The body is Christ's church, made up of many members and not one member alone, pictured by the human body with its different members joined as one harmonious whole. God Himself places and orders this diversity, giving one gift to one person and another to another as He chooses for the good of the whole under the same Spirit. No member is a complete whole by itself, for each is essential yet insufficient, and what one lacks is supplied by the experience and abilities of another. Christ is the Head and Center in whom all center and from whom they derive life, power, and direction, and members belong to and care for one another so that when one suffers all suffer and when one is honored all rejoice. No member is to dismiss another as unnecessary, belittle or envy another gift, cherish rivalry and party spirit, or break away to work on an independent line apart from God's appointed agencies and order. This one body holds many needed branches in proper proportion, with the ministry of the Word as the body leading under Christ and medical missionary work as its arm and right hand, joined inseparably and never separated into divided interests.
Verse Words and Setting
The body spoken of is Christ's church, made up of many members and not of one member alone. All belong to one body though they have different gifts and different parts to perform, and no member is the entire body or a complete whole by itself. Each member is essential to the completeness of the body as God has placed each one in it as He chooses, and none is to be dismissed as unnecessary. The members are united by one Spirit to work together under sanctified intelligence governing the whole, with no crowding, no judging, no measuring of one gift by another, and no saying to another because it does not act the same part, I have no need of thee. Their differences do not make any less a part of the body, for they depend on and care for one another in close and harmonious relationship, united in Christ across Jew and Gentile and bond and free, so that when one suffers all suffer and when one is honored all rejoice.
The human body from head to feet pictures the church, with head, eye, ear, arms, limbs and feet representing different roles and offices yet joined as one harmonious whole. Like a well-regulated machine working under the head, each member has its own office, place, appointed station and work according to ability, and every part is indispensable, to be respected, encouraged and sustained while speaking the truth in love, with no fitful, spasmodic movements. Usefulness is increased by harmonious energy and action of every member and by sympathy of every part with the whole, all centering in Christ as Head, moved by one Spirit, praying and working in love to draw people to Christ. This diversity is God's arrangement to meet varied organizations and minds, and each worker is to cultivate personal endowment without destroying another's will and identity by overgoverning.
The many-members-in-one-body truth stands against separating into factions and opposing groups. Gifts, though different, must never be used to separate believers, form separate parties under different heads, make one minister conscience for others, or foster contention and party spirit born of unsanctified narrow conceptions. As individual parts of a mighty whole bound by golden cords of love, no soul can be made independent of the rest but all are necessary to one another and to God, with the well-being of each the happiness of the whole under Christ the great Center training His subjects in meekness, lowliness, goodness, patience and love as channels of blessing. Therefore there is to be no party strife, no partition walls, no schism, not even a shade of strife, and it is opposed to God's order to separate from conference organization to display supposed independent efficiency, since evil thinking, evil speaking, discord, separation and strife let the enemy enter to rob families, churches and the work of reformation.
The 12th and 13th chapters of First Corinthians picture the relation members should sustain to one another and should be committed to memory, written in mind and heart, so that those brought together in church capacity will be united understandingly and intelligently. They are to be carefully studied together with Ephesians, because no one person with different mind, experience and ability is qualified to bear the burden alone, but God has joined members to counsel with and assist one another so deficiency in one is supplied by another, uniting weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ until strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified into oneness with one another and with Christ in God. The same body image describes the Bible as one complete body pervaded by one divine life, where every part is united to and dependent on the others for life. Each book has its special office and each portion its use and lesson, connected together into a complete whole adapted to the human being in every phase of life to educate the race, express God's thoughts and intentions, and make the human family complete in Christ. The chapter gives a formal declaration of how Christ's promise of the Comforter to lead into all truth would be fulfilled, that certain gifts of the Spirit have been placed in the church for its edification and instruction to the end of time, until Christ returns. Among them are prophecy, miracles and healing set in the church just as teachers, helps and leadership are set, illustrating differing members and gifts depending on one another and working together in harmony.
Diversity Ordered by God
God distributes different gifts and lines of service to different persons as He chooses, all for the good of the whole body and all to be carried on under the same Spirit. Some are appointed to serve in one line of work and others in other lines, including teaching others to fit them for service, and those called are to go cheerfully to their field following His leading. Recognizing this divine order guards against rivalry, pride, envy, and contempt of one another, and it strengthens unity and mutual love.
No member is a complete whole by itself, for the body is made of many members with different roles rather than one kind of member, and each member is essential to its completeness as placed by God. No one person is qualified to bear the burden alone or to act independently in every matter, and no worker can successfully carry out a series of meetings alone but must do a part alongside other capable workers. Those with different minds, experience, and abilities are joined together to counsel with and assist one another, so that deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another. Each person should therefore develop his own gifts without despising the gifts of others or envying their abilities, with different gifts joined in harmony.
This diversity is God's arrangement to meet the varied organizations, minds, ranks, classes, and needs in the world. The strength of one servant is not the strength of another, and different temperaments, qualities, and traits, such as gentleness, caution, and exactness alongside courage and energy, serve complementary roles and give access to people others could not reach. All talents, ranks, and circumstances are needed to make a complete whole, and no part of the work or kind of service should be belittled or excluded, but the different interests and sympathies are bound together in sharing light. Therefore no one is to overgovern others, force other minds to bend to his own ideas, mold judgment and character after himself, or destroy will and identity, but each is to be left free for God to convict the heart, call forth powers, and develop personal endowment and individual experience for a special work, with husband and wife united yet each more efficient in distinct labor.
Life requires unity in variety rather than uniformity, for as the human body has variety from eyes to feet with all members dependent upon one another to make a perfect whole, so believers are many different parts joined into one body. In all that variety there must be harmonious action in conformity to the laws governing the body, kept by an unseen conscious indivisible unity, and for believers this harmony comes as they drink in of the Spirit and are animated and united by His surpassing love under His controlling influence. Human beings are thus made necessary to one another and closely related like parts of a machine, dependent upon one great Center, which is unity in diversity, and no member can work successfully in independence but each is to work under God's supervision. Distinct characteristics contribute to the beauty of the whole like many stones each with its special light set in one breastplate to form one family under one Mind, so different styles and ways of viewing and expressing truth are appropriate without contradiction or self-exaltation, with each drawing from the same storehouse and retaining individuality while complementing one another. Those writing on the third angel's message are therefore to be allowed to write each with his own individuality, figures, and ways of presentation to interest and educate different minds, not speaking the very same things in the same words yet united to form one whole.
