Building Up The Body

What does it truly mean to be part of Christ's body, the church? This exploration of 1 Corinthians 12-13 challenges us to reconsider our understanding of spiritual gifts and our place within God's eternal building project. We discover that the church is not just another organization—it's the only institution on earth that the Lord has promised to build and preserve for eternity. While empires rise and fall, while nations come and go, the church remains as God's primary concern in this world. The Corinthian believers struggled with pride over certain spiritual gifts, particularly tongues, elevating flashy manifestations while neglecting the essential gifts of service, administration, and generosity. But here's the transformative truth: whether we teach children, preach from the pulpit, clean the facilities, or organize behind the scenes, it's all the same Spirit at work. There's no hierarchy of value in God's economy. The body needs every member—the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you.' When we grasp this reality, we begin to see ourselves first and foremost as Christians, as members of an eternal body, rather than identifying primarily with temporary earthly affiliations. And ultimately, all our gifts mean nothing without love—patient, kind, humble love that seeks the good of others. We may see dimly now, but one day we'll understand face-to-face that the greatest among us were those who loved most authentically, often in ways unseen and uncelebrated.