Written by Tony Chan (Senior Communications Officer)
Scriptures reading:
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，」它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，」它也不能因此就不屬乎身子。17若全身是眼，從哪裏聽聲呢？若全身是耳，從哪裏聞味呢？18但如今，上帝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，身子在哪裏呢？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，越發給它加上體面；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；但上帝配搭這身子，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。
12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For 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. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being 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 stop being 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 placed 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 put the body together, giving 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.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul emphasises the diverse nature of the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit, affirming the value of believers with different gifts by using the metaphor of the body. Just as a body needs all its parts to function properly, the Christian community also needs the participation of believers with versatile gifts to accomplish the kingdom of the Lord.
In the metaphor, Paul utilises four pairs of body parts: ‘the hand and the foot’, ‘the eye and the ear’, ‘the eye and the hand’, and ‘the head and the feet’ and assigns them dialogues. In the first two pairs, the foot and the ear compare themselves to what appears ‘more important’ – the hand and the eye, expressing their belief that they are inferior and do not belong to the body. And in the latter two pairs, the eye and the head, considering themselves ‘more significant’, dismiss those who appear ‘subordinates’ by saying: ‘I don’t need you.’
Paul vividly depicts two attitudes often observed within a community: arrogance and self-deprecation. Individuals with lesser gifts tend to compare themselves to others, leading to doubt about and denial of their own value. Meanwhile, those with greater gifts often exhibit tendencies to despise and dismiss others.
And what the Lord desires is ‘there are many parts, but one body’ (v.20). As a part of a community, no one could leave or seek to exclude one another based on the abundance or scarcity of gifts. The scriptures further instruct those with greater gifts: ‘the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty … giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.’ (v.23-25)
While this passage’s teachings are directed at a community of believers, we extend the spirit of caring for one another beyond the boundaries of faith. Ultimately, in the eyes of the Lord, everyone is cherished as His precious child.
Residing in a prosperous city with ample resources, we parallel the analogy of the eye and the head in Paul’s metaphor. Being body parts seemingly more capable, we must embrace the lesson of humility. Aside from refraining from dismissing others, a humble person also appreciates the importance of prioritising others’ needs over their own. Shifting our focus away from ourselves enables us to notice others – many ‘unpresentable’ impoverished individuals who are, metaphorically, parts of our collective body. While they may become self-deprecating as poverty deprives them of dignity, they remain integral parts of the unified body.
All body parts in a body share the same empathy: when the poor endure hardship, we suffer; when they receive assistance, we rejoice. The beauty of the term ‘body parts’ in Christian communities lies in our unity as one body, without division, and having equal concern for each other. May all believers genuinely care for the impoverished body parts.