The perfection of the church depends not on each member being fashioned exactly alike, but on each one taking his proper place, standing in his lot, and doing his appointed work according to the ability given him. Its perfection depends on the proper functioning of its individual members, each doing the work appointed under Christ's leadership and in cooperation with brethren, with none independent of the others. Every person is given his own appointed post of duty in the great whole, whether in business lines, ministry of the Word, or various trades, and the first lesson after surrendering mind, heart, and soul is to find from the Master what that personal work is and then do it in connection with other laborers under God's supervision so the work moves forward soundly and healthfully. In a sinless family mutual love and loyal service unite every member as each serves in the position assigned by God, giving glory to Him as the Center of all, with devotion taking the whole being and investing every act with sacredness.
Even lowly, small, weak, or inexperienced members are important and vital, for a person need not be head or heart to serve effectively, but like hand or foot a lowly member's work is important. Even those who feel least among the saints and even the weakest believer who trusts belong to the body, connected through Christ with one another and with human and heavenly agents, gathered into one Christian family to strengthen and sustain one another and bless the world. No member lives only for personal interests, but each member's influence and service, however small, affects and is meant to strengthen the whole, so that misuse or weakening of one part reduces the usefulness of the whole. The worth of work depends not on its size but on love and motive, and each gift including the smallest is to be valued, encouraged, carefully preserved, and used in the Master's service. By living in humble dependence on God the weak believer can grow strong and share the privileges of a child of God, and faithful effort enlarges ability so that gifts diligently used will multiply, though different temperaments and abilities mean not everyone is suited to every task and lack of fitness for one task does not make a person faithless or unwilling.
Christ the Head and Mutual Care
Christ is the Head and Center in whom all members of the body center and from whom they derive life, power, and direction. The church is like the human body from head to feet, with different members having different offices yet all belonging to one body under Jesus Christ its acknowledged head. The members have different gifts given by the same Spirit, and this diversity is God's arrangement to meet varied organizations, minds, ranks, and classes in the world. Medical missionary work and the ministry are therefore to work hand in hand rather than be separated, so the whole work can be guided by Christ and carried forward together. No work or worker can stand apart as undenominational, but each must remain joined in heart and spirit with God's people in unity of faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of Christ.
Members depend on, belong to, and care for one another in a close and harmonious relationship, with differences never making any member less part of the body. God places the members as He chooses, and they are mutually joined and mutually dependent, so that when one member suffers all suffer with it and when one is honored all are honored, enlightened, and rejoice with him. This unity in Christ crosses distinctions such as Jew and Gentile and bond and free, and requires Christlikeness blending every virtue in harmonious proportion to present a symmetrical whole. Like an organ that cannot live by serving only itself, each member must share Christ's love with the rest, for refusing to impart that love leads to spiritual death. No member is sufficient to make the whole complete, for each can supply what another lacks, and together those with different God-given work and appropriate positions form a harmonious whole.
No member is to dismiss another as unnecessary or say to another because they do not act the same part, I have no need of thee. Among the members there is to be no crowding, no judging, no measuring of one gift by another, no belittling, and no treating any member as inferior, for many gifts are called for yet all are members of one body. Recognizing that all serve under the same Spirit guards against rivalry, pride, envy, and contempt, and strengthens unity and mutual love. When members come together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen their brethren and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made, revealing unceasing tenderness instead of standing afar off to criticize and condemn. Connection with Christ requires connection with His church, for the obligation of church relationship is close and sacred and loyalty to Christ demands faithful performance of church duties as training for service and effort for the world.
These bonds cannot be broken though they may be ignored, and each person has something to receive and something to impart, so accountability and responsibility remain even when the bonds are abused. No member can become detached and independent, for each has a proper place and part to fill according to ability, and separation from the body and reliance on one's own judgment lead to spiritual ruin. Members are complete only in Christ through a living connection, and their different roles do not divide them when they are united as God's people to work together for the good of others. A professed member who does not draw life from Christ is like a paralyzed limb with only brief, fitful movements and no lasting activity or growth, and a name on the church record without belonging to Jesus as the invisible Head is a fruitless branch taken away. When the church is spiritually sick it fails to send vitalizing influence to its work, and its moral darkness and spiritual death spread through the body until the disease is evident throughout. God is making the church His continued incarnation, with the divine cooperating with the human to reveal Christ and the cross to a world perishing in sin. With all its working forces the body must become one with the Head in unity of action, with ministers as undershepherds under Christ the divine Shepherd, with members as working agencies partaking of the divine nature, and with the Holy Spirit pervading the body under the law of cooperation by reciprocal influence and with no man exercising kingly power over the whole.
United Organized Cooperation
God's people are one body made of many members united together, and no one can disconnect from the agencies God has appointed to work on an independent line in supposed wisdom and still succeed, for such independence is a delusion of the enemy that will not prosper in the end even when a person flatters himself he is doing God's work. Each member has a measure of ability to use intelligently and effectively in the work suited to him while remaining united to the body in his respective capacity, likeminded with God, pure, holy and sincere, with no one shut up to himself living for himself. Separation from the body and reliance on one's own judgment lead to spiritual ruin and work against what God is building, calling instead for unity of purpose and action with humbled hearts built on the solid Rock. The church is a body God leads, teaches and guides, and its members are to stay united with it rather than act independently or reject its counsel.
The body of Christ is made of many members with different minds, experience and abilities, and no one person is qualified to bear the burden of the work alone or has enough wisdom to manage it without others. God has joined them together to counsel with and assist one another, blending mind with mind in counsel and in plans for carrying the work forward, so that the deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another. Each worker is to consider the relation he sustains to fellow workers, modestly respecting others' opinions as likely to be as correct as his own, seeking God's wisdom together and needing one another's abilities, counsel and caution. Believers should work in harmony even when they differ in judgment or plans, with humble, teachable spirits, uniting their weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ so that strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified and they become one with one another to be one with Christ in God.
