I Corinthians 12:12-31

For the sake of further discussion, here is the passage that we went through last week.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (From the English Standard Version)

One thing I wanted to bring up in Sunday School, but didn’t have the time to, was the assumption that it seems Paul makes in this passage. In reading it, there seems to be a clear message that every believer is supposed have a spiritual gift or role in the Church. However, I have known believers (and have been guilty of this myself) who had no desire to be a “body part” or have any kind of service. What do we do when we encounter this in others, or see it in ourselves? Now I am not talking about giving all of our available time to the church or it’s activities, but more in the sense of seeking what spiritual gift(s) the Holy Spirit has for us (12:31, 14:1) that can be used when we come together. It often seems like in many of today’s congregations there are a lot of people who just want to be an unseen member. Does anyone have any opinions about this?