The Wonderful Human Body
My Dear Brethren:
Our human body is made-up of 200 bones fastened together by tissues and ligaments. The circulatory system employs our blood as it is drawn through the heart’s right chamber and winds into the lungs. The lungs secure the blood with much needed oxygen, mail it back to the heart via its left chamber, and finally propels into the main artery or aorta. The aorta’s blood branches into smaller and smaller places. The first are arteries, designated as arterioles, which ebb into the furthest recesses of our bodies through minute capillaries. Our immune system fends off unfriendly proteins, and infectious microorganisms, with a one two punch of antibodies. A deadly left uppercut makes holes in the foreign cells, and a swinging right hook engulfs and digests foreign matter. Our digestive system starts up in our mouths. The food is broken into fragments by our chewing and is mixed with saliva. It then goes down the esophagus and right into the stomach. The digestive process is redoubled by the ferocious activity of gastric and intestinal juices. The digested nutrients are then sucked into the small intestine. The remains of unassimilated foods, and waste substances from the liver, are passed into the large intestine and gloriously expelled from our bodies. The pituary gland secretes a variety of hormones. One of them governs the rate at which the cells utilize oxygen, and another imposes the metabolism of carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium. Finally, our skin is one big living organ! It protects us from drying up, controls the loss of fluids, and shields us from harmful substances. Its sweat glands are our body’s air conditioning, the skin receptors discriminate levels of body temperature and pain, and our fat cells insulate us. (Excerpts are taken from Microsoft’s 1999 edition of the Encarta Encyclopedia.)
In my reading of the above passage of God’s beautiful scheme for the function of our human body, three things really struck me about its functions.
There are “no personalities and no pew sitters” within our bodies members! Wow!
Every member knows exactly what its function and calling is. It does it effectively and naturally, it does not take glory or attention for itself, and it always works at its peak.
Do you notice as I did, that every bodily member’s role is active, it does not assume a defensive but offensive posture, and it always is seeking to protect? The church is Christ’s body and should operate along the same lines as the human body. Let’s pray that the Lord blesses the study of His Word on the function of the body of Christ as found in Corinthians 12.
The Church as a Body
1Cor 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. Paul’s confirms what we have already stated. The human body, and the body of Christ as His church, should function alike.
1cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. The Greek makes use of the “absolute negative” for the word “not”. Literally defined, we are told that under no circumstance, should a congregation be made up of a few active members. This argument hits at the very core of “a great church deception.” My beloved brethren, one pastors that literally controls the governing life of a church, makes for all intents and purposes, the body of Christ into a “non body”. Like wise, parishioners who fail to discern, and fulfill their ministries, forcing pastors and ministers into positions of control, do just the same.
1Cor 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Cor12:16 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? What an incredible dependency we must have for each other. An independent spirit towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one other, will stunt our process of growth. Every member is called to sharpen each other, through their callings and ministries.
1Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? The fewer the number of members serving and ministering within a local body, the fewer will be the giftings available to it. This particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its discernment of demonic infiltration. There will be a deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance, exhortation, and encouragement, and the confirmation of God’s will.
1Cor14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
If the apostolic ministries are deficient, how will the right foundation be laid? A church without the revelation of Jesus through the apostolic witness of the risen Christ will build lopsided.
Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all
1Cor3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder( ARCHITECT), I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Every church that I have attended in the last twenty years, for the exception of the one that I go to now, has been unable to discern the presence of wolves, gross sin, and major doctrinal error, blatantly obvious in its midst. In due time God always exposed these forces. Considerable damage had been done to the flock however, or God finally closed the congregations down. Much of this has to do with the lack of commitment and participation of the church’s members or the prohibition of spiritual gifts by the elders.
1Cor12: 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
The pastoral staff shares in the function of overseeing, for example
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
This favorite word of mine for “overseeing” is “episkopos” . Literally, it comes from two words meaning, “standing above, in order to examine into, and scope out needs and problems.” My brethren, this remains a true function of any leadership staff.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Literally the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the weakest member can we say “I have no need of you” and not be lying! The superior members are in desperate need of the inferior.
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
Literally “we place a wreath of superabundant honor upon the weaker or more unseemly members”, says the Greek. .. Our deformed, indecent, and unseemly parts always require special care. That same care should be given to all weaker members within our congregations.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: “To temper” means That God has caused each part of His body to be melted and hammered together into an organic whole.
Three types of churches
1Cor 1:10 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. This is a church that has attained to a same level of understanding and discernment within its parishioners. Active discipleship, healing, and equipping of the saints produced this. Consequently this congregation now operates within the same opinions, purposes, resolves, and decision making.
Literally a “one soul” church. The spirit of sacrifice and agape love, which is always divine and sacrificial in nature, has controlled this congregation. The whole assembly with one will, and one set of emotions, athletically agonizes for the faith of the gospel.
Acts2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Literally “the one burning passion church”. One accord is a political term that denotes a unanimous decision or vote for one candidate. A political party puts all of its support behind its man or woman. Multitudes raise their hands to vote the same way, because of its harmony of heart, and zeal for their cause. The party sacrifices personal interest in view of the larger cause held by the whole organization. The church in one accord votes for its candidate Jesus Christ, and His cause, and with all passion and ardor follows Him sacrificing all else.
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