Photo Credit

This topic has been mentioned before.

The Apostle Paul talked about the body of Christ.

I Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. 16 If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now they are many members, but one body. 21 The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; 24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, 25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

To bring this concept to life, here is a short video illustrating the point.  And this is only with the digestive system.  It is not talking about the skeletal system, muscular system, endocrine system, nervous system or other major systems of the body.

The point is, if it is important for every part to be in place, doing its specific job, we can extrapolate from that a bit of understanding on how important it is for each part of the body of Christ to be in its exact place.

For example, in one part of this video it mentions three enzymes.  What if only two are present, and not the third, what then?

Considering the body of Christ in relation to the principles of this video helps bring the realization of how important it is for each part of the body of Christ to be in its exact place, not trying to imitate another part of the body, but being where it needs to be in its specific support of the body.  And when that happens, the whole body is stronger and functions better.

In a sense, the natural human body has more sense and self-preservation than the body of Christ.  If injury occurs to the natural human body, white blood cells and other nutrients flow to help combat the injury.  The eyes may view the injury and send messages to the brain.   The brain may, though messages sent through the nervous system, may instruct the hands to wash the injured area with water to wash away germs.  The various parts of the body and various systems of the body work together for healing.

But in the body of Christ, due to the fallen nature of man, there arises warfare in the body.  If one part of the body is fallen or injured, often other members “pile on” and make healing more difficult.

The Apostle Paul said this.  The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”

Yet that seems to occur at times.

In a natural body, can a liver say it has no need of a heart?  Can the digestive tract say it has no need of a mouth?  Can the muscles say they have no need of the skin or bones?

The whole human body is fity joined together, interwoven into one functioning whole.

When one part of the body is healthy, it contributes to the health of the whole body.

The body of Christ similarly must not try to take down other parts of the body, but simply recognize that they are doing a different task, which, when successful, contributes to the body as a whole.

In a physical body, certain parts of the body will probably never have any interaction.  For example, a toe nail will likely never interact with a spleen.

But if a toe is stubbed, the whole body feels it.

Only certain parts of the body, for example, the blood cells that carry nutrients and oxygen, only certain parts of the body interact with more than localized parts of the body.  In some way, the whole body is connected, but in terms of functional interaction, some parts of the body work in a more localized way, such as the heart, or gall bladder.  The blood, on the other hand, flows throughout the whole body.

No part of the body is insignificant.  And when each part is doing what it should to the greatest of its capacity, the body as a whole is strong and can do mighty exploits.