August 6 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: I Corinthians 12:13-16 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

Yesterday we established that verse 13 is speaking about water baptism into the local church, and not "spirit baptism" into some invisible spiritual entity. This truth is very important as we look at the remainder of the chapter. Paul is not speaking about the relationships of Christians with other believers across the globe. He is emphasizing the manner in which Christians interact with those who attend their own assembly. And in so doing, he is showing the importance of each believer being a part of, and being actively involved in, his or her local church. At the end of verse 13 he also points out that within the church it does not matter what your socio-economic background is, or what ethnicity you are. Whether a Jew or a Gentile, whether a free man or a slave, all were saved the same way. They drank of the same spirit, and according to I Corinthians 10:4, that spiritual drink was Christ.

In verse 14 he reiterates the principle that a body is not made up of one part, but includes many different parts with different functions. In the human body there are organs and bones and muscles and numerous other things that allow the body to function properly. The church operates under the same principle. Beginning in verse 15 Paul gives examples of the importance of each member to the body. He begins by dealing with those who might think that their gift or ministry is not important. He compares hands and feet. Hands are something that everyone sees. We wear rings on our fingers, and ladies get their fingernails done. In portraits hands are positioned in particular ways because they are a body part that everyone notices. Feet, on the other hand, are normally not treated that way. With some exceptions, they are not shown to the world. Much of the time they are covered by some sort of footwear. However, they are still a part of the body, and a very important part, even though others may rarely notice them. To lose one's feet through an accident or illness would certainly be a devastating blow to an individual. The same principle is true in verse 16 where Paul compares eyes and ears. Eyes tend to be noticed. Love songs have been written about the young lady's eyes. They have been called "the windows to the soul". When was the last time you heard a song about ears? About the only time they are noticed is if there is something abnormal about them. Yet they are an important part of the body, and to lose one's hearing is a terrible thing, and that loss, like the loss of feet, impacts the totality of the body and its ability to function. The message is this: even though your gift or ministry or energy level may not put you up in front of the church, you are still necessary. Your gift may be something that takes place behind the scenes. Maybe what you do goes unnoticed by many of the other church members. You are still important, and what you do with your gift is important to the work of the church.

I have read that the average visitor to a church makes up his mind within the first ten minutes or so whether or not he is going to return. So, what have they NOT seen or heard in the first ten minutes? Most of the "showy" stuff. They probably haven't heard the choir sing. They have not heard the beautiful offertory that was prepared. They haven't heard the lovely special music that was practiced. And they certainly haven't heard the pastor preach. What have they experienced? They have seen the condition of the church property, the appearance of the church grounds, the cleanliness of the bathrooms and the building itself, the efficiency of the nursery and children's workers, and the friendliness and helpfulness of the congregation. Notice that most of the things that they are basing their decision upon are being done by those who tend to have gifts and ministries that they may not be considered "important": the "feet and ears" if you will. Those with the "hands and eyes" ministries, like the pastor and the musicians, are not factoring into the decision.

No matter what God has given you, your role in your church is vitally important and necessary. You need to take it as seriously as God does.