Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download).
1. To what does the apostle Paul compare Christ’s spiritual body, the church? See 1 Corinthians 12:12 (printed below)
Just as the body is one organism, although it has many parts—and even though the various parts of the body are many in number, there is one body—so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)
In this twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul is comparing Christ’s spiritual body, the church, to the human body. Just as the human body consists of many different parts, so does Christ’s body consist of many diverse members (coming from different backgrounds, possessing different spiritual gifts, etc.) But just as the many physical body parts are combined to form one body, so the many diverse members of the Christian church are joined together to form the one spiritual body of Christ.
2. What does Paul tell us about the role of the Holy Spirit with regard to Christ’s spiritual body, the church? See 1 Corinthians 12:13 (printed below)
Indeed, by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether we were Jews or Greeks, whether we were slaves or freemen—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
In verse 13 the apostle begins by focusing on the fundamental spiritual unity of the church as Christ’s body. Every Christian was baptized into the one spiritual body by the one and the same Holy Spirit. (Every Christian has been born again by the operation of the Holy Spirit and each has put his faith solely and completely in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for his eternal salvation.) Every Christian has been made to drink of the one and the same Holy Spirit. That is to say, it is the same Holy Spirit who dwells in the heart and life of each and every Christian (note John 7:37-39a).
3. Using the illustration of the human body, what is Paul teaching about the various members of Christ’s body? See 1 Corinthians 12:15-17 (printed below)
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. (16) If the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. (17) If the entire body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the entire body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? (1 Corinthians 12:15-17)
Verses 15-17 emphasize the fact that each individual member must appreciate his God-given role and the contribution he personally makes to the well-being of Christ’s spiritual body, the church. Because the foot is not a hand, and the ear is not an eye, it does not allow them to resign from the body (verses 15-16). The foot may feel inferior to the hand, and the ear may feel inferior to the eye, and out of a sense of comparative uselessness, or out of a sense of envy and jealousy, they may be tempted to withhold their services—but they must resist the temptation to do so. Each member must appreciate that it has a unique and necessary function (verse 17). If the whole body were only an eye, it would lack the ability to hear; so the ear, though different from the eye, is necessary and it, too, makes a useful contribution to the body.
4. Who has assigned to each individual member his particular place and function in the body? See 1 Corinthians 12:18 (printed below)
But now the fact is God has arranged the parts, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. (1 Corinthians 12:18)
Each member must appreciate that his particular function has been assigned to him by God (verse 18). God created the various members of the body and arranged them as He saw fit; so for any member to withhold his services out of a sense of uselessness or envy, is to protest against God.
5. According to verses 24b-26 (printed below), how did God arrange the various members of the human body and why did He do so? What lessons does this have for the church of Christ?
But God has arranged the body, giving greater honor to those parts that lack honor, (25) so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts should have the same concern for one another. (26) When one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the other parts rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:24b-26)
God arranged for the less honorable parts of the body to receive greater honor (verse 24). By way of example: whereas the face has its own unique honor, the torso is honored with attractive clothing. God did so in order to avoid there being any schism in the body and to provide for the care of the whole body (verse 25). With regard to Christ’s spiritual body, the church, we need to understand that the body of Christ consists of many different, but valuable, members. Verse 26 indicates that because they all belong to the same body and are all vitally interrelated, all the members of the body have a sympathy for one another. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. As Christians we need to appreciate the fact that, as members of Christ’s body, we have the obligation to care for one another.
