For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  (14) For in fact the body is not one member but many.  (15) If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?  (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?  If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?  (18) But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.  (19) And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  (20) But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.  (21) And the 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.”  (22) No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.  (23) And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, (24) But our presentable parts have no need.  But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, (25) that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.  (26)  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (27) Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul occasioned by considerable dissension and false interpretation of the gospel. Corinth was a pagan society – chaotic, immoral, prideful and divided by cults or cliques of personalities with a caste system. The culture there glorified man and sin.  They did not believe that faithful men were equal in the eyes of God and this was especially evident in the matter of spiritual gifts. They falsely claimed spiritual gifts they did not in fact possess – they wanted to be “superior” – to possess the showy gifts and there was no harmony in the church there. They didn’t use the gifts they actually had.  Just as there has to be distinction of the body parts – they can’t do all the same thing –  diversity in the body is not accidental and is the essence of the body and Paul shows that diversity in the church is essential and divine

Paul is trying to teach the Corinthians not to seek spiritual gifts but to accept and rejoice in the design of God and to minister accordingly. They were not to feel inadequate or conversely, proud. To this point, Paul uses the analogy of the body/church just the way it is; each body is an organism of many parts and complete and healthy when all those parts function together – each part is unique but dependent.

The church is not an organization but an organism. It is composed of one and many; unity from diversity like the body. The church is born of the Spirit and united by that one Spirit there are no outsiders – no degrees of importance of significance. There has to be distinction in our gifts as we can’t all do the same thing. For the whole the church needs all the necessary functioning parts.  Seeking gifts we don’t have results in chaos and harm. Our sovereign creator God designed us purposefully – each unique snowflake Christian. This divine appointment is the will and pleasure of God.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  (5) There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  (6) And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  (8) for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, (10) to another the workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues.  (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 

Corinthians 1 was written by the apostle Paul.  The gospel in Corinth was corrupted by jealousies, religious hysteria and emotional response.  The Christians there were influenced  by what felt good and were motivated by pride. Some of the gifts of the Spirit were considered more prized than others  and the Corinthians were driven by excessive individualism, cult experience and pride so in our verses today Paul provides correction with information on the proper use of spiritual gifts.

The Spirit is the source of a Christian’s gifts and there is no spiritual elite. In faith we are all equal in Gods eyes but have different ministries which are to be edifying to the whole of the church. There is a diversity of gifts and operations but the same God.    We make each other strong with our different ministries and the same God is working in each of us. And remember that these gifts are not earned but are gifts by grace energized by the Holy Spirit.

Christians believe in one God who manifests Himself in three different persons.  The Spirit transforms and regenerates men/women at the moment of faith in Christ and they are sealed  as chosen of God by the Spirit. Imagine that!!!!  The indwelling Spirit frees us up in Christ. We are free from the law, free from having to please God by self effort, free from the  works causing righteousness system that restricts us; the faithful are free from sin and flesh and Satan. The Spirit empowers us to be holy people set apart by God. We are to minister according to our spiritual gifts – we are stewards of these unique to us GIFTS. We are Christian snowflakes.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lists, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.  (3:4) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The letter to Titus was written by the apostle Paul. Titus was a companion of Paul in his ministry ( thus Titus was well aware of the Judaizers or legalizers trying to corrupt the gospel)  and at the time of this pastoral letter Titus was evangelizing on the island of Crete.  A Cretan was considered a liar, glutton and evil so Paul was emphasizing the necessity for holy and godly living which would be a huge contrast to the pagan lifestyle of Cretans – true Christian behavior was/is a living testament to the gospel and today’s verses were meant to prepare the Christians on Crete.

In this world life is measured on a merit system.  Christianity however is the only religion that IS NOT merit based –  With the exception of Catholicism which still teaches Jesus AND;  and good works, the existence of purgatory etc.  In the Christian belief, man at the moment of faith in Christ Jesus becomes transformed.  Before faith man was spiritually dead but in Christ men received God and the free gift of grace – unearned by good works – and eternal life.  The gospel changed human hearts and in our verses today, Paul is saying godly living might be the only gospel some people ever hear.

Man can never earn salvation by himself – salvation is always of the Lord

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (3) how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, (4) by which, when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), (5) which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets; (6) that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel. 

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul, who was in Rome in chains at the time of writing for preaching the gospel.  Paul considered himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus; not a prisoner of the Jews or of Rome. This perspective changed his  attitude and allowed Paul to be content in all situations. As a steward of Gods message Paul shows the faithful how to rejoice in everything.

There are some permanent sacred secrets but history shows that God revealed His mysteries to the prophets and special people. God picks His vessel – Paul in this case – And makes that vessel what He wants it to be through grace. One of the secrets Paul revealed was that the church of Christ was to be of Jews and Gentiles. The Old Testament said that Gentiles would be saved but the Jews never dreamt that they would be one and equal before God, with no difference and no distinction. The Jews didn’t understand incarnation, the indwelling Spirit Or unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church. They especially didn’t understand that salvation is only possible in Christ.

So, our verses today tell the faithful that in our position as believers in Christ we are one with all the other believers.  The gospel is such good news I can’t understand why anyone or any group would want to pervert its message.