Simple organization and church order are ordained for the unity and perfection of the church, with every part of the work connected to every other part by the golden links of heaven as an instrumentality standing next to heaven where the light of God's glory shines. The man who holds office stands as leader, adviser, counselor, helper in carrying burdens and leader in thanksgiving, but he is not appointed to order and command, control and rule his fellow laborers, for position does not give kingly authority and all are brethren under the meekness of Christ with the Lord over His heritage to lead His people. There are to be no kings in its midst, no man has the right to forbid another worker to go to a field or to withhold support if he goes, no branch of the work is to stand as a kingdom of itself, and no centralized kingly power is to be perpetuated, with the same principles governing General Conference, publishing and sanitarium work and no branch esteemed of vastly more importance than others. The law governing the body is cooperation by reciprocal influence with all influences bearing upon one another, sanctified members organizing into united plans where the divine cooperates with the human to reveal Christ and the cross to a world perishing in sin.
No one is to regard his own individual judgment as supreme and stand independent, neglecting or despising those God has appointed to bear responsibilities of leadership in advancing the truth. Those leaders are channels of light whom God has wrought through to build up and extend His work, the means He ordained for the help, encouragement and strength of His people, and God has a church on earth to which He has delegated power while He leads, teaches and guides that people so they may teach and lead and guide others. To pass them by and think light must come directly from God alone rejects God's provision and seeks independence like the fallen angels who though beautiful and glorious and dependent on God for happiness, light and intelligence fell through insubordination in wanting to become independent, and such a course separates from fellow believers by Satan's studied effort and puts the worker in grave peril of deception, overthrow, disaster and ruin of souls with Satan as leader. It is opposed to God's order to separate from conference organization to display supposed independent efficiency, for the sacred chain of dependence binding people together must not be treated as slavery, and the body's unity depends on keeping the connection that joins each person and work to the wider community, cherishing reciprocal dependence, building one another up in most holy faith and seeking the Holy Spirit, lest evil thinking, evil speaking, discord, separation and strife let the enemy enter to rob families of happiness and the church of usefulness. In this united body every human agency cooperates with the divine and is subordinate to the Holy Spirit, with members pressing together of one mind and one judgment, counseling together, letting God be leader and following His footsteps, unwilling to move in independent judgment, self-sufficiency and self-esteem or to depart from reproof and counsel into apostasy after finite judgments and plans that tear down what God builds and open the door to strife.
God has mysteriously linked all men together through Christ as one body of many members, giving to every man some special line of service different from another, so each worker must stay in his own assigned work and guard against leaving it to interfere with or take in hand the different work of a fellow laborer, for he would spoil it and no man has been given the work of interfering. Each member is to work in the part where he can serve most effectively while remaining united and cooperating with others, not separating to pursue an independent course or seeking greater responsibility while neglecting smaller duties, since God does not give all instruction to one mind but teaches different people so they can contribute what others have not considered and strengthen one another through open, loving counsel. No one person can do another's work or direct every worker's labor, and every feature becomes complete by occupying its proper place, with varied service joined in harmony and no single part treated as more important than all the rest.
The verse is to be studied and applied for the continuous humbling of individual self and for taking self critically in hand, beginning with denying self and taking up his own cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying his cross on another to carry. Among members of one body there is to be no crowding, no judging and no measuring of one gift by another, and no more reason for strife about who shall be greatest or for division and contention, but instead dealing sternly and bravely with self, examining with closest introspection peculiar temperament, weaknesses and perverse disposition so as not to dishonor God. When they come together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen their brethren instead of standing afar off to watch for opportunity to criticize and condemn, revealing unceasing tenderness, jealously guarding one another's interests even though mistakes are made, and placing no bars before any soul manifesting repentance toward God and faith in Christ but giving courage for the warfare against temptation. If one errs or disagreement arises it must be settled at once between those involved by prayer and converse instead of recrimination, that self-will and selfishness may die and heart be cemented to heart, for union is strength and variance is weakness and sin, and this united action in sacred duties strengthens the church and exhibits God's miracle-working power to the world, to angels and to men.
Medical Work and Ministry
God's cause is one body made up of many needed branches and lines of service that must be kept in proper proportion, balanced, and managed together in unity to advance the whole plan. No branch is to stand as a kingdom of itself under a centralized kingly power, no worker is to treat knowledge or ability as exclusively his own, and what is given is to be shared so each line benefits and the whole succeeds. The different works are to support one another rather than be drawn into a single center or channel, with each worker contributing in his God-given role what others lack so the work forms a harmonious whole.
Medical missionary work is the arm, the hand, and the right hand to the body, while the ministry of the Word belongs to the body and holds first place among human agencies to lead and direct under Christ the Head. The ministry calls minds to the Scriptures for the salvation of souls, and missionary work belongs within the gospel and must be shaped by it rather than treated as the all-important work. The head and body direct the hand and arm, each part needs the others, and the arm must not act independently or take the place of the whole body.
The two are to be joined inseparably and blended in perfect unity, with varied gifts used in humility without jealousy, party spirit, or friction. By the ministry of the Word the gospel is preached, and by medical missionary work the gospel is practiced, the two bound up together with neither to stand alone bound up in itself. This united work follows Christ, who joined preaching and healing in one work, and reveals God's salvation as workers labor unselfishly and unitedly to save sinners and bless humanity. Medical missionary work belongs inside the work of the gospel ministry, and no medical work is complete without the gospel ministry.
Medical work must not separate from the body, try to be all and in all, or absorb all strength and means, for doing so reverses God's order. Separation produces disorganized fragments that consume means but do not produce, makes the work unbalanced and disproportionate, belittles or ignores the ministry, and leaves many portions of the vineyard unworked. To disparage the ministry and carry medical work independently is to separate the arms from the body, leaving flying arms dispensing means without the direction of the head until the ministry has no standing room and men are placed where they will scoff at Bible truth. Labor for the degraded and fallen has its place but must not replace the other members, no one can ignore the ministry without ignoring God, and to hinder others from doing their appointed part displeases Him.
