基督的身體
哥林多前書十二章12至26節
12就如身子是一個，卻有許多肢體；而且肢體雖多，仍是一個身子；基督也是這樣。
13我們不拘是猶太人，是希臘人，是為奴的，是自主的，都從一位聖靈受洗，成了一個身體，飲於一位聖靈。
14身子原不是一個肢體，乃是許多肢體。
15設若腳說：我不是手，所以不屬乎身子；他不能因此就不屬乎身子。
16設若耳說：我不是眼，所以不屬乎身子；他也不能因此就不屬乎身子。
17若全身是眼，從那裡聽聲呢？若全身是耳，從那裡聞味呢？
18但如今，神隨自己的意思把肢體俱各安排在身上了。
19若都是一個肢體，身子在那裡呢？
20但如今肢體是多的，身子卻是一個。
21眼不能對手說：我用不著你；頭也不能對腳說：我用不著你。
22不但如此，身上肢體人以為軟弱的，更是不可少的。
23身上肢體，我們看為不體面的，越發給他加上體面；不俊美的，越發得著俊美。
24我們俊美的肢體，自然用不著裝飾；但神配搭這身子，把加倍的體面給那有缺欠的肢體，
25免得身上分門別類，總要肢體彼此相顧。
26若一個肢體受苦，所有的肢體就一同受苦；若一個肢體得榮耀，所有的肢體就一同快樂。
信息分享
保羅提醒我們，我們的身體有許多不同的部分，有些是外露的，有些是隱藏的。腳有本身的功能，眼也有本身的作用；只有當每一部分都發揮其作用，我們的身體才能按著神的設計來運作。
教會裡面同樣有各式各樣的人；我們若希望教會能按照神的心意來運作，就必須彼此合作，各展所能。
我們怎能成為基督身體中的一個肢體呢？當人接受耶穌基督的那一刻，聖靈就會以奇妙的方式，將人帶進基督的身體；我們只能用「聖靈的洗」來形容這行動。聖靈將我們放進基督的身體，使我們與作頭的基督，以及其他肢體連結起來。
結果之一，是猶太人和外邦人得以連結起來；此外，無論是作僕人或作主人的，都在基督裡合而為一。我們成為肢體之後，就需要學習如何與基督裡的弟兄姊妹相處及彼此相愛。
地方教會出現的其中一個可悲情況，就是在基督裡的弟兄姊妹互不理睬。是的，每個人都各有不同，這種分歧可能永遠都不會改變；然而，它卻絕不可以成為分裂的理由，以致我們不瞅不睬。我們必須緊記基督的教導：「你們若彼此相愛，眾人就知道你們是我的門徒了。」但願我們在世人面前活出合一的見證。
反思：
我們若要成為基督身體的一部分，就必須與其他信徒互為肢體。
THE BODY OF CHRIST
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Message
Paul reminds us that there are many different parts of our physical bodies. Some are always seen and some are never seen. The foot does one thing, the eye does something else, the work of each part is, necessary if our bodies are to function as God designed.
In the same way there are many different people in the Church but we all need each other if we are to do what God wants the Church to do. '
How do we become a member of the body of Christ? Whenever a soul comes to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit takes that person and puts him into the body of Christ in a deep wonderful way. The only word which can describe that action is 'baptism'. The Holy Spirit puts us right into the body of Christ and unites us with Christ the head and with all our fellow members.
One result is the wonderful unity a Jew and a Gentile, a slave or a master all become one in Christ. We need to learn more about knowing and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
One of the most tragic situations that can happen in a local church is when brothers and sisters in Christ will not I speak to each other. We are all different. We will always have differences, but these should never cause such a deep division that we will not speak to each other. Remember the words of Christ, 'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another'. Let the world see that we are united in Christ in the oneness of his body, the true Church.
A THOUGHT:
If we are the body of Christ, then we must be his hands and feet.