The Body of Christ, and Members in Particular

2009 © Elder Scott Ray S.B.G.

www.av-1611.com          E-Mail: elder@av-1611.com 


1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

Members = distinct part of a whole, or a body.

Particular = of, relating to, or being a single person or thing. Partial. Being one unit or element among others.


This is to the entire membership of the Body of Christ. This study is brief so as not to exhaust anyone. In the
realm of denominationalism,  traditions of men,  and religion, there is identity theft going on every day.  I do
not see the authorities  getting involved in this crime,  for it is not a crime you go to jail for,  nor is it subject
to the laws of the heathen.  Why?  It is spiritual identity theft.  People are mainly never  told that they are a
Saint,  if they have not believed in vain.  They never hear that they are forgiven of all of their sins.  They live
a life of bondage to the  beggerly elements of religion itself.  However, we as grace believers  must also take
care so as not  to lose our identity in the Body of Christ.  Bare in mind the two definitions below.  They help.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth
not in temples made with hands;

Now looking at verse 24, we see that our Apostle Paul is telling the Athenians that God made the whole world
and also everything that is in the earth.  Paul tells them that due to the fact that God is Lord over the heaven
and the earth, He does not need the temples or buildings of man.


Acts 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life,
and breath, and all things;


In verse 25 Paul continues from the concept that God does not need temples or buildings of man, and lets the
Athenians know that God is not worshipped with the hands of man.  With the word "neither",  Paul shows that
God does not need the physical  things that religion offers.  Paul goes on to show  some important things that
we the Body of Christ need to be mindful of.  (1) God does not need anything, He is God.  (2) It is God who is
the giver of all life everywhere, not man. (3) Because God is the giver of all life, He also is the giver of breath
to all who walk about in flesh.  (4) Lastly, Paul even says "and all things".  Everything that exists, or man has
made, exists because God is the giver, and He allows it to exist. No providential agruments here. Just stating
scriptural facts, and it came from our Apostle Paul.

Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For
weare also his offspring.

Here in verse 28 Paul is telling the Athenians that in correlation to verse 25, because of God who is Lord over
Heaven and Earth,  we have the things mentioned in 25, and that in God Himself "we live".  Paul is saying all
of this to lost people,  by the way. All life is in God. So here we have four points of what we have of God. We
really need to know this and remember it.  (1) In God we all are alive. This is saved and lost.  Life is a gift of
God. Why destroy it, seeing it all comes from God?  (2) We all have movement, or mobility because of God. I
wonder how many people are thankful to be able to walk or run.  How about just raising an arm,  or simply to
wiggle your fingers or toes? (3) We all have or existence because of God. No we do not! Really? These verses
here teach that we have all  these things  and they are because of God.  In the thoughts of having our being,
and that He is the giver of all things,  we should not walk as other Gentiles of the flesh,  but giving of thanks
to God in all things everyday.  He took the time to make everything, and let us exist, but we never have time
to simply say thank you from the heart.  And people wonder why America is in the financial state it is in now.
It does not take a Bible theologan to tell you what Paul is saying here. I know someone will try to  rebuke me
on this one, but remember, P aul said all of this, not someone else.
 
Okay,  there are those among us,  as Grace Believers,  who are excellent teachers.  Men whom  I respect and
hold in high regard. Thus, no names ever given as to who they are.  I do not play the name games.  No need
to bash or bring one down just because of a view or a belief.  We all have different thoughts about the Bible,
and when we are wrong, does God reach down from Heaven and slap us in the back of the head?  No He does
not. So we should not act that way, especially in the dispensation of the grace of God.

The verses there in Acts 17 prove that we are not just "the Body", but also we are individuals.

Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Many see Romans 12:5 and then they say that God does not take care of us as individual members. And yet
Paul was  telling  the Athenians,  who were lost, that  God gave them their lives,  and their breath, and also
everything they had. Also Paul told them that because of God they lived, and moved around, or had mobility,
and had their existence. So, therefore, to say God does not care for you and me, as members of the Body of
Christ, I can not accept that. If he did not care, then why die to take all of our sins away from us?

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Here Paul  says that we  are "members in particular",  which has meaning when you  just take a  look at the
word "particular".

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Paul shows us here that we each shall be judged at the Judgement Seat of Christ. That we may each recieve
the rewards   according to the good or bad that was done in our individual bodies. Hhhummm! Am I a trouble
maker or what?
 
Okay, just tuck it away in the back of your mind, and when you  hear certain lessons taught about prayer and
about the Body of Christ, just think on these things. Just asthe denominationalists take away your identity of
being a Saint, do not loose your identity as being a Member in Particular.