12:12 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。
12:13 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。
12:14 身子原不是一個肢體，乃是許多肢體。
12:15 設若腳說：我不是手，所以不屬乎身子；它不能因此就不屬乎身子。
12:16 設若耳說：我不是眼，所以不屬乎身子；它也不能因此就不屬乎身子。
12:17 若全身是眼，從那裡聽聲呢？若全身是耳，從那裡聞味呢？
12:18 但如今，神隨自己的意思把肢體俱各安排在身上了。
12:19 若都是一個肢體，身子在那裡呢？
12:20 但如今肢體是多的，身子卻是一個。
12:21 眼不能對手說：我用不著你；頭也不能對腳說：我用不著你。
12:22 不但如此，身上肢體人以為軟弱的，更是不可少的。
12:23 身上肢體，我們看為不體面的，越發給它加上體面；不俊美的，越發得著俊美。
12:24 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，
12:25 免得身上分門別類，總要肢體彼此相顧。
12:26 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。
- 各個肢體的合一Unity in Division (v.12-13)
“而且肢體雖多、仍是一個身子..。“The body is a unit, though it is made up
of many parts.” (哥前1 Cor. 12:12a)
- 屬乎身子Belonging to the Body (v.14-20)
- 肢體彼此需要Needing Every Parts (v.21-23)
- 在合一與聖潔裡In Unity and in Purity (v.24-26)
“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． “while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But
God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to
the parts that lacked it.” (哥前1 Cor 12:24)
“In Unity and In Purity”
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26 12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If 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? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
Notes:
1) Unity in Division (v.12-13)
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts. (v.12a)
Before we consider unity of the body, we must first acknowledge the distinctiveness of each parts. Eyes have their own function, they are different from ears. Ears have their own function, they are different from hands. Hands have their own use, they are different from feet. So on and so on. Often in our rush to affirm unity, we forget to give praise to God who made each part so different from another. So it is in the universal Church, the body of Christ. Yes we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body, yet God in His infinite wisdom has given different Christian denominations distinctive witnesses to faith. The same principle can be used within a particular congregation. We have received distinctive gifts from God, and through interweaving of these gifts, we serve and give glory to God together.
2) Belonging to the Body (v.14-20)
If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 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 cease to be part of the body. (v.15-16)
This is an interesting metaphor because we are not accustomed to body parts having independent thoughts, and we are not accustomed to one part of the body wanting to be another. Body parts are connected through a central nervous system, and they are supposed to obey the command coming from the head. So this metaphor plays with our imagination by asking ‘what if…”. What if one of us becomes envious of another one of us in church? What if one of us becomes unhappy with their place in a congregation? Could we cease to be what God has intended us to be? The answer is no!
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. (v.18)
We don’t get to choose if we belong; we don’t get to choose how we belong. We simply belong to the body of Christ. For those who may not know their place in such a community, such a unity, don’t worry. In time, God will reveal to you what plan He has for you.
3) Needing Every Parts (v.21-23)
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!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable (v.21-22)
Once we affirm that ‘yes, I belong’ to the body of Christ, it becomes our care to say to others that ‘yes, you also belong’. Unity has no meaning if we cannot say to the weakest, the most despised parts of the body that ‘yes, not only you belong, we are proud to have you.’ That’s hard to do!
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. (v.23)
The indispensability of the weakest part is what makes a Christian community special. Not only each part is indispensable, we are called to treat the unpresentalbe part with ‘special modesty’. In Greek, it is literally translated as to ‘have greater propriety (or decorum, or beauty). It dose not convey the sense of hiding it. Rather we are to beatify it, to elevate it, and to treat it with special honour.
4) In Unity and in Purity (v.24-26)
while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it. (v.24)
The body of Christ is set apart by God for His special use. It is also known as ‘sanctification’, or being made ‘holy’. Often we think that the process of being made holy is to get rid of undesirable parts (in the body or in the community) so the rest would become pure. However, God has shown us a different way – that is to combine different parts. Such combination is done with a special purpose so that the presentable parts would give greater honour to the parts that usually lacked it. In this, we see God’s graciousness.
Praise to God who does not despise nor reject the weaker parts. Praise to God who in fact raises up the outcast and downtrodden. Praise to God whose holiness covers and overwhelms our impurity. Praise to God
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do differences in others give me joy or give me pain? How can I learn to appreciate that God made each of us differently?
2. If you have to use a body part to describe your place in the body of Christ, what would it be? And why?
3. To which member of the body of Christ around you do you need to say, “God wants you and we need you.”?
9/25 St-Andrew & St-Paul 為台灣88水災募款晚會之兩首歌
(謝謝TRC敬拜讚美小組付出）
--那雙看不見的雙手
10月2日(本週五) 晚上7:30青少年團契及大專團契聯合聚會，主題『創造萬物的上帝』由吳柏翰牧師帶領，歡迎邀請朋友參加。On Oct.2 7:30pm Junior and Youth, University three Fellowship will hold a combine service, topic: “Our Creator-God”, led by Rev. Paul Wu. All are welcome. 
Thanksgiving:
(1) A blessed Youth Worship Service/ Fundraising Evening: reassuring God's grace and wonders, reassuring the love in our worship team, and further developing the 默契 between Rev. Paul and us.
(2) An encouraging show-out at our first study group session this year! May all youths who wish to push themselves to study harder and to experience the love of gaining knowledge please join us!
(3) We almost forgot to thank 大哥, Michael Yen, and 趙媽媽(Clement's mother) explicitly for having been so supportive over this past summer's softball games, in preparing equipment, water, and food! Let's keep them at heart. We would've missed out on all the bloopers during softball if it wasn't for them :) (i.e. 阿德事件, for those who know