James Wibberding

Another significant idea emerges from 1 Corinthians 12. There, it describes the church body as Christ’s body on earth. In it, Paul explains that each member of the church is a member of Christ’s body (v. 12-14). He rebukes those who minimize the importance of another member (v. 14-19) and he rebukes those who minimize the importance of their own role (v. 20-21). And, in all of this, he never allows for anyone to be a member of the body/church and not be active in some part of its ministry.

Church leaders often forget that everyone is not given the same role, and so they implore people to join the latest initiative by appealing to their sense of Christian duty. This practice is so strong that, even when I relentlessly communicate that my own pastoral appeals for ministry involvement are not to a specific task but to the task God calls each person to, people hear them that way anyway. But, more tragic is that members often forget that being a minister for Christ is the only way to be a follower of Christ and a member of his body/church.

When we allow this mindset to remain, we not only cripple God’s witness on earth but we let God’s children remain unfaithful to him without sounding a word of warning. Is it too harsh to say that you are either a minister or you are not a member of Christ’s church? It is what Paul seems to suggest.