Neither part is to be belittled, ignored, or disparaged, for disregarding one part means disregarding the body. It is wrong for all the strength of the body to go into the right hand, and it is also wrong to have no interest in medical missionary work, for that treats the right hand disrespectfully. Honor given to the body must also be given to the helping hands, oneness of respect is to be shown to the arm with decided interest taken in it, and there is to be one treasury and one united interest rather than divided organizations.
In particular, the third angel's message is the body and medical missionary work is its right hand to open doors, break down prejudice, and prepare the way so present truth can go with power. A body without hands is useless and can do nothing, and a body that treats the right hand indifferently and refuses its aid is able to accomplish nothing. Health reform is the helping hand of the ministry, connected to the gospel ministry as truly as the arm is connected to the body, each giving completeness to the other. Publishing houses, sanitariums, and schools are sacred branches with different work yet able to help and strengthen one another through close cooperation with no walls of partition. The central work at Battle Creek is the heart of the body whose vigorous beats should be felt in all parts, so that if the heart is sickly and weak its inefficiency affects all branches, while sound healthy working power at the center with wise planning, wise generalship, and training of young men and persons of talent carries truth to the world through home and foreign missions.
All enterprises that come out are branches of the one body, with all medical missionary work as the arm joined to the whole and not the whole work itself. Workers in one part of the field can never stand as an independent whole, and conferences cannot establish sanitariums on an independent basis entirely separate from all other branches, for that experiment always fails without help from those of experience in both failure and success. God's Spirit must circulate through institutions like blood through the body, which requires true conversion of heart and mind and spirit in every worker, no half-way work, crucifixion of self, and the coming of Pentecost so laborers unite in repentance and Christ and heavenly angels cooperate with them in daily labor.
Personal Service and Character
The body is many members, and every member has a place to fill, a duty to perform, and work to do according to ability, with none left to remain inactive. Head, eye, ear, arms and limbs picture different roles, yet each part is indispensable and all belong to one great whole under divine control. The call is to pray and work, to serve in a particular place and carry responsibility, acting together in perfect unity as a living missionary agency for drawing people to Christ. This includes working for souls and serving in business, trades, ministry and missionary effort, with every new member adding strength to redemption and with steady effort enlarging ability to bear fruit. Gifts within the body live and work to encourage the fainting and to correct and reprove the erring, moving like well-adjusted machinery where blended hearts labor in concert though each stands distinct in its action.
Gifts are given for service to honor Christ, represent truth, benefit all people and help one another faithfully, not for the possessor's glory or human praise. Every mental and physical power is to be cultivated because all are essential to make a complete whole that represents divine wisdom, with the whole person trained and the mind cultivated until character is formed after the divine likeness. Faithful effort enlarges ability, gifts diligently used multiply, and even the smallest gift is to be valued, encouraged and carefully preserved and used in the Master's service. Misuse or weakening of one part reduces the usefulness of the whole, since each part however small influences all the rest. The members depend on and benefit from one another's varied abilities and graces, and even a weak or inexperienced member is vital and can be strengthened by others for greater usefulness.
No one is to destroy another's will and identity by overgoverning, forcing other minds to bend to his own ideas, or molding judgment and character after himself. Each person must be left free for God to convict the heart, call forth powers, and develop an individual experience and strength for a special work that would give access to a class others could not reach. No one person's ideas or methods should always control, no one is to be conscience for another or require one fixed method, and no one servant's strength or traits should be imposed on everyone else. Different minds, talents and ways of presenting truth are to cooperate and complement one another, with liberty of expression for each gift and unity in expression making a complete whole. The different members are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit rather than controlled by men, whether preaching, teaching, doing medical work, cultivating the soil or following a trade, looking to the Lord as companion, counselor, guide, helper and friend.
No worker's talent alone is sufficient to make the whole complete, for what is lacking in one is supplied by the special gift of another, and each is to be the complement of the others. Contact of mind with mind quickens thought and increases capability, so that when physicians and teachers unite in imparting knowledge the youth receive a symmetrical, well-balanced education for service. Those placed together are to take time to understand each other instead of standing apart to watch, criticize and judge, finding points of resemblance, accepting keener perceptions, giving due credit to ability, and blending together in union with the Holy Spirit. Those in advance in experience and knowledge are to give fellow laborers a chance to take hold, trusting them with responsibilities that will perfect them and bringing them up as far and as fast as possible. Those deficient in some lines are not to be ignored, criticized or made a subject of remark but helped, with experienced workers patiently teaching and supporting the less experienced and with no minister made an errand boy for another.
The beginning is continuous humbling of self, denying self and taking up the cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying it on another to carry. Joined together to counsel with and assist one another, members are to die to self and live to Christ, so that strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified and weakness is united to Christ's strength. When coming together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen, reveal unceasing tenderness, unite in service as genuine Christians true to faith and duty, and jealously guard one another's interests even when mistakes are made rather than standing apart in self-confidence. No member lives only for personal interests, for even those who feel least among the saints belong to the body and are connected through Christ with one another and with human and heavenly agents, with influence and service meant to strengthen the whole. Gifts guided by the Holy Spirit and joined in love, humility and harmonious service, without one person controlling the whole body, increase usefulness and influence for good and testify in love and harmony.
Bonds and obligations to others cannot be broken though they may be ignored, and neglecting God's purposes for these relationships harms character and can become a snare to others. Each has something to receive and something to impart, each person is needed for the welfare and happiness of others, and accountability remains even when the bonds are abused. No member can become detached and independent but has a proper place and part according to ability, serving as a channel through which divine love reaches others. A laborer must be subdued by grace and controlled by the Spirit, cherishing its graces and overcoming self-esteem, self-will, impulse, natural feelings and a hard, unsubdued, bitter, severe spirit, learning from brethren and submitting to them rather than rising in opposition over what does not meet his mind. When character deficiencies are not overcome and a minister is guided by feeling instead of disciplined principle, laboring and praying only when inclined, healthy action fails, those who depend on him suffer loss, and the cause languishes and is discouraged where his influence is felt most.
The body is Christ's church, made up of many members and not one member alone, pictured by the human body with its different members joined as one harmonious whole.
