Today we read 1 Corinthians 10:1-16:24.

1 Corinthians is a letter that is largely about what it means to be “the church.” The Christians in Corinth were having trouble being the church–there was a lot of disunity, practices brought in from other religions, some confusion about things like resurrection, marriage, worship, and others. So Paul wrote a letter to help them do a better job of being the church.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul uses the analogy of the human body to describe the church. He points that in the human body, there are all sorts of parts, all with different functions, but all every bit as much a part of the body as any other. And they all work together as one body for one purpose. Then he says it is the same way in the church. There are different people with different gifts and different roles, but they all work together for one purpose–to be the church, the body of Christ and to carry out the mission of the church.

This theme of the church being many individuals united as one is common throughout the Bible. Jesus will say “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5).

Peter says, “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house…” (1 Peter 2:5).

Here at St. Matthew we even have a ministry called Living Stones that helps people find their role in the body of Christ.

God does not call us only to be individual Christians; He calls us to interact with other Christians and be part of His One Body.

What Biblical truths does God show us in these verses?
God calls us to be part of a whole (the Body of Christ), one part among many, working for one purpose.


Since God tells us in the book of James to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers, how can I apply these Biblical truths to my life?
Today I will seek to be not one Christian working alone, but one who is part of the entire Body of Christ, using my special gifts and responsibilities, working with others to carry out the mission.


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