Written by Paul J Bucknell on November, 04, 2021

1 Corinthians 12:7 One Body, Many Members

Significant Biblical instruction and guidance for Christian small groups

Body Life - 1 Corinthians 12:4-12

“⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. ¹² For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are 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 we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (I Corinthians 12:4-14 NASB).

God has made a significant investment in the church, His people. He not only sent His Son, Jesus, to die for them but also to redeem and empower them to participate in His work. 1 Corinthians 12:7 gives us special insight into what has been called body life. 

Although many churches seem clueless about 1 Corinthians 12’s truths, the Lord has revealed all the essential tools we need to fulfill His mission through His Word.

II want to explain how these special functions of the church body highlight the need for small or cell groups within the church. Many believers still perceive the church primarily through its large worship service format, essentially disconnecting themselves from God’s unique and powerful interworkings. I suggest that the church should start with small groups; the larger cathedral structure only developed later, which completely disregards the relevance of these verses in 1 Corinthians 12.

When we talk about cell groups, it might sound like a secret weapon, but it's more like a lost weapon. The scriptures clearly describe the kind of fellowship we should have with other Christians. We are called to be interconnected. Any time we hear verses about loving and caring for one another, something deep inside us reminds us this is what we need to do. Fellowship around the Lord should define who we are. The more we recognize and apply these principles, the stronger and better the church becomes.

I will highlight three principles from 1 Corinthians 12:7. Later, we will explore how cell groups naturally serve as a setting for these principles to develop.

1. God’s Investment in Us 

- Each member of Christ’s body is important. 

The Scriptures state, “But to each one” (1 Cor 12:7). No one is excluded! Not male, not female. Not the busy, nor the sick. Not old, not young. We contribute differently—some more publicly, while others are more private—but that does not mean God intends to exclude anyone from His tremendous work in the lives of His people, the genuine church of God. God’s purpose for sending Christ to heaven is so that we all could minister in the power of His Spirit.

Application

One of the enemy's intimidating tactics is to tell us that we are worthless and incapable of doing anythingtend to accept this accusation because we don’t clearly understand the gospel. The gospel indeed tells us that we are sinners and unworthy of grace. However, God cleanses us from our sin and works in each of us because we are an essential part of His kingdom. How many of you who have ten fingers are willing to give up one? How many who have a nice car are willing to give up an inexpensive item like the steering wheel or brake pedal? Each is important. We are not naturally special but supernaturally very significant. God has made a significant investment in each of our lives. And like any businessman, he does not want to waste His investment.

Positively, we need to take part because we are part of His body. You will need to prioritize a 2-3 hour period out of your weekly schedule to meet with others. You will become a created community. The others might not live near you, but they can travel and form a community. Without your commitment, you will have difficulty valuing each person and his God-given gifts.

2. The Holy Spirit’s Activity through Us

- Each has the manifestation of the Spirit

The scriptures state, “Each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Paul is referring to every genuine Christian. If you do not have the Spirit of God, then you are not His. Every Christian is saved and influenced by the work of the Spirit of God in their life. While this is straightforward on a theological level, it becomes more complicated when applying it to our lives. What if we don’t see the Spirit of God working? Am I still a Christian? How are we supposed to see the Spirit of God manifested? 

Paul addresses these questions partly in the following verses by listing many spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is given to each Christian to carry out God’s work through the power of His Spirit. It is entirely up to the Lord who receives what and for what reason. 

• How many different aspects of ministry are mentioned? 
• Which is operating in your church? 

Beyond these gifts, various individuals possess a wide range of other qualities, experiences, and insights.

Can these spiritual gifts operate during personal worship? Not perfectly. They are meant to build up others. Will they work in large corporate worship? Not easily. We might have a few individuals with particular gifts leading; this is good and needed, but are we not forgetting the primary truth? All of us possess these various gifts. We need to gather in smaller groups where we allow the Spirit of God to work through everyone’s lives to benefit others. 

God desires to use us in new ways, perhaps unfamiliar to ourselves. It's not that He hasn’t equipped us, but we haven’t entered into this special small group situation. We need to learn how the Spirit of God wants to work through each of us. Each cell group will have a leader and an assistant leader, but in reality, we will all be ministering to one another. It is fascinating to discover how He has equipped us to serve one another, bringing glory to God. 

3. The Christian’s Obligation toward Others

- Each should serve for the common good.