God Himself places and orders this diversity, giving one gift to one person and another to another as He chooses for the good of the whole under the same Spirit.
No member is a complete whole by itself, for each is essential yet insufficient, and what one lacks is supplied by the experience and abilities of another.
Christ is the Head and Center in whom all center and from whom they derive life, power, and direction, and members belong to and care for one another so that when one suffers all suffer and when one is honored all rejoice.
No member is to dismiss another as unnecessary, belittle or envy another gift, cherish rivalry and party spirit, or break away to work on an independent line apart from God's appointed agencies and order.
This one body holds many needed branches in proper proportion, with the ministry of the Word as the body leading under Christ and medical missionary work as its arm and right hand, joined inseparably and never separated into divided interests.
Verse Words and Setting
The body spoken of is Christ's church, made up of many members and not of one member alone. All belong to one body though they have different gifts and different parts to perform, and no member is the entire body or a complete whole by itself. Each member is essential to the completeness of the body as God has placed each one in it as He chooses, and none is to be dismissed as unnecessary. The members are united by one Spirit to work together under sanctified intelligence governing the whole, with no crowding, no judging, no measuring of one gift by another, and no saying to another because it does not act the same part, I have no need of thee. Their differences do not make any less a part of the body, for they depend on and care for one another in close and harmonious relationship, united in Christ across Jew and Gentile and bond and free, so that when one suffers all suffer and when one is honored all rejoice.
The human body from head to feet pictures the church, with head, eye, ear, arms, limbs and feet representing different roles and offices yet joined as one harmonious whole. Like a well-regulated machine working under the head, each member has its own office, place, appointed station and work according to ability, and every part is indispensable, to be respected, encouraged and sustained while speaking the truth in love, with no fitful, spasmodic movements. Usefulness is increased by harmonious energy and action of every member and by sympathy of every part with the whole, all centering in Christ as Head, moved by one Spirit, praying and working in love to draw people to Christ. This diversity is God's arrangement to meet varied organizations and minds, and each worker is to cultivate personal endowment without destroying another's will and identity by overgoverning.
The many-members-in-one-body truth stands against separating into factions and opposing groups. Gifts, though different, must never be used to separate believers, form separate parties under different heads, make one minister conscience for others, or foster contention and party spirit born of unsanctified narrow conceptions. As individual parts of a mighty whole bound by golden cords of love, no soul can be made independent of the rest but all are necessary to one another and to God, with the well-being of each the happiness of the whole under Christ the great Center training His subjects in meekness, lowliness, goodness, patience and love as channels of blessing. Therefore there is to be no party strife, no partition walls, no schism, not even a shade of strife, and it is opposed to God's order to separate from conference organization to display supposed independent efficiency, since evil thinking, evil speaking, discord, separation and strife let the enemy enter to rob families, churches and the work of reformation.
The 12th and 13th chapters of First Corinthians picture the relation members should sustain to one another and should be committed to memory, written in mind and heart, so that those brought together in church capacity will be united understandingly and intelligently. They are to be carefully studied together with Ephesians, because no one person with different mind, experience and ability is qualified to bear the burden alone, but God has joined members to counsel with and assist one another so deficiency in one is supplied by another, uniting weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ until strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified into oneness with one another and with Christ in God. The same body image describes the Bible as one complete body pervaded by one divine life, where every part is united to and dependent on the others for life. Each book has its special office and each portion its use and lesson, connected together into a complete whole adapted to the human being in every phase of life to educate the race, express God's thoughts and intentions, and make the human family complete in Christ. The chapter gives a formal declaration of how Christ's promise of the Comforter to lead into all truth would be fulfilled, that certain gifts of the Spirit have been placed in the church for its edification and instruction to the end of time, until Christ returns. Among them are prophecy, miracles and healing set in the church just as teachers, helps and leadership are set, illustrating differing members and gifts depending on one another and working together in harmony.
Diversity Ordered by God
God distributes different gifts and lines of service to different persons as He chooses, all for the good of the whole body and all to be carried on under the same Spirit. Some are appointed to serve in one line of work and others in other lines, including teaching others to fit them for service, and those called are to go cheerfully to their field following His leading. Recognizing this divine order guards against rivalry, pride, envy, and contempt of one another, and it strengthens unity and mutual love.
No member is a complete whole by itself, for the body is made of many members with different roles rather than one kind of member, and each member is essential to its completeness as placed by God. No one person is qualified to bear the burden alone or to act independently in every matter, and no worker can successfully carry out a series of meetings alone but must do a part alongside other capable workers. Those with different minds, experience, and abilities are joined together to counsel with and assist one another, so that deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another. Each person should therefore develop his own gifts without despising the gifts of others or envying their abilities, with different gifts joined in harmony.
This diversity is God's arrangement to meet the varied organizations, minds, ranks, classes, and needs in the world. The strength of one servant is not the strength of another, and different temperaments, qualities, and traits, such as gentleness, caution, and exactness alongside courage and energy, serve complementary roles and give access to people others could not reach. All talents, ranks, and circumstances are needed to make a complete whole, and no part of the work or kind of service should be belittled or excluded, but the different interests and sympathies are bound together in sharing light. Therefore no one is to overgovern others, force other minds to bend to his own ideas, mold judgment and character after himself, or destroy will and identity, but each is to be left free for God to convict the heart, call forth powers, and develop personal endowment and individual experience for a special work, with husband and wife united yet each more efficient in distinct labor.
Life requires unity in variety rather than uniformity, for as the human body has variety from eyes to feet with all members dependent upon one another to make a perfect whole, so believers are many different parts joined into one body. In all that variety there must be harmonious action in conformity to the laws governing the body, kept by an unseen conscious indivisible unity, and for believers this harmony comes as they drink in of the Spirit and are animated and united by His surpassing love under His controlling influence. Human beings are thus made necessary to one another and closely related like parts of a machine, dependent upon one great Center, which is unity in diversity, and no member can work successfully in independence but each is to work under God's supervision. Distinct characteristics contribute to the beauty of the whole like many stones each with its special light set in one breastplate to form one family under one Mind, so different styles and ways of viewing and expressing truth are appropriate without contradiction or self-exaltation, with each drawing from the same storehouse and retaining individuality while complementing one another. Those writing on the third angel's message are therefore to be allowed to write each with his own individuality, figures, and ways of presentation to interest and educate different minds, not speaking the very same things in the same words yet united to form one whole.
