A BODY IN CHRIST
Romans 12: 4-8 - For as we have many members in one body, but not all members have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and all members of one another . 6 So that, having different gifts, according to the grace that is given to us, if that of prophecy, use according to the measure of faith; 7 or if of service, in serving; or the one who teaches, in the teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in the exhortation; the one who distributes, with liberality; the one who presides, with request; He who shows mercy, with joy.
In order to have a better understanding of the message that God has for us, we will need to make a brief history review. The letter to the Romans was written by Paul, and was addressed to the Christians residing in the city of Rome. This is something important to note because Rome was the center of the empire, and it was a diverse ethnic city. In the first century AD, this city had a population of around one million people, in an area of less than ten square miles.
Within this large population, it is estimated that there were between 40,000 and 50,000 Jews. As we can deduce according to the number of the population, the city was predominantly inhabited by gentiles. This means that the Christian church in Rome was composed of both Jews and Gentiles. It is also important to know that Paul was writing to a church he had never visited, and that he was not focusing any specific problems on the church.
Paul wrote this epistle to reveal to them the doctrine of soteriology (derived from the Greek word "soter" which is defined as savior.) In other words to teach them the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ; to teach them how Jews and Gentiles were part of God's plan, and to exhort them to live just lives and in harmony. Keeping these brief details in mind let's continue now with our study today.
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The first thing we see here is that we are told: "... For as in one body we have many members, but not all members have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and all members of one another ... "As we can see, here Paul compares the Body of Christ, that is, the church, to the human body.
If we meditate on this only for a brief moment, we will all see that here Paul uses a tremendous example. As we all know, every part of our body has a special and necessary function. The heart pumps the blood, the blood supplies the organs with oxygen, and the lungs oxygenate the blood. What is the point that I am trying to make with all this? What I am telling you is that all the organs, and all the parts of the body have a total dependence on the others to function properly.
Although all parts of the body are different, they all have a purpose and need to work together to keep a person alive and healthy. We Christians form the Body of Christ, and we have to do the same. We have to work together if we want the Body of Christ to stay alive and healthy. And the way we can achieve this is through the use of the gifts that God has given us.
God has given gifts to all Christians so that we can build His church, and keep it alive and healthy. Just as all the parts and organs of the human body have a specific function, every believer has a specific function within the Body of Christ. But what happens is that a large portion of Christians ignore, or are unwilling to discover and use the gifts that God has given them. What is this about?
This is due in large part to the fact that a large portion of Christians think that gifts are something reserved for those who occupy a place within the congregation, but this is not true.
God has given gifts to all the members, and this is something that is very clear in 1 Peter 4:11 when we read: "... Each according to the gift he has received, minister it to others, as good stewards of the multiform grace of God ... "Tell the person you have by your side: you have gifts.