You have a very confused theology when it comes to ecclesiology. Realize first of all that this epistle was writtten to the church at Corinth and was written to correct their problems (1Cor.7:1).Originally posted by Singer:
First, I don't agree that your analysis of 1Cor 12 is pertaining to tongues as the evil that separates believers. Chapter 12 rather teaches that all the gifts and manifestations are given to every man to profit withal. It mentions one spirit, working that selfsame Spirit, one body, many members etc.
I can see how you would miss the whole point when you believe that all gifts and manifestations have ceased. If you are correct, then every
person that 1 Cor 12 appeals to and instructs is previous history. And that would mean that these terms do not apply to us today:
1. Same God which worketh all in all (vs 6)
2. To another faith (vs 9)
3. To another the gift of healing (vs 9)
4. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body (vs 13)
5. Have been all made to drink in to one Spirit (vs 13)
6. Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular (vs 27)
Please consider what you're promoting DHK. You're putting God out of commission in favor of your preferences not to believe that the gifts
and manifestations are still in force today.
Do you really mean to discount the we are the "Body of Christ" on the basis that Paul was only speaking to those present in that ancient church at Corinth?
Secondly, realize that these chapters (12, 13, and 14) are a discussion about spiritual gifts specifically. "I would not have you ignorant concerning spiritual gifts." I have given you a thorough explanation of the first three verses of chapter 12. From those three introductory verses you infer that you know my theology of the rest of the chapter. You are way off base! I explained to you three verses. That is all that we were discussing. But since you brought it up, I will go on.
In verses 4 to 11, Paul gives a list of the different gifts that were in operation in that day, that were given to that church. These were special supernatural gifts that we do not have today. Even the gift of faith was something that we do not quite understand, but was a supernatural spiritual gift given during the apostolic period when the Bible was not yet complete. They were supernatural gifts they we do not have today.
Verses 12 to 26 Paul compares the working of the local church at Corinth to the working of the human body. This is a beautiful illustration of the local church and thoroughly refutes any idea of a universal invisible "church," which some call the "body of Christ." Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember he is speaking to the Corinthians. How are they to understand what Paul is writing? Paul is writing in very simple language truths to be understood by all. He compares their church to a body. Many of them were carnal. Many vied for importance. Many of them wanted to be teachers, some of them wanting to usurp the very authority of Paul. So Paul writes to them and says:
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
--Not everyone could be a hand, or a head, or an arm. Someone had to be the little toe, the ankle, the heel, etc. The body needs all of its parts to function, and every part does have its own function; just as the local church has many members and every member has its own part or role to play. Not every one can be a deacon or a pastor. Someone has to be the janitor. Another takes care of the nursery. This is the illustration that Paul was making that is applicable today.
Then, not everyone had all gifts. That is important to note. Not everyone spoke in tongues. Only some did. Not everyone could heal; only some did. There were diversities of gifts. If only some people spoke in tongues why do Charismatics place such an importance on tongues today, to the degree that everyone should speak in tongues?
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
--Obviously this refers to the local church and not to any universal church. When one person in the church of Corinth suffered, all other members would suffer with that member. That only applies in a local church setting. When a believer suffers in Africa that does not affect the believers in my church; we don't even hear about it. We don't suffer with them, for we don't know about it.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
--The church is one body. There were many members, but one body. This is the church at Corinth, not a universal church. Every local church is one body and has many members. The word church means assembly. There is no such thing as a universal assembly except in heaven.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
--Again, speaking to the church at Corinth, this is what Paul said. He said you are "a" body of Christ. If you look in the Greek you will not find any definite article defining body of Christ. It was inserted by the translators for the sake of clarity and could have just as easily been translated "a."
Every Bible-believing church is "a" body of Christ, in the sense that Christ is the head of that church, just as Christ was the head of the church at Corinth, as well as being the head of the church at Ephesus. Check Acts 20:28. God shed his blood for the church at Ephesus--meaning every church that believes the Bible and operates on its basis.
BTW, consider that every epistle that is written is either written to a local church or to a pastor of a local church. There are 7 letters written to 7 pastors of 7 local churches in the Book of Revelation. The Apostle Paul went on three missionary journeys and in that time established over 100 local churches. Christ died for the church (assembly).
Given what you have written in other posts, you are clearly outside of the will of God if you are not a member of a good Bible-believing local church. In one day 3,000 were saved, baptized, and became members of the local church at Jerusalem.
DHK