Three Things to Know about Christ’s Spiritual Body, the Church – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 (12) 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. (13) 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.
(14) Now the body does not consist of one part, but many. (15) 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? (18) But now the fact is God has arranged the parts, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. (19) If all the parts of the body were the same, where would the body be? (20) Now there are many parts, but there is one body. (21) The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Or again, the hand cannot say to the feet, “I do not need you.” (22) On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary. (23) And we treat with greater honor those parts of the body that we consider to be less honorable. And the unpresentable parts of our body are treated with greater modesty, (24) while the presentable parts of our body do not need such treatment. 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. (27) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
