基督的身体
哥林多前书十二章12至26节
12就如身子是一个，却有许多肢体；而且肢体虽多，仍是一个身子；基督也是这样。
13我们不拘是犹太人，是希腊人，是为奴的，是自主的，都从一位圣灵受洗，成了一个身体，饮于一位圣灵。
14身子原不是一个肢体，乃是许多肢体。
15设若脚说：我不是手，所以不属乎身子；他不能因此就不属乎身子。
16设若耳说：我不是眼，所以不属乎身子；他也不能因此就不属乎身子。
17若全身是眼，从那里听声呢？若全身是耳，从那里闻味呢？
18但如今，神随自己的意思把肢体俱各安排在身上了。
19若都是一个肢体，身子在那里呢？
20但如今肢体是多的，身子却是一个。
21眼不能对手说：我用不着你；头也不能对脚说：我用不着你。
22不但如此，身上肢体人以为软弱的，更是不可少的。
23身上肢体，我们看为不体面的，越发给他加上体面；不俊美的，越发得着俊美。
24我们俊美的肢体，自然用不着装饰；但神配搭这身子，把加倍的体面给那有缺欠的肢体，
25免得身上分门别类，总要肢体彼此相顾。
26若一个肢体受苦，所有的肢体就一同受苦；若一个肢体得荣耀，所有的肢体就一同快乐。
信息分享
保罗提醒我们，我们的身体有许多不同的部分，有些是外露的，有些是隐藏的。脚有本身的功能，眼也有本身的作用；只有当每一部分都发挥其作用，我们的身体才能按着神的设计来运作。
教会里面同样有各式各样的人；我们若希望教会能按照神的心意来运作，就必须彼此合作，各展所能。
我们怎能成为基督身体中的一个肢体呢？当人接受耶稣基督的那一刻，圣灵就会以奇妙的方式，将人带进基督的身体；我们只能用「圣灵的洗」来形容这行动。圣灵将我们放进基督的身体，使我们与作头的基督，以及其他肢体连结起来。
结果之一，是犹太人和外邦人得以连结起来；此外，无论是作仆人或作主人的，都在基督里合而为一。我们成为肢体之后，就需要学习如何与基督里的弟兄姊妹相处及彼此相爱。
地方教会出现的其中一个可悲情况，就是在基督里的弟兄姊妹互不理睬。是的，每个人都各有不同，这种分歧可能永远都不会改变；然而，它却绝不可以成为分裂的理由，以致我们不瞅不睬。我们必须紧记基督的教导：「你们若彼此相爱，众人就知道你们是我的门徒了。」但愿我们在世人面前活出合一的见证。
反思：
我们若要成为基督身体的一部分，就必须与其他信徒互为肢体。
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.