1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
This is the summary statement of this section and Paul’s application of his illustration to the Corinthians. This is a timeless truth that applies to all churches. Every church grows and has people with different gifts. As more people become part of a church, the gifts will diversify and enhance the overall ministry of the church. In this diversity can be a unity that is powerful, meaningful, and profoundly transformative and inclusive. Every person who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus and acknowledges his supremacy is part of this group.
The key idea in this verse is found in the identity of being Christ’s body. Paul will develop this idea more in Ephesians 2 where he will write about Christ as the head of the body. He is sovereign. He is the one who guides. It is his mission to which the church is called. Our identity must be found in him and not anything earthly. Not denominations, not nationality, not physical location–none of these rise to the level of finding ourselves in Jesus Christ. We must always remember that we are Christ’s church. As his body, we do as he directs. He is the one who unites us all (Galatians 3:28). It is only through him that the barriers that separate people can be removed and true unity experienced. The world (culture, people, politics, etc.) will set up walls of separation. But when each member of the church is sanctified to Christ, there is a profound unity that overlooks these human barriers. The key that holds all this together is love, which Paul will discuss in the following chapter.
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