November 21
1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13
1 Corinthians 13 is called the "Love Chapter". It is one of the most familiar portions of Scripture since it is read at weddings all the time. Though this is a beautiful picture of what love should look like between the couple getting married, it is not at all the context of why it was written. When reading Scripture both content and context are crucial. We must also remember that Paul wrote the entirety of 1 Corinthians without breaks in the narrative. Chapters were inserted in the 1200's and verses in the 1500's. Though these additions do well to help reference and study Scripture, the breaks in the flow of the book are artificial. So the 13th chapter comes on the heels of the 12th chapter, and this has nothing to do with marriage. It has everything to do with how we in the body of Christ respond to one another in God's church. We read in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Pause for a moment and envision how strong the church would be if we applied these verses appropriately.
1 Corinthians 12 deals with unity and diversity within the church. Realize when I refer to church this refers to the body of believers, not a building, or a denomination. Unity is not the same thing as uniformity. We, as believers, must be unified around a core set of beliefs, such as the divinity of Jesus, salvation based on His finished work, our being received by His mercy and grace, the acceptance and trust in His bodily death and resurrection, the Word of God (the Bible) as being authoritative and perfect, etc. But uniformity is when we try to make those in the church conform to extra-Biblical, non-essential beliefs. Everyone is not supposed to look the same, dress the same, act the same, etc. This chapter also speaks of diversity. This is what makes the church strong. There is no such thing as essential and non-essential members of the body of Christ. We all fit together neatly to function as a whole. Whether you preach or clean, you are vital. Whether you serve with the children or with adults you are essential. God has a unique place for each of us in the body. And we need to be satisfied where God has placed us, knowing that He put us there for His purpose. Though we may not draw a lot of attention, our contributions are vitally important to the whole functioning of the body. Diversity leads to disunity when the members compete with one another, but diversity leads to unity when the members love and care for one another. We care for one another when we function according to God's will and by helping the other members to function. If one member suffers, it affects every member. If one member is healthy, it helps the others to be strong.
We see the unity in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit." We see the diversity, as Paul describes certain members as the foot or the eye. We see what happens when the members are struggling in 12:22-27, "In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it." So, brother and sister, you are vitally important, or else God would not have chosen you. So, move forward, empowered by the Holy Spirit in those gifts which God has bestowed upon you. And, yes, God has bestowed you with gifts. If you don't know what they are, spend some time with your Creator and seek His direction.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: