Everybody is somebody in the Body

In Romans 12:4-5 (KJV) we find the Verse of the Day for August 26, 2014:

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

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

A previous blog entry, God’s Doing A New Thing: Watch Him Work and Work with Him (Philippians 2:13), speaks of the “God’s new thing: The Church of the New Millennium:

I Corinthians 15:44 speaks of the correspondence between a natural body and a spiritual body:

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Ephesians chapters 2 and 3 speak of the “mystery of the one body—the Church—the Body of Christ.” In discussing this concept, we find echoes of the sentiments expressed in the Verse of the Day, as I mention that “Everybody is somebody in the Body.” I also share a well-known selection that is related to the topic: “The Parable of 4 People—The Parable of Responsibility.” This selection by an unknown author is a condensed version of Charles Osgood’s “A Poem About Responsibility.”

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody were members of a “Church.”

 There was an important job to do, and Everybody was asked to do it.

 Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

 Anybody would have done it, but Nobody did it.

 Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.

 Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Anybody wouldn’t do it.

 It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did, what Anybody could have done.

In closing out our discussion of the “one body,” I thought of the lyrics to the Children’s Ministry song:

“We are all members of the Body of Christ”

Sons of God by birthright.

We are chosen gems, polished by God and His Word.

We are beautiful in God’s sight.

Ephesians 4:16 also speaks of the Church as the Body of Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Kevin Conner in his book The Church in the New Testament brings out these points:

• Every member of the church is part of God’s family.

• Members are a building with Christ being the chief cornerstone.

• Each member is described as the body, all having special parts and functions.

• God has given each Christian a special gift. This means each person has talents and abilities that can be used to help other believers and advance the Kingdom of God.

Conner summarizes the discussion by pointing out the significance of Romans 12:4-5, as revealed in the New Living Translation:

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,

so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Another song also tells us:

Remember we are all members of the Body;

Each one has a special place.

We try to build up everybody

For we are members of one another,

   saved by grace.

John Michael Talbot sings of “One Bread, One Body”: