiscent of a play in which each part is key to the whole.
Can you imagine attending a play where one of the actors didn't show up? Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo is based on that premise. When one of the characters leaves the screen in protest to follow his own story the whole movie comes crashing to a halt. People sit in the theatre wondering what's going on, mystified, as the cast equally marvel and argue with each other....
“He can't do that – can he? You should've stopped him! Me?! Why didn't you?! Someone get me a martini! Why don't you get it yourself? Say – why are all those people watching us?”
Paul's point is that we're not just believers, we're participants in the Gospel saga in which each of us has a part to play. We need all the parts in play if we're to give life to Christ's story of salvation in our scenario. Paul makes five points to drive home this teaching.
Point # 1: Though there's a diversity of spiritual gifts, there's unity in the reason they're given. That was the main point of the first section we explored last week. “There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit is the source of them all. They are given to each of us so we can help each other.
(1 Corinthians 12:4,7) Our unity is strengthened as we use our gifts to help each other.
Paul uses the human body to illustrate how this works. Each part of the body serves a different purpose, with a wide variety of abilities, but they all work together to function as a whole. “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up the one body. So it is with the body of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)
Paul then paints a series of metaphorical images to drive that point home – including a rather humorous image of a ridiculous looking human being – of a body that's just a foot, or an ear, or an eye. He concludes: “There are many parts, but only one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:20) Our ultimate value than comes not individually, but collectively. That's connected to point # 2.
Point # 2: Though there's diversity in our histories, there's unity in our Christian identity. Here Paul asserts that our cultural and social diversity should not keep us from experiencing unity thru our new identity as baptized followers of Christ. “Some of us are Jews and some are Greeks, some are slaves and some are free, but we've all been baptized into one body by one Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:13)
This is such a key teaching that Paul repeats it in some uf his other letters, as in his letter to the Galatians, for example: “We all have been united with Christ in baptism... Now there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female – all are one in Christ.” (Galatians 3:27-28)
It's such a timely teaching. We could easily insert American or Immigrant, Democrat or Re-publican, liturgical worshipper or non-liturgical worshipper into that list. It's one of the ways that we are uniquely called to shine with the love of Christ. It has never come easy to the church and it clearly still doesn't, but if we want to be truly faithful to our calling as the body of Christ in this time & place, we must set aside our opinions and preferences for the sake of Christ's mission in our midst.
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Point # 3: The less visible giftings are absolutely vital! As Paul emphatically puts it: “Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
(1 Corinthians 12:22)
His point was illustrated in this week's episode of The Chosen. Judas Iscariot and Simon the Zealot are washing clothes and Judas is complaining that their time could be better spent elsewhere, that they should be out there proclaiming the gospel. Simon counters by asking who better to do it than they? Judas clearly doesn't see this as his spiritual gift, but areas of service and being helpful, are important for us all to do. It helps us value those who do it regularly. It helps keep us humble.
No wonder Paul notes that “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts benefit.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) In recognition of that truth, let's pause right here to honor those giftings and contributions that are less visible and yet absolutely vital. Would all those of you who regularly help clean our church home please stand. Let's acknowledge them...
How about those of you who serve on altar guild or set up/clean up Sunday snacks? How about those of you who cook for our potluck meals or for Alpha or desserts for our Marriage Course...?
Point # 4: Though the gifts are all important some are foundational while others are functional. After listing a number of supernatural gifts the Holy Spirit gives to different members of the body of Christ, Paul adds a few more in this section, identifying three as foundational: “First are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers...” (1 Corinthins 12:28)
The term, 'apostles', like that of the word, disciples can be a little confusing. In some places the word, 'apostles' refers specifically to the twelve and Paul, those who were eye-witnesses of Jesus' resurrection and personally sent by him, but in other places it's more of a general reference to missionaries sent to plant churches. That's how it's used in the creed Paul cites in chapter 15 that we explored a few weeks ago. Here, too, it's mentioned alongside other spiritual gifts given to the church.
Some people read this reference as to understand that Paul is suggesting these three spiritual gifts – that of being an apostle, a prophet or a teacher, signify these as the most important gifts, but I'd suggest, that in light of their context here in a chapter where Paul is repeatedly emphasizing the value and mutuality of all the gifts that instead Paul lists them as first, second & third because that's the order in which they exist in the life of a church. First, the apostle plants the church by sharing the gospel with unbelievers and seekers, then a prophet provides guidance and vision in the infancy of the church, and then a teacher disciples them by connecting God's written word to their specific context.
These are foundational giftings and his numbering them emphasizes this. Paul then returns back to listing specific gifts that help a church grow in partnership with Christ and in love for one another. In and through these gifts faith is fortified, thru supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit, through such things as “miracles, healings, gracious generosity, inspired leaders, and the gift of tongues.”
