This section of 1 Corinthians 12 focuses on the importance of every member of the body of Christ. Paul’s point here is to take on elitism in Corinth with another version of the human body analogy. Just as a literal body needs all its parts, so does the body of Christ.

It would be absurd and self-destructive for a literal body to reject any of its members. So it is with the body of Christ. The elitism exposed in 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 is here corrected careful, pastoral teaching.

God placed members into the body of Christ by His grace and purpose and that fact implies we should accept and honor each of them. Worldly status claims from outside of the church have no place in the church.

We carefully expound each of these verses and define the key words which reveal what is truly important. God’s purpose is that there would be no divisions in the body, but mutual care (1 Corin. 12:25). All of this is to be done for the glory of God.