The perfection of the church depends not on each member being fashioned exactly alike, but on each one taking his proper place, standing in his lot, and doing his appointed work according to the ability given him. Its perfection depends on the proper functioning of its individual members, each doing the work appointed under Christ's leadership and in cooperation with brethren, with none independent of the others. Every person is given his own appointed post of duty in the great whole, whether in business lines, ministry of the Word, or various trades, and the first lesson after surrendering mind, heart, and soul is to find from the Master what that personal work is and then do it in connection with other laborers under God's supervision so the work moves forward soundly and healthfully. In a sinless family mutual love and loyal service unite every member as each serves in the position assigned by God, giving glory to Him as the Center of all, with devotion taking the whole being and investing every act with sacredness.
Even lowly, small, weak, or inexperienced members are important and vital, for a person need not be head or heart to serve effectively, but like hand or foot a lowly member's work is important. Even those who feel least among the saints and even the weakest believer who trusts belong to the body, connected through Christ with one another and with human and heavenly agents, gathered into one Christian family to strengthen and sustain one another and bless the world. No member lives only for personal interests, but each member's influence and service, however small, affects and is meant to strengthen the whole, so that misuse or weakening of one part reduces the usefulness of the whole. The worth of work depends not on its size but on love and motive, and each gift including the smallest is to be valued, encouraged, carefully preserved, and used in the Master's service. By living in humble dependence on God the weak believer can grow strong and share the privileges of a child of God, and faithful effort enlarges ability so that gifts diligently used will multiply, though different temperaments and abilities mean not everyone is suited to every task and lack of fitness for one task does not make a person faithless or unwilling.
Christ the Head and Mutual Care
Christ is the Head and Center in whom all members of the body center and from whom they derive life, power, and direction. The church is like the human body from head to feet, with different members having different offices yet all belonging to one body under Jesus Christ its acknowledged head. The members have different gifts given by the same Spirit, and this diversity is God's arrangement to meet varied organizations, minds, ranks, and classes in the world. Medical missionary work and the ministry are therefore to work hand in hand rather than be separated, so the whole work can be guided by Christ and carried forward together. No work or worker can stand apart as undenominational, but each must remain joined in heart and spirit with God's people in unity of faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of Christ.
Members depend on, belong to, and care for one another in a close and harmonious relationship, with differences never making any member less part of the body. God places the members as He chooses, and they are mutually joined and mutually dependent, so that when one member suffers all suffer with it and when one is honored all are honored, enlightened, and rejoice with him. This unity in Christ crosses distinctions such as Jew and Gentile and bond and free, and requires Christlikeness blending every virtue in harmonious proportion to present a symmetrical whole. Like an organ that cannot live by serving only itself, each member must share Christ's love with the rest, for refusing to impart that love leads to spiritual death. No member is sufficient to make the whole complete, for each can supply what another lacks, and together those with different God-given work and appropriate positions form a harmonious whole.
No member is to dismiss another as unnecessary or say to another because they do not act the same part, I have no need of thee. Among the members there is to be no crowding, no judging, no measuring of one gift by another, no belittling, and no treating any member as inferior, for many gifts are called for yet all are members of one body. Recognizing that all serve under the same Spirit guards against rivalry, pride, envy, and contempt, and strengthens unity and mutual love. When members come together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen their brethren and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made, revealing unceasing tenderness instead of standing afar off to criticize and condemn. Connection with Christ requires connection with His church, for the obligation of church relationship is close and sacred and loyalty to Christ demands faithful performance of church duties as training for service and effort for the world.
These bonds cannot be broken though they may be ignored, and each person has something to receive and something to impart, so accountability and responsibility remain even when the bonds are abused. No member can become detached and independent, for each has a proper place and part to fill according to ability, and separation from the body and reliance on one's own judgment lead to spiritual ruin. Members are complete only in Christ through a living connection, and their different roles do not divide them when they are united as God's people to work together for the good of others. A professed member who does not draw life from Christ is like a paralyzed limb with only brief, fitful movements and no lasting activity or growth, and a name on the church record without belonging to Jesus as the invisible Head is a fruitless branch taken away. When the church is spiritually sick it fails to send vitalizing influence to its work, and its moral darkness and spiritual death spread through the body until the disease is evident throughout. God is making the church His continued incarnation, with the divine cooperating with the human to reveal Christ and the cross to a world perishing in sin. With all its working forces the body must become one with the Head in unity of action, with ministers as undershepherds under Christ the divine Shepherd, with members as working agencies partaking of the divine nature, and with the Holy Spirit pervading the body under the law of cooperation by reciprocal influence and with no man exercising kingly power over the whole.
United Organized Cooperation
God's people are one body made of many members united together, and no one can disconnect from the agencies God has appointed to work on an independent line in supposed wisdom and still succeed, for such independence is a delusion of the enemy that will not prosper in the end even when a person flatters himself he is doing God's work. Each member has a measure of ability to use intelligently and effectively in the work suited to him while remaining united to the body in his respective capacity, likeminded with God, pure, holy and sincere, with no one shut up to himself living for himself. Separation from the body and reliance on one's own judgment lead to spiritual ruin and work against what God is building, calling instead for unity of purpose and action with humbled hearts built on the solid Rock. The church is a body God leads, teaches and guides, and its members are to stay united with it rather than act independently or reject its counsel.
The body of Christ is made of many members with different minds, experience and abilities, and no one person is qualified to bear the burden of the work alone or has enough wisdom to manage it without others. God has joined them together to counsel with and assist one another, blending mind with mind in counsel and in plans for carrying the work forward, so that the deficiency in the experience and abilities of one is supplied by the experience and abilities of another. Each worker is to consider the relation he sustains to fellow workers, modestly respecting others' opinions as likely to be as correct as his own, seeking God's wisdom together and needing one another's abilities, counsel and caution. Believers should work in harmony even when they differ in judgment or plans, with humble, teachable spirits, uniting their weakness to Christ's strength, dying to self and living to Christ so that strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified and they become one with one another to be one with Christ in God.
