1 Corinthians 12:12

12 For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 12:12

For as the body is one
That is, an human body; for of this the apostle speaks, and takes a simile, and forms a comparison from, showing the union among saints, and their mutual participation of the various gifts of the Spirit; for an human body is but one body, and not more.

And hath many members;
as eyes, ears, hands, feet, &c].

And all the members of that one body being many are one body;
as numerous as they may be, they all belong to, and make up but one body; performing different offices, for which they are naturally fitted for the good of the whole:

so also to Christ;
not personal, but mystical; not the head alone, or the members by themselves, but head and members as constituting one body, the church. The church, in union with Christ, the head, is but one general assembly, and church of the firstborn written in heaven, though consisting of the various persons of God's elect, who are closely united one to another, and their head Christ; and therefore are denominated from him, and called by his name; see ( Romans 9:3 ) ( Jeremiah 33:16 ) .

1 Corinthians 12:12 In-Context

10 And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
11 But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.
12 For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.
13 For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but a number of parts.
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