Paul clearly states the purpose for which we are designed, “given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). We are gifted, created, and blessed for the benefit of others. Sin is rooted in self-orientation, leading to the results of the ‘self-care’ gospel. Our generation claims that God has negated sin and made us neutral, but that is not the plan. 

God’s plan is for us to do His works. When we observe Christ’s love shown toward others, we see that He took the anointing of the Spirit of God and ministered to others. Jesus gave what He received from God. 

We are also called to imitate what Jesus has done. We should not worry about having all the gifts, wisdom, or resources needed to meet others' needs. Recognizing that no single person possesses all the gifts like Christ helps us better appreciate the whole and find what we need. That is why we are called the body of Christ. We perform Christlike functions through His Spirit. Our faith is in His ability to heal and strengthen those who need help.

If we become proud, show off, or get competitive, we will fail. We need to work alongside each person, valuing them instead of opposing them or carrying an attitude of “I can handle it.”

Application

Be committed to love. We must go beyond our selfish and narrow desires to be fed. We want the Spirit of God to communicate His purpose and power to us so we can give to others. The Spirit of God equips you to serve. We reach beyond our own needs and families. Jesus summed this up with the broad statement, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” 

When we understand rightly what it means that God is in our midst, we see that true worship calls us to focus on the needs of others. True worship happens when I live my life open to God’s love so that His love can flow through me, emphasizing that He is the head and we are the body. The head thinks and decides, but the body carries out the tasks.

If we do things not according to His will, then His work becomes frustrating. I wonder if you can think of times He wanted to work through you, but you neglected to do so?

Implications of 1 Corinthians 12

Because we have not consistently gathered with the specific purpose of allowing the Spirit of God to work through us for the benefit of others, we have not experienced true koinonia fellowship. Bible studies help share some of these aspects, but we must go beyond just intellectual knowledge—we need to actively minister to one another. When the church develops cell groups as part of the congregation, these truths function like vital arteries. Each must be involved in His great work.

We understand that initially, there might be some artificial barriers to overcome or a lot of questions to answer.

• I might not know everyone in the group. How can I share with them? You will learn because you care. Friendship isn’t instant, but it is real. Remember, you are, after all, brothers and sisters. 
• I might not know how to do it. Not knowing how to love? Yes, that’s possible. Many of us grew up in families where we were served but didn’t serve. There may be many practical parts of love we need to learn. Let’s learn together. I believe the Spirit of God is always willing to help us. 
• I’m scared to share about my real life; I’m quite sensitive, but that’s true for most of us. We all move carefully in relationships. For example, if you weren’t encouraged to talk and share in your family, you probably find it hard to share with God and others, or even be honest with yourself. But this is the time to grow. If we have areas where we’re weak, we don’t want to be overwhelmed by them. We don’t want our children to inherit them. We want to be known as Jesus’ friends. 
• I am not perfect. It's good that you can admit it. None of us are! The problem lies with those who refuse to admit it. We cannot grow easily until we recognize the areas where we need improvement. Forgiveness and forbearance come into play when addressing our weaknesses.
• I am concerned you are turning cell groups into a legalistic practice. It could become like a Sunday worship service. Your concern is valid, but this can apply to any good thing. Ultimately, it is just a structure meant to serve us. It serves us, not the other way around. Our willingness to use these structures is driven by a few factors I’ve already mentioned: God desires us to be deeply connected and related to certain other Christians. We need to meet regularly to develop this kind of intentional community. Genuine relationships will develop over time.

Check out the BFF NT Digital Library, which includes all our New Testament resources.

Thoughts on Revival

I believe deep down in my heart that a worldwide revival will once again spread across the globe. I sense that with each past great revival, God’s people have again grasped certain truths. We are not talking about new truths, but truths revived in our hearts. We have been kept from seeing God's great work because of a closed mind. It's like discovering electricity—complex, but easy to use. Why did it take humanity thousands of years to discover and harness its power? We needed a change in perspective. 

In this case, we need to rediscover the truth. The next revival might focus on every Christian becoming a full member of the body; each is a priest. When every Christian realizes that they are fully empowered fighting units for God’s glorious kingdom, the entire church will come alive. She will set aside her fascination with toys for the real things. She will no longer be content with a 26-inch viewing area but will want to enter the heavenlies. When we see that our prayers truly impact others’ lives, we will stand as unashamed warriors for God. While still hearing stories about David, Daniel, and Joseph, we will begin to hear testimonies of God’s work in people like you and me.