Simple organization and church order are ordained for the unity and perfection of the church, with every part of the work connected to every other part by the golden links of heaven as an instrumentality standing next to heaven where the light of God's glory shines. The man who holds office stands as leader, adviser, counselor, helper in carrying burdens and leader in thanksgiving, but he is not appointed to order and command, control and rule his fellow laborers, for position does not give kingly authority and all are brethren under the meekness of Christ with the Lord over His heritage to lead His people. There are to be no kings in its midst, no man has the right to forbid another worker to go to a field or to withhold support if he goes, no branch of the work is to stand as a kingdom of itself, and no centralized kingly power is to be perpetuated, with the same principles governing General Conference, publishing and sanitarium work and no branch esteemed of vastly more importance than others. The law governing the body is cooperation by reciprocal influence with all influences bearing upon one another, sanctified members organizing into united plans where the divine cooperates with the human to reveal Christ and the cross to a world perishing in sin.
No one is to regard his own individual judgment as supreme and stand independent, neglecting or despising those God has appointed to bear responsibilities of leadership in advancing the truth. Those leaders are channels of light whom God has wrought through to build up and extend His work, the means He ordained for the help, encouragement and strength of His people, and God has a church on earth to which He has delegated power while He leads, teaches and guides that people so they may teach and lead and guide others. To pass them by and think light must come directly from God alone rejects God's provision and seeks independence like the fallen angels who though beautiful and glorious and dependent on God for happiness, light and intelligence fell through insubordination in wanting to become independent, and such a course separates from fellow believers by Satan's studied effort and puts the worker in grave peril of deception, overthrow, disaster and ruin of souls with Satan as leader. It is opposed to God's order to separate from conference organization to display supposed independent efficiency, for the sacred chain of dependence binding people together must not be treated as slavery, and the body's unity depends on keeping the connection that joins each person and work to the wider community, cherishing reciprocal dependence, building one another up in most holy faith and seeking the Holy Spirit, lest evil thinking, evil speaking, discord, separation and strife let the enemy enter to rob families of happiness and the church of usefulness. In this united body every human agency cooperates with the divine and is subordinate to the Holy Spirit, with members pressing together of one mind and one judgment, counseling together, letting God be leader and following His footsteps, unwilling to move in independent judgment, self-sufficiency and self-esteem or to depart from reproof and counsel into apostasy after finite judgments and plans that tear down what God builds and open the door to strife.
God has mysteriously linked all men together through Christ as one body of many members, giving to every man some special line of service different from another, so each worker must stay in his own assigned work and guard against leaving it to interfere with or take in hand the different work of a fellow laborer, for he would spoil it and no man has been given the work of interfering. Each member is to work in the part where he can serve most effectively while remaining united and cooperating with others, not separating to pursue an independent course or seeking greater responsibility while neglecting smaller duties, since God does not give all instruction to one mind but teaches different people so they can contribute what others have not considered and strengthen one another through open, loving counsel. No one person can do another's work or direct every worker's labor, and every feature becomes complete by occupying its proper place, with varied service joined in harmony and no single part treated as more important than all the rest.
The verse is to be studied and applied for the continuous humbling of individual self and for taking self critically in hand, beginning with denying self and taking up his own cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying his cross on another to carry. Among members of one body there is to be no crowding, no judging and no measuring of one gift by another, and no more reason for strife about who shall be greatest or for division and contention, but instead dealing sternly and bravely with self, examining with closest introspection peculiar temperament, weaknesses and perverse disposition so as not to dishonor God. When they come together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen their brethren instead of standing afar off to watch for opportunity to criticize and condemn, revealing unceasing tenderness, jealously guarding one another's interests even though mistakes are made, and placing no bars before any soul manifesting repentance toward God and faith in Christ but giving courage for the warfare against temptation. If one errs or disagreement arises it must be settled at once between those involved by prayer and converse instead of recrimination, that self-will and selfishness may die and heart be cemented to heart, for union is strength and variance is weakness and sin, and this united action in sacred duties strengthens the church and exhibits God's miracle-working power to the world, to angels and to men.
Medical Work and Ministry
God's cause is one body made up of many needed branches and lines of service that must be kept in proper proportion, balanced, and managed together in unity to advance the whole plan. No branch is to stand as a kingdom of itself under a centralized kingly power, no worker is to treat knowledge or ability as exclusively his own, and what is given is to be shared so each line benefits and the whole succeeds. The different works are to support one another rather than be drawn into a single center or channel, with each worker contributing in his God-given role what others lack so the work forms a harmonious whole.
Medical missionary work is the arm, the hand, and the right hand to the body, while the ministry of the Word belongs to the body and holds first place among human agencies to lead and direct under Christ the Head. The ministry calls minds to the Scriptures for the salvation of souls, and missionary work belongs within the gospel and must be shaped by it rather than treated as the all-important work. The head and body direct the hand and arm, each part needs the others, and the arm must not act independently or take the place of the whole body.
The two are to be joined inseparably and blended in perfect unity, with varied gifts used in humility without jealousy, party spirit, or friction. By the ministry of the Word the gospel is preached, and by medical missionary work the gospel is practiced, the two bound up together with neither to stand alone bound up in itself. This united work follows Christ, who joined preaching and healing in one work, and reveals God's salvation as workers labor unselfishly and unitedly to save sinners and bless humanity. Medical missionary work belongs inside the work of the gospel ministry, and no medical work is complete without the gospel ministry.
Medical work must not separate from the body, try to be all and in all, or absorb all strength and means, for doing so reverses God's order. Separation produces disorganized fragments that consume means but do not produce, makes the work unbalanced and disproportionate, belittles or ignores the ministry, and leaves many portions of the vineyard unworked. To disparage the ministry and carry medical work independently is to separate the arms from the body, leaving flying arms dispensing means without the direction of the head until the ministry has no standing room and men are placed where they will scoff at Bible truth. Labor for the degraded and fallen has its place but must not replace the other members, no one can ignore the ministry without ignoring God, and to hinder others from doing their appointed part displeases Him.
