The One and the Many (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
/Baptism reminds us that we belong in the one body of our Savior, so love and care for one another.
ONE BODY AND MANY MEMBERS (12:12-14)
a. One Body (12:12-14; cf. Ephesians 5:23)
b. One Baptism (12:13; cf. Revelation 5:9-10; Romans 9:4-5; 1 Corinthians 11:22)UNHEALTHY MEMBERS (12:15-21)
a. Despair (12:15-17)
b. Arrogance (12:21)
c. God’s Arrangement (12:17-20; cf. Romans 12:3-8)HEALTHY BODY (12:22-26)
a. Honoring the Weak (12:22-25)
b. Caring for One Another (12:26; cf. Ephesians 5:29-30; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Ezekiel 16:8-9)
c. Ingrafting a Member
d. Christ’s Broken Body (Luke 22:19-20
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
Monday—Why is the world so divided? What metaphor does Paul use to talk about our essential unity as Christ followers? Discuss what sort of things tend to divided the body of believers.
Tuesday—According to Paul, what is the reason for our unity? What does it mean to be baptized into one body? Discuss what baptism says about our differences. Do our differences disappear?
Wednesday—What happens when we do not accept one another’s differences? What causes us to despair when we compare ourselves with other members? What causes us to be arrogant?
Thursday—Why do you think “God arranged the members in the body” is good news as we relate and live with our differences? Who should be most honored in the body? How does this reflect who Jesus is to the world?
Friday—What does it look like to care for others in the body? Is it possible to love God and not his body?