One Body, Many Members

Articles

Derek Long
10/21/18 - The Church

One Body, Many Members
By Derek Long
Among the images used to depict the Lord’s church is
the image of a body (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 24). Jesus is pictured as the head of the body indicating His authority over its actions (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). The Bible is equally clear there is only one body (Ephesians 4:4) where all are reconciled to God through the cross (Ephesians 2:16). The image of the church as a body contains many important truths for our consideration and learning.
Our physical body is composed of many individual members and parts just as the Lord’s church contains many members. Paul reminded the church at Corinth, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). In Romans 12:4-5 we find a similar principle being taught, it says, “For as we have many member in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” The church is a collective body of many different Christians throughout the world. Each local congregation is composed of several individual Christians seeking to serve the Lord faithfully. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Individuals compose the various members which make up the body of Christ. The body of Christ is not composed of different denominations, congregations, etc.
Our physical body has members which differ in their function just like the Lord’s church does. Romans 12:4 reminds us, “but all members do not have the same function.” 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 and Ephesians 4:11 give us a list of some of the functions which were present in the church. Everyone in the first century did not have the same gifts, abilities, or function within the body of Christ. Today, people still have differing abilities and roles they play in the body of Christ. 1 Peter 4:11 says, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Some people may perform the function of speaking, some may minister, etc. and yet all play an important role for the proper functioning of the body.
Our physical body needs every member to perform its task in order to function properly. The same concept applies when we think about the Lord’s church. 1 Corinthians 12:15-19 reminds us every part of the body is important. Just because someone may not fill the role others might think is most important does not mean they are not vital to the well being of the body. It is possible for Christians to think the Lord’s body would be alright without me. It is true the unfaithfulness of one member will not cause the kingdom of God to pass away (Daniel 2:44). However, the unfaithfulness of one member causes the body to be able to accomplish less work than it otherwise could. If your physical body only had
one arm, it would mean you could not carry things which required two arms and it would place a greater burden on the arm you still had. Unfaithful members need to see the burden they place the body of Christ under by their unfaithfulness (1 Corinthians 12:21-22).
Ephesians 4 uses a different image it appears but teaches a similar concept to Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. Ephesians 4:16 reminds us of the necessary role each individual part plays to the proper functioning of the whole. The text says, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
One important lesson I thought about while considering these thoughts is how these things help keep us humble. We need to remember when considering others in the body of Christ no matter who we are we are not more important than anyone else in the body of Christ. We cannot get to thinking we do not need one another. We need to avoid pride, selfish ambition, and conceit and to think soberly about ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:3). Remember Jesus taught greatness in the kingdom is not determined on the basis of some title or rank one possesses but on the basis of serving others (Luke 22:24-27).