Building Christian Relationships (Message 6) - How to Have Unity in the Church

This church camp, we will study how to BUILD CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS. There are 4 conditions we need if we are going to BUILD CHRISTIAN RELATIONS.


[This is the 6th message in the Theme but the 1st  about the third condition]

Building Christian Relationships

1. A Portrait of Love (Part 1) 
2. A Portrait of Love (Part 2) 
3. A Portrait of Love (Part 3) 
4. That Little Piece of Flesh That Dwells Between Our Jaws (Part 1) 
5. That Little Piece of Flesh That Dwells Between Our Jaws (Part 2) 
6. How to Have Unity in the Church 
7. How a Christian Brother Who Sins Against Us is to be Treated 

How to have Unity in the Church (1 Cor 12:12-26)
by Dr William Harding (Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Practical Biblical Theology, Biblical Theological Seminar)

1 Cor 12:12-26

¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
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?
¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body?
²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body.
²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Christ also has a body made up of different members with different spiritual gifts. The body is made up of different people, regardless of race, baptized by the Spirit into the body. Every one of them has partaken of the Holy Spirit and He dwells in each one. Paul reiterates this. (v12-14)

4 things the Apostle Paul says we must do to maintain unity in the church.

We must be content with our own spiritual gift (v15 - 17)
Do not complain if you do not have a particular gift. Be contented with the gift you have, knowing that despite what we have, we remain part of the body.

Guard against jealousy!

Therefore the very existence of the body depends on the different members coming together in unity.


God determines our position and spiritual gift in the church (v18)

Setting the members (spiritual gift) is both about determining its position and enabling it.
E.g. If God determines that a believer is to be a helper, He will also give the gift of help to him.

Rejecting a position or gift, is resisting the will of God because He alone decides who gets what.

If every believer were to accept God's gifting, there would be unity in the church.

We must recognize our dependence on one another (v21)

"My deficiency is made up by your ability"

If every member is necessary, then even those who seem disinterested, or even detrimental, are necessary too. No one ought to be cut off. They may serve a purpose that God intended.


We must care for one another, just as we care for ourselves. (v22-24, key v25)

There may be some people in the church that don't have attractive gifts but God adjusts to give more honor to them so that the member can give more care to one another.

People serving in the nursery and pastors; both ought to receive the same care.

The consequence of this v26 - that if that one suffers, all suffers, one is honored, all rejoices. This is what ought to be done.