1 Corinthians 12:20
ESV
As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
NIV
As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
NASB
But now there are many parts, but one body.
CSB
As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
NLT
Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.
KJV
But now are they many members, yet but one body.
NKJV
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
What does 1 Corinthians 12:20 mean?
Paul has just written that if we all chose our own job in the church based only on what sounded meaningful or exciting or important to us, the church might cease to exist. A church made up of people who refuse to perform any task except those associated with being the pastor, for example, would not be a "church." This is in the same way that a body made up entirely of elbows would not be a "body."Bodies that survive, thrive, and accomplish their purpose have many and varied parts while still being just one body. Churches that accomplish their purpose have many and varied people serving different functions assigned to them through the gifts of the Spirit while still being just one church. Not every spiritual gift is equally glamorous in the eyes of the world. Not every task in a church is equally prestigious in the eyes of the world. But churches need people to fulfill those other roles, just as much as the body needs all those members to serve their purpose. They are all part of the same Spirit and need to work together for that reason.
First Corinthians 12:12–31 continues Paul's teaching on the spiritual gifts as they cooperate to empower God's will for the church. The Christian church is like a human body. It is one individual organism made up of many different parts that serve a wide variety of functions. All those functions matter. Nobody should decide they don't like their gift or their role in the church and try to quit. The body needs each member to do its part in order to work properly. We must respect and value each other for the vital roles we serve in the church.
Apparently in response to further questions from Corinth, Paul describes what spiritual gifts are, who receives them, and what they are for. His emphasis is that particular spiritual gifts do not make believers spiritual. Every believer is spiritual because every Christian has God's Spirit with him or her. In addition, the Spirit gives one or more spiritual gifts to each believer to be used to serve the church. The church is like a body, in which every part is needed, and all the parts exist to serve one another. Every believer must discover how they are gifted by the Spirit and value the function they serve in Christ's body.