Neither part is to be belittled, ignored, or disparaged, for disregarding one part means disregarding the body. It is wrong for all the strength of the body to go into the right hand, and it is also wrong to have no interest in medical missionary work, for that treats the right hand disrespectfully. Honor given to the body must also be given to the helping hands, oneness of respect is to be shown to the arm with decided interest taken in it, and there is to be one treasury and one united interest rather than divided organizations.
In particular, the third angel's message is the body and medical missionary work is its right hand to open doors, break down prejudice, and prepare the way so present truth can go with power. A body without hands is useless and can do nothing, and a body that treats the right hand indifferently and refuses its aid is able to accomplish nothing. Health reform is the helping hand of the ministry, connected to the gospel ministry as truly as the arm is connected to the body, each giving completeness to the other. Publishing houses, sanitariums, and schools are sacred branches with different work yet able to help and strengthen one another through close cooperation with no walls of partition. The central work at Battle Creek is the heart of the body whose vigorous beats should be felt in all parts, so that if the heart is sickly and weak its inefficiency affects all branches, while sound healthy working power at the center with wise planning, wise generalship, and training of young men and persons of talent carries truth to the world through home and foreign missions.
All enterprises that come out are branches of the one body, with all medical missionary work as the arm joined to the whole and not the whole work itself. Workers in one part of the field can never stand as an independent whole, and conferences cannot establish sanitariums on an independent basis entirely separate from all other branches, for that experiment always fails without help from those of experience in both failure and success. God's Spirit must circulate through institutions like blood through the body, which requires true conversion of heart and mind and spirit in every worker, no half-way work, crucifixion of self, and the coming of Pentecost so laborers unite in repentance and Christ and heavenly angels cooperate with them in daily labor.
Personal Service and Character
The body is many members, and every member has a place to fill, a duty to perform, and work to do according to ability, with none left to remain inactive. Head, eye, ear, arms and limbs picture different roles, yet each part is indispensable and all belong to one great whole under divine control. The call is to pray and work, to serve in a particular place and carry responsibility, acting together in perfect unity as a living missionary agency for drawing people to Christ. This includes working for souls and serving in business, trades, ministry and missionary effort, with every new member adding strength to redemption and with steady effort enlarging ability to bear fruit. Gifts within the body live and work to encourage the fainting and to correct and reprove the erring, moving like well-adjusted machinery where blended hearts labor in concert though each stands distinct in its action.
Gifts are given for service to honor Christ, represent truth, benefit all people and help one another faithfully, not for the possessor's glory or human praise. Every mental and physical power is to be cultivated because all are essential to make a complete whole that represents divine wisdom, with the whole person trained and the mind cultivated until character is formed after the divine likeness. Faithful effort enlarges ability, gifts diligently used multiply, and even the smallest gift is to be valued, encouraged and carefully preserved and used in the Master's service. Misuse or weakening of one part reduces the usefulness of the whole, since each part however small influences all the rest. The members depend on and benefit from one another's varied abilities and graces, and even a weak or inexperienced member is vital and can be strengthened by others for greater usefulness.
No one is to destroy another's will and identity by overgoverning, forcing other minds to bend to his own ideas, or molding judgment and character after himself. Each person must be left free for God to convict the heart, call forth powers, and develop an individual experience and strength for a special work that would give access to a class others could not reach. No one person's ideas or methods should always control, no one is to be conscience for another or require one fixed method, and no one servant's strength or traits should be imposed on everyone else. Different minds, talents and ways of presenting truth are to cooperate and complement one another, with liberty of expression for each gift and unity in expression making a complete whole. The different members are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit rather than controlled by men, whether preaching, teaching, doing medical work, cultivating the soil or following a trade, looking to the Lord as companion, counselor, guide, helper and friend.
No worker's talent alone is sufficient to make the whole complete, for what is lacking in one is supplied by the special gift of another, and each is to be the complement of the others. Contact of mind with mind quickens thought and increases capability, so that when physicians and teachers unite in imparting knowledge the youth receive a symmetrical, well-balanced education for service. Those placed together are to take time to understand each other instead of standing apart to watch, criticize and judge, finding points of resemblance, accepting keener perceptions, giving due credit to ability, and blending together in union with the Holy Spirit. Those in advance in experience and knowledge are to give fellow laborers a chance to take hold, trusting them with responsibilities that will perfect them and bringing them up as far and as fast as possible. Those deficient in some lines are not to be ignored, criticized or made a subject of remark but helped, with experienced workers patiently teaching and supporting the less experienced and with no minister made an errand boy for another.
The beginning is continuous humbling of self, denying self and taking up the cross of self-denial, self-humiliation and self-sacrifice rather than laying it on another to carry. Joined together to counsel with and assist one another, members are to die to self and live to Christ, so that strong unchristlike traits are softened, subdued and purified and weakness is united to Christ's strength. When coming together for counsel they are to speak good words that help and strengthen, reveal unceasing tenderness, unite in service as genuine Christians true to faith and duty, and jealously guard one another's interests even when mistakes are made rather than standing apart in self-confidence. No member lives only for personal interests, for even those who feel least among the saints belong to the body and are connected through Christ with one another and with human and heavenly agents, with influence and service meant to strengthen the whole. Gifts guided by the Holy Spirit and joined in love, humility and harmonious service, without one person controlling the whole body, increase usefulness and influence for good and testify in love and harmony.
Bonds and obligations to others cannot be broken though they may be ignored, and neglecting God's purposes for these relationships harms character and can become a snare to others. Each has something to receive and something to impart, each person is needed for the welfare and happiness of others, and accountability remains even when the bonds are abused. No member can become detached and independent but has a proper place and part according to ability, serving as a channel through which divine love reaches others. A laborer must be subdued by grace and controlled by the Spirit, cherishing its graces and overcoming self-esteem, self-will, impulse, natural feelings and a hard, unsubdued, bitter, severe spirit, learning from brethren and submitting to them rather than rising in opposition over what does not meet his mind. When character deficiencies are not overcome and a minister is guided by feeling instead of disciplined principle, laboring and praying only when inclined, healthy action fails, those who depend on him suffer loss, and the cause languishes and is discouraged where his influence is felt most.