“FOR as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is [the] Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12).
The “one body”— its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ in glory—the members, true Christians on earth indwelt of the Spirit.
“There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling” (Eph. 4:4).
This Body is formed by the Spirit, all the members are thereby united to Christ in glory and to one another on earth. “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body (whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Not only “baptized,” or made part of this body by the Holy Spirit, but also “drinking” of the living fountain which springeth up unto everlasting life (John 4:14).
“Now are they many members, yet but one body” (1 Cor. 12:20). One member cannot say to another, “I have no need of thee” (vs. 21). Each member has its place in the body—the place where God hath set it, “as it has pleased Him” (vs. 18).
Let us ever remember that this Body is not merely an assemblage of believers, bound together by common ties, nor even the entire company of believers as such, it is more than that, for it is the Body of Christ. How that truth applied in the soul by the Holy Spirit lifts us far above all thoughts of man’s blessing and what might suit redeemed men; it gives Christ His true place both in the individual and the collective blessing. The Body is Christ’s. He is the Head. Every believer sealed by the Spirit is a member—the members are many, and their functions are diverse. To each a gift of the Spirit is given. “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” “He divideth to every man severally as He will” (vers. 7, it; compare Eph. 4:7).
God is sovereign in the Church (as in everything). “Who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou did’st not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7). The members “which seem to be more feeble are necessary,” those “which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor.” “God hath tempered the body together... that there should be no schism in the body; that the members should have the same care one for another” (vers. 21-26). Such is the body in its unity. Gifts differ according to the grace given to each (Rom. 12:5-8). There is no question of equality, according to human, socialist, or radical ideas of it. Objects of the same grace redeemed by the same precious blood, one Saviour and Lord, one God and Father, one Spirit; each perfectly blessed, each made partaker of the divine nature, each to be perfectly conformed to the image of His dear Son.
Yet gifts differ, as we have seen, though all are conducive to the edification of the body. The gifts are gifts of grace, unmerited favor of Him who is Sovereign. “To one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith... to another prophecy,” &c. (vers. 8-10). “God hath set some in the Church; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that miracles; then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all teachers?” &c. (vers. 28, 29).
Some of these gifts have remained in the Church from the beginning, others are no longer given, though He who gives the gifts is ever in the Church (Eph. 2:22, 4:4; 1 Cor. 12:13; John 16:16, 17, &c.). There are no more apostles, they founded the Church (1 Cor. 3:10; Eph. 2:20); they communicated and completed the Word of God (Acts 15:7; John 15:27; Col. 1:25). Their personal service is ended, though their ministry is secured to us till the end, by means of the written Word. Prophets can no longer claim to reveal new truth, but those that use the Word “to edification, exhortation, and comfort,” are so denominated (1 Cor. 14:3, 29). “Tongues,” “miracles” are no longer distributed. They served at the beginning to confirm publicly the mission of the apostles and the testimony of the Church (1 Cor. 1:6, 7, 14:22; 2 Cor. 12:12; Acts 2:4, 6, 10:46). In the present state of the Church, gifts of power would ill accord With the ruin and disorder which reign throughout Christendom. Evangelists are still sent forth by the exalted Head. Pastors and teachers too. Ephesians 4. speaks of those gifts whose ministry goes on till Christ shall come (vers. 10-13). We have the ministry of the foundation gifts (Eph. 2:20), apostles and prophets; and the bodily presence of evangelists, pastors, and teachers. How few, alas! in one sense they are, for “the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:36-38).
Let me ask you, and myself too, beloved brethren, if we, members one of another, have an equal care one for another? Jealousy and want of zeal are foxes which spoil the grapes (Song of Sol. 2:15). Jealousy must disappear if we have in our hearts and consciences a real sense of the sovereignty of the Lord, as regards the place in the body of each member, and as regards the gift He chooses to give to each. If all our sources are in Him, if we hold fast the Head, we shall become willing, happy channels of communication in His body (Col. 2:19). Instead of seeking organized help from our fellow-members to carry on the special service or work the Lord has committed to each one of us, dear brethren, we shall be content to be used of Him according to the measure of His grace to us, while we gladly enjoy the communion of the saints in the path of faith.
Let us remember, too, that as the unity of the Body is not formed by us, neither can we break it. It is entirely formed and maintained by the Holy Spirit. What we are exhorted to do is to “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit; in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Our privilege and our duty is to act according to that unity which the Spirit has formed; to have our thoughts and conduct formed and guided by the truth of the one body and one Spirit; to allow nothing which is contrary to the blessed, practical, present truth concerning the Body and its glorious Head.
Sometimes earnest Christians fear to diminish their usefulness, and to shut themselves off from their fellow believers. It is well to remember that the only really large ground practically for the Church of God on the earth, is that of the one Body. The path of faithfulness will be narrow, for so many, alas! prefer to enclose themselves within human barriers and to turn aside from the fullness of the truth; but on true Church ground alone is it possible to have the heart fully enlarged (2 Cor. 6:12, 13), and to comprise in faith all those who are Christ’s. Only there can all the truth be maintained.
The gifts of grace are distributed by the Spirit, their exercise should be in full dependence on the Lord; the operation, the effect produced, is of God. Read 1 Corinthians 12:4,6. May we therefore, brethren, be diligent to use the gift in dependence on our Lord, knowing that God worketh all in all.
How sweet to hear the Lord’s word of commendation to His servants at His coming, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21, 23). May they be addressed to you and me, dear fellow-pilgrim!
We are “members” not of any local assembly, but of the one Body; there is, however, a true expression of the one Body shown in the local gathering of believers who meet to break bread together at the Lord’s Table, and in whose midst the Lord is present. Thus we read in Corinthians 10:16, “For we being many are one bread, one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.” It is also written in this epistle (12:27), “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Locally the Corinthians were such, but not to the exclusion of all other saints on earth. This truth is guarded by the epistle being addressed not merely “to the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints,” for with them are associated “all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1:2).