One Body

This morning I am reading from 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV"
'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."

I love this verse because its simplicity in explaining a very complex thing, our unity as a body of believers. At this point in history the church had not yet spilt into different denominations, but it would not have changed Paul's understanding. He wrote in the first three chapters of this same letter arguing against any alignment of men, 'some who followed Apollos', some himself, etc. We are, every Christian denomination, and every Christian, part of one body. This is the reality, not something to be achieved, but rather how God sees us. There are not multiple bodies of Christ aligned by denomination. There is no one group who perfectly encompasses all truth, and doesn't need the rest. We are all, by God's design and working, part of the same body.

We have all received the same Holy Spirit, Paul writes that "we were all given the one Spirit to drink.". This is such an interesting phrase. We understand being baptized in the Holy Spirit, from the Gospels, which is the picture of being immersed in a liquid. In John's Gospel, Jesus speaks of God making His home in us - John 14:23. Now Paul is saying we drink this same liquid, the Spirit, and receive into ourselves, like we do water. The Greek word means 1. to give to drink, to furnish drink 2. to water, irrigate (plants, fields etc.) 3. metaph. to imbue, saturate one's mind. I think all three definitions work in this case.

First we are refreshed by the Holy Spirit, and His presence brings us life. Secondly, the Spirit is sent to lead and guide us grow us into mature Christians. This seems very similar to watering crops. Thirdly, it can be understood to be discussing ones renewed mind, and way of thinking, which is also described by Jesus as one of the roles of the Holy Spirit - John 14:26. It is this new way of thinking that should include the reality of our membership into one single body. We have congregations and denominations to give some order and function, but truly have membership in only one body. Let us pray for an understanding of this truth to saturate all our lives, and understanding. We need to start understanding our calling and our abilities in light of this reality. Amen.

Let us stop attacking ourselves, stop any thinking we are better on our own, and stop the judgements. We are all, in His eyes, one body, and we need to learn to think and act that way!