Building The Body Individually

This morning I am reading from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians 14:26-33 NIV:

[26] "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these* must be done so that the church may be built up. [27] If anyone speaks in a tongue, two---or at the most three---should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. [28] If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

[29] Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. [30] And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. [31] For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. [32] The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. [33] For God is not a God of disorder but of peace---as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people."

* from 1984 translation.

I find these verses so interesting, especially if we compare them to how most churches work. In most churches there is a select individual, or maybe just a few who are ever allowed to speak. Yet the specific direction of Paul here is that everyone (each one) has something to share, and all of them "must be done so that the church may be built up". Wow! Do you get that significant paradigm difference, and what it is supposed to bring about - namely the building up of the church?!

The simple reality is that the church is made up of many members, and for it to be built up, each of those members must be strengthened individually. How can we be strengthened if we never have the chance to exercise the gifts in us? It takes exercise to strengthen and grow. It is time that the church wakes up and realizes that the church is made up of individuals, each with gifts and talents that the greater Body of Christ needs to be healthy and strong. We don't just need strong pastors and ministry leaders, but everyone, individually strong and growing. I pray that this understanding would permeate the Body of Christ. The Lord called each of us for a reason, and no one is insignificant! We need every sister and every brother strong and encouraged and walking in the fullness of their gifts, working together to build up the Body of Christ.

I know this would be messy and would require active pastoring and mentoring and that is exactly how the Body of Christ is supposed to work. Discipleship is exactly that, at an individual level. We need to have individual connectedness, individual relationships of trust and encouragement. The Body of Christ is made up of many members, each connected to the rest by relationships. Here is what Paul said earlier about the Body - 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 NIV:

[12] "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body---whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free---and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. [14] Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

[15] Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. [17] If 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? [18] But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. [19] If they were all one part, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

[27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Amen! Let us pray that the Lord bring revelation and a paradigm shift to the Body of Christ, that we might learn to value every individual for their uniqueness, their gifting and their purpose, not just their tithe and membership. Let us pray that the every member of the Body of Christ would be given the opportunity to learn about and exercise their gifts, taking their place in the Body. It is in this way that the Body will be built up and strengthened.