(1 Corinthians 12:28)
That's why these weren't meant just for the first century church but for every church, past, present and future. God has blessed us over the years in just this way. God just did it again!
Last Sunday we focused on God's promise to fill us with the Holy Spirit and release these very gifts in our midst, I ended the message by praying for it to be so. At the 10:30 service I felt a nudge to go around and lay hands on folks as I prayed. By the time I got home one of you sent me a text....
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“Hi Pastor. I wanted to share this with you and thank you for your prayers and message. My elbow has been so bad the past week. In fact, I had just been googling on my phone to see if there was a pressure point I could press to alleviate the intense pain I was in so we wouldn't have to leave worship early. I've been wearing a brace again along with taking medication and trying not to panic. I had taken a bunch of Motrin right before the service but was still is so much pain. When you laid your hand on my shoulder a tingle and warmth radiated down through my arm, and guess what?! The pain is GONE! It just left! It feels soooo good! Praising God for his faithfulness and goodness!”
Isn't that cool?! She texted me again during the week to share that her husband had prayed for her earlier in the service and that he'd told their family God had used this to increase his faith as well. In my early years here, we rarely prayed for people in person, and no one was ever healed. Now many of us regularly pray for inner and physical healing and some are healed. It's always so encouraging!
That brings me to Paul's Point # 5: Together we are Christ's body and each of us has a part to play! The more of us who do so the healthier this mission of Christ in our midst becomes! Some of us are hesitant because our culture has influenced us to adopt a consumer mindset. We come in order to receive, to feel better when we leave than when we arrived. That's great if that happens but that's not to be our motivation. We should be eager to play a part, to add our bit, to get our gifts in the mix.
It brings to mind a conversation Calvin had with his mom in the car one day...
Calvin: Mom, can I drive on the way back?
Mom: No! Of course not, Calvin.
Calvin: Can I just steer then? I promise I won't crash.
Mom: No, Calvin.
Calvin: Well, can I just work the gas and brakes while you steer then?
Mom: What?! No! Absolutely not, Calvin!
Calvin: Man! You never let me do anything!
Anyone ever have a conversation like that with your mom or dad? Me too. I got tired of being told, I could when I got older. Well, guess what? You're older and the Spirit wants to equip you to do far more amazing things than just drive the car! He offers to fill you with the Holy Spirit and enhance your gifts or give you new ones so that along with others you can be a part of what He's doing!
As Paul so emphatically put it: “All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you are a part of it!” (1 Corinthians 12:27) We do this together - and God's inviting you to be a part of it!
In The Boys in the Boat, coach Pocock helps Joe be a more effective team player. “He told Joe that there were times when he seemed to think he was the only fellow in the boat, as if it was up to him to row the boat across the finish line all by himself. When a man rows like that, he said, he's bound to attack the water rather than to work with it, and worse, he doesn't let his crew help him row. He suggested that Joe think of a well-rowed race as a symphony, and himself as a player in the orchestra. If one fellow in an orchestra plays out of tune, or at a different tempo, the whole piece suffers.
What mattered more than how hard a man rowed was how well everything he did in the boat harmonized with the other fellows were doing, and a man couldn't harmonize with his crewmates unless he opened his heart to them. He had to care about his crew. It wasn't just the rowing but his crewmates that he had to give himself up to, even if it meant getting his feelings heart.
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Coach Pocock paused and looked up at Joe. 'If you don't like some fellow in the boat, Joe, you have to learn to like him. It has to matter to you whether he wins the race, not just whether you do.'
He told Joe to be careful not to miss his chance. He reminded him that he'd already learned to row past pain and exhaustion, past the voice that told him it couldn't be done. That meant he had an opportunity to do things most men would never have the chance to do, and he concluded with a remark that Joe would never forget. 'Joe, when you really start trusting those other boys, you'll feel a power at work within you that is beyond anything you've ever imagined. Sometimes, you'll feel as if you have rowed right off the planet and are rowing among the stars.'”
(from Daniel J Brown's The Boys in the Boat)
That well describes what Paul was talking about, what we're shooting for here as the Body of Christ, called to be in such harmony with each other, working together as one body, one symphonic movement of grace and agape love, that all those who join in and put their own gifts to play, will also come to feel a power at work beyond anything they've ever imagined, as if we've rowed right off the planet and with the Wind of God at our backs, and in our hearts, we come to trust one another and care deeply that not just us, but all those God puts in our path, also come to win the race! May it be so...!
“All of you together are Christ's body and each of you are a part of it!” (1 Corinthians 12:27)