Loving one another in the body of Christ – part 2; 1Cor 12-13; John 15:17.

Title: Loving one another in the body of Christ - part 2; 1Cor 12-13; John 15:17.

Divine virtue love is impossible without grace. Grace imputation of the new creature, grace to learn it, and grace orientation in applying it.

 

As soon as works come into the picture, agape love is impossible since grace is no longer grace in the soul of the believer. As soon as merit systems, competing, comparing, and the whole arena of MAS’s come into the soul, agape love is impossible. If we don’t understand that God has done everything for us by means of grace then love is impossible.

 

Having virtue love for one another is wonderfully illustrated in the function of spiritual gifts, 1Cor 12-13.

 

1 Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

 

1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit [baptism of the Spirit and not any weirdo movement] we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 

In order to understand the reason for loving one another we must understand our union with one another and how that started. It is right here in verse 13.

 

“baptized” - bapti,zw[baptizo; aorist passive indicative] = to identify one object with another whereby the original object is changed.

 

The baptism of the Spirit did not occur in the OT. It was prophesized by Jesus in ACT 1:5 and John 14:20. It unifies believers, brings the only equality which is short lived, it began the Church-age and it has no emotional component whatsoever, nor is it identified with the temporary spiritual gift of tongues.

 

1 Cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.

 

1 Cor 12:15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

 

1 Cor 12:16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

 

Same principle.

 

1 Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

 

What if everyone had the same spiritual gift and the body was one big eye? This debater’s technique shows the absurdity. The church would grind to a halt. What if everyone who had the same gift functioned in the exact same way? There would be no diversity of gifts much like multiple generations from the same gene pool.

 

1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

 

Spiritual gifts are distributed by God the Holy Spirit just as He willed, therefore a certain gift doesn’t make anyone inferior or superior.

 

1 Cor 12:19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

 

1 Cor 12:20 But now there are many members, but one body.

 

1 Cor 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

 

Jesus Christ cannot say to any member of the body, “I have no need of you,” since all were given EP/EO in election and predestination.

 

What could you do without? Even the appendix has been recently discovered to serve a purpose in the immune system, though not proven just yet.

 

So we have the arrogance of the one who thinks he is superior. This is like the star running back or quarterback who gets into all the newspapers and is idolized by all the fans. No one ever knows the offensive line. Could the QB say to the offensive line, “I have no need of you?” He’d have broken bones. Ask JT. The correct function of the local assembly needs all the parts. Those parts that are AWOL cause the other members to take up the slack, just like you have to put your weight on your good foot if you have a bad foot.

 

1 Cor 12:22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary [seem to others];

 

An obvious analogy here is the vital internal organs. A person may have beautiful features and skin and tone but as soon as your heart gives out you’ll look terrible. If your liver gives out or your kidneys you’ll turn yellow - how’s your makeup gonna cover that!?

 

1 Cor 12:23 and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable [this doesn’t mean they are less honorable but arrogant believers deem them to be], on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness,

 

 “seemliness” - euvschmosu,nh[euschemosune - you-skay-mosunay] = elegance of figure, gracefulness.

 

This gracefulness and elegance flow from their humility in not needing to be recognized or seen in all that they do in the church and outside the church in their spiritual gifts.

 

1 Cor 12:24 whereas our seemly members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body [tempered or blended or mixed], giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,

 

Interpretations differ, but I’m pretty convinced that what is meant here is that the graceful or grace oriented believers have no need of being honored. And when God gives honor to a believer it is generally not publically announced. A humble believer is given greater grace and promotion before those around him recognize it, if they do at all, and actually, usually before he recognizes it himself.

 

Therefore, with this in mind:

 

1 Cor 12:25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

 

1 Cor 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 

This is unity and not jealousy; unity and not arrogance. If you have a bad headache does the rest of your body feel fine? If your taste buds are stimulated by your favorite food doesn’t the rest of your body rejoice? This is the analogy.

 

1 Cor 12:27 Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.

 

1 Cor 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

 

1 Cor 12:29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?

 

1 Cor 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

 

1 Cor 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I show you a still more excellent way.

 

1 Cor 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

 

1 Cor 13:2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

 

1 Cor 13:3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

 

1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

 

1 Cor 13:5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

 

1 Cor 13:6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

 

1 Cor 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

1 Cor 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

 

1 Cor 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

 

1 Cor 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

 

1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

 

1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.

 

1 Cor 13:13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.