12For just as(Y) the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,(Z) so it is with Christ. 13For(AA) in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body"”(AB) Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free"”and(AC) all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is,(AD) God arranged the members in the body, each one of them,(AE) as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts,[e] yet one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored,(AF) all rejoice together.
27Now(AG) you are the body of Christ and individually(AH) members of it. 28And(AI) God has appointed in the church first(AJ) apostles, second(AK) prophets, third teachers, then(AL) miracles, then(AM) gifts of healing,(AN) helping,(AO) administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But(AP) earnestly desire the higher gifts.
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The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
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The body spoken of here is the church . . .which is all true believers in Christ. I would'nt go so far as to say it means everybody who says "Lord Lord", but it is speaking of the redeemed.
We all have gifts, which to us may seem to be lesser or greater, but are all no less or more needed. One man may be a great speaker , while another may be a prayer warrior . . .one is obvious and the other un-noticed, both are needed by the body.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Those who are filled with the Spirtit and names are written in the book of life will work together in unity to glorify the kingdom. They will all agree on scripture by the spirit, they will know their calling and work in it proficiantly by the spirit. There will not be adenomination which is the spirit of division( a house divided against itself will not stand)
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Elm River Hunt Club
Wayne County Illinois
www.illinoisdeerhunters.com
What Do You Make Of THese Verses ? Hummmm, they are from God!
HuMMMM God's name is Paul ?
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The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
פרץ
29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But(AP) earnestly desire the higher gifts.
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
What I take from it is found in the next chapter seen above. The thing to seek after is not gifts of prophecy or tongues, but Charity. Thus I believe it is a mistake for folks to use tongues or propecy as a gauge of whether they are saved or not. I would think it makes more sense to look at the charity or love they exhibit as a reliable barometer of ones spritual condition. Especially when you consider it says not all have the gifts of tongues or healing etc.
The real meaning is the diversity of the body of Christ ,which is the true Church.
I see a lot mud slinging against other churches ,which might not be ours, we criticize them we insult them, we Judge them as not being saved.
It is our way or you are not saved, these verses seem to be saying, the church was made with different gifts and for different purposes, just like a body has many parts and many functions, each part needs to do what the body needs done, we cannot all be the same, otherwise we are a freak.
Imagine that ? if all the body was an ear, or a big nose ? how would you go somewhere to preach if you had not feet, how would you do charity if you had no hands, how would you preach if you had no mouth ?
Not all Churches are made to do all functions needed, think about it next time you want to Judge a believer from another denomination, you might find yourself judging your own body, Shalom
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The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
פרץ
Thats a good thought brother Alex. As long as a church holds to solid salvation principles we should not dwell so much on our differences so much as we do our unity in Christ.
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The thing to seek after is not gifts of prophecy or tongues, but Charity. Thus I believe it is a mistake for folks to use tongues or propecy as a gauge of whether they are saved or not. I would think it makes more sense to look at the charity or love they exhibit as a reliable barometer of ones spritual condition. Especially when you consider it says not all have the gifts of tongues or healing etc.
Every christian should be filled with God's love. I don't know to what extent we should be judging another christians spiritual condition . . .unless we have been shown by God how we may can become useful to exhort them to a closer walk.
There are some churches that unless they see and hear a person filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues then they view them as not saved. I personally believe that if we repent and are baptized in Jesus name then we will be filled with the Holy Ghost and speak in another tongue. I realize that some do not have a belief in this . . .thus a diversity, and I'm not of a mind that I think I can change anyone elses.
But your right, love is a critical aspect of a christians being for God is love. That is not to say however that we should shun the gifts. We all must have love but not all will have all the gifts. I do disagree that we shoul not seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit and I could expound more in depth searching the Scriptures, but for example :
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1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
It is desirable that a man should wish to be able to speak, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, in such a manner as to edify the church. I would'nt suppose that the power of speaking in tongues is useless, or is to be despised, or that it should'nt be done. It is a valuable gift and on proper occasions the talent should be exercised.
__________________ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
The real meaning is the diversity of the body of Christ ,which is the true Church.
I see a lot mud slinging against other churches ,which might not be ours, we criticize them we insult them, we Judge them as not being saved.
It is our way or you are not saved, these verses seem to be saying, the church was made with different gifts and for different purposes, just like a body has many parts and many functions, each part needs to do what the body needs done, we cannot all be the same, otherwise we are a freak.
Imagine that ? if all the body was an ear, or a big nose ? how would you go somewhere to preach if you had not feet, how would you do charity if you had no hands, how would you preach if you had no mouth ?
Not all Churches are made to do all functions needed, think about it next time you want to Judge a believer from another denomination, you might find yourself judging your own body, Shalom
I agree that the partial meaning is diversity in the body of Christ. It also is a warning against man running the church in the flesh and creating division among the body which is exactly what denomination is. We are baptized into one body and all made to drink one spirit. Denominationshave been createdfor as little aspeople notagreeing what theSunday school snack isgoing to be. I was a member of the Meth. Church for 8 years and now belong to a non denominational which is a denomination without a name. I do not sling mud at denomintion because there are many people seeking God in them. I do have a problem with man running many of them and not the spirit of God. How can the Church work together to Glorify God if they can agree and get along? Take a group of Pentecostals and put them at bake sale with a group of Catholics. You want to talk about seeing some true colors. As individuals in the body of Christ we all have individual duties to make the body properly function. If individuals cannot get along inside a church and make it functionhow willmultiple churches work together?If the pentecostals are the hand and the catholics are the arm the body is going to be out of wack. Jesus said a house divided against itself will not stand. This is why we are seeing a drastic drop in the # of Christians and seeing more people turning to self worship and bowing down to rocks. Paul warns against people teaching any other message than the one that was preached by him and the apostles. In the Spirit there is a standard meaning of the scripture and a way to work asthe body of Christ.
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Elm River Hunt Club
Wayne County Illinois
www.illinoisdeerhunters.com
Take a group of Pentecostals and put them at bake sale with a group of Catholics. You want to talk about seeing some true colors. LOL
Yes is true because its like taking a foot and an ear and making them see, they can't see because they are not the eyes .
And the Head which is the one that controls all of the movements is Christ, the foot cannot see nor the ear, but the brain receives all the signals of the different members,IMO
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The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
פרץ
What Do You Make Of THese Verses ?
