Membership: In the Body of Christ; In the
Introduction – Jesus Christ says that we
are His body. Certainly He is referring
to the whole church over the whole history of the world, for elsewhere we are
told there is just one body. But how are
we to understand as well that the body of Christ is here, in a local
congregation?
Members of A Body (1 Cor 12:12-27) – Paul is
writing to a specific local church (1:2) which he started years before. He admonishes them because of the schisms
which are tearing this church apart (ch’s 1-3). When we get to chapter 12, Paul is arguing
for the church to understand its unity and diversity like members of a human
body.
We
are the body, of which Christ is the Head (v12); and our union is so organic,
so true, that Paul says there, “so also
is Christ.” This union takes place
through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (v13), and the implications of this
body-like connection are described in detail through the rest of the chapter.
Universal and Local – The declaration that we
are “one body” should be understood both universally and locally. In verse 20, Paul makes the universal
statement “but now indeed there are many
members, yet one body.” In verse 27,
applying to the problem at hand in the local church, Paul says to them, “Now you are the body of Christ.” It is not an either-or proposition, but a
both-and. We are members of the body of
Christ catholic, and we are reckoned
members of the body of Christ with regard to a local fellowship.
The Absurdity of Individualism (vv14-19) – If your hand
said, “I don’t really need to be formally connected to the rest of the
body. I can just be a hand all to
myself,” we wouldn’t think twice about calling that ridiculous. Yet that is just the way many individual
members act. We see faults in that
forearm that we have to be connected to in order to be in the body, and so we
think it is healthier for us to remain unconnected. We forget what the Head has promised He is
doing, both to the forearm and to the hand (Eph 4:11-16). God, by His Spirit, through His appointed
means, the church, is causing you, the imperfect hand, to be knit together
perfectly – and He intends to use that imperfect forearm to do so.
The Necessity of Diversity – The way of a human body
is the way of the body of Christ. There
are different members with differing gifts (vv4-11 earlier, then vv17-18). This means that individuals will have
different strengths and weaknesses. They
will have different storehouses full of things to contribute, and storehouses empty
and in need to be filled in order to function.
When the members come together, they become far more than the sum of
their parts. When they remain
disconnected, even what they are is taken away.
Who’s Who? (Heb 13:7, 17) – God has
provided a means of protecting us from our sinful tendencies to individualism,
and it is the structure of the local church.
At the local church level, the body of Christ is to operate with real
names. This is not to deny the truth of
the catholic Church nor encourage schisms. When obediently followed, the church is the
place to foster true fellowship (partnership-koinonia)
both locally, and with the greater church.
Known Elders – The members are to know
who their elders are; men they have themselves given approval to rule and watch
over their souls. They are to consider
the outcome of their conduct, learning from their teaching and from their lives
how to worship, study, love, forgive, submit, longsuffer,
strive, serve, lead – how to live.
Known Congregants – The elders will be
called to give an account of the souls of the particular local body where they
serve. Peter says, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not…..as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the
flock… (1 Pet 5:2-3).” God intends
to provide very personal care for you and your family, and He intends to use
the elders of His church to do so. Taken
rightly, this should leave the elders feeling quite sober, even overwhelmed,
and so the writer of Hebrews adds, “Let
them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
“Let all
things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor 14:40) – In the
areas of corporate worship (the immediate context of this verse) and the
corporate community of worshippers (identifiable people who are to hear
particular instructions), we are told to do things with order. This requires that we develop an agreed upon
understanding of who the worshippers are (members) and
how we are to interact (membership). Hence, membership in a local church.
Beating Individualism – Is it possible that
there exists a besetting sin of individualism throughout our land that has been
in our ‘atmosphere’ so long we cannot detect it? Is it possible that our skepticism towards
institutions has, in the case of the church, sometimes made us lonelier than we
realize? How do we beat it?
Don’t Dance Around; Jump In – If you are a member of
the body of Christ, then identify yourself as such.
Act Like A Calvinist – He or she is one who believes
that God is sovereign over everything, including leading him or her to this
imperfect congregation, imperfect leadership, and imperfect fellowship to
accomplish His perfect plans. He
probably even has particular callings for you here to serve all those imperfect
others in your midst.
Corporate Worship/Corporate
Service –
We are certainly called to our personal devotions. But the body of Christ can’t dance if the
foot isn’t here; it cannot sing if the tongue stays home; it cannot hear if the
ear decides to go fishing instead. The
effect upon on our corporate worship is greater than we realize when we take
our attendance here lightly. And what
did Jesus really mean when He said, “…inasmuch
as you did it to one of the least of these My
brethren, you did it to Me (Matt 25:31-40)?”
Dave Hatcher –
November 14, 2004