It is easy to let the ways other people are different from us become a barrier. This was a problem in the local body of believers in Corinth. But believers have one thing in common—their faith in Christ. In this passage, Paul deals with this unity/diversity tension by describing the church as Christ's body, drawing parallels between the church and the human body.

1. What human body parts does Paul mention (vv. 15-16)?



2. What others are implied (vv. 17, 22-23)?



3. What body of Christ parts does Paul mention (v. 28)?



4. Does being in a body make parts less distinct? (v. 13)?



5. What common denominator unites all parts of the body of Christ?



6. Why is pride in your abilities or role in the church wrong (vv. 19, 21)?



7. Why is thinking you have nothing to offer just as out of place (v. 22)?



8. What is your response (v. 26) when a fellow Christian is honored?



9. How do you respond when someone is suffering?



10. According to this section, what is the place of private or individualistic Christianity?

Ask God to keep you from being jealous of those with visible leadership roles and dismissive of those whose contribution is less apparent. Ask for motivation to use your own gifts and to encourage others to use theirs.

¹²The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. ¹⁴Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

¹⁵If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?

¹⁸But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

²²In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. ²³And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

²⁵This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. ²⁶If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. ²⁷Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

²⁸Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.

Prayer for the Week

Father, Your Son gave His life for the church. Teach me, as His follower, to care deeply about it too.

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