1 Corinthians 12:12-31
One Body, Many Parts
12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[b]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[c] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
St. Paul uses our bodies that were created by God as a metaphor...He tells us that our bodies are a unit that has many parts...Each part during our lifetime plays a role...Together, all of these parts when put together form the one unique body we have...
Some evolutionists tell us we came from single, simple cell...St. Paul says "the body is not made up of one part but of many"...Each part of our bodies play a role in working...St. Paul says "God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be"... Man views some parts of the body as weaker and stronger...Some of the body seem more dispensable than others...God has combined each of the body cells, in such a way that each body part and cell suffers when one part suffers...The parts of our body that we do not see, do not receive much honor, but our internal organs, cells, proteins, DNA, our immune system, and such, play an important role in our body (as much a role as the parts of the body we do see)...
All the cells in our body work together...God gave us a complex body...The term single, simple cell, in referring to our body is very hard to conceive...All of our cells work together as St. Paul says...If we lack a gene or if one gene gets disrupted, the parts do not function properly, for one reason or another, then things change in our body, and we can suffer...If one of the tiniest of gene suffers or is damaged we can become ill...
The complete body system is very complex...Every cell works together with the other cells...God made the healthy body a process... Good health, is a process...Good eating habits, exercise, avoiding things, bad for our health, such as smoking, and drinking in excess factor into the process of good health...St. Paul lets us know when we take care of our bodies and respect every part, then every part of the body rejoices...
Like our bodies contain many parts, the family of Christians working together are a unit...Some teachers and popular ministers get much media attention and are publicly recognized, but are just one part...As we look at our bodies and think our hearts, our arms, our brain, and our legs are individual body parts we need to function...Like the body functioning together, the fellowship of Christians must function together...When parts get disrupted, things change and can suffer...Without the working together morality suffers, manners and courteous suffers...Without our minds on Christ and what He taught these things do not function together properly...Believers are this body of Christ...The poor, the needy, ones who need help are not to be belittled or overlooked by the other parts...The strong, public, wealthy parts are not to overlook the weaker parts...
God has given certain people gifts in life...These gifts are blessings from God...We are to share our teaching gift, our wealth or prosperity gift(s), our knowledge gift, or our healing gift...We are to count our blessings and then share them...Christians are dependent on one another...This is the union of the Spirit...The body of Christ will rejoice when everyone is working together...