But now there are many members, but one body. 1 Corinthians 12:20
A professor in Seminary once
told my class, “A true philosophy must answer dichotomy of the one and the
many.” At the time, I thought, “Wow. That is profound and I have no idea what
it means.” Through the years of ministry that followed, I have come to understand
the dichotomy and the necessity of answering it. In the church we face this
dichotomy every time we meet together.
As we gather on the Lord’s
Day we enter as individuals—the many—but with the opening Scripture,
invocation, and call to worship, we are connected as “the one” We are the body
of Christ joined together as individuals united in purpose—worship—and in thought—opening
Scripture, invocation, and call to worship. What makes the change from the many
to the one? The change involves the power of words.
We are told that much of
communication is non-verbal. While this is true, the non-verbal is easily
misunderstood. Language is one factor that separates humans from animals. When
man sought to build a tower to heaven, God disrupted the effort by confusing
man’s language.
Words are tools we use to
take an idea, a thought in one individual, and transfer that idea into the mind
of another individual. When that occurs, the two individuals experience a
connection. They are now joined in a thought they each share. As each further
processes this idea, they can express their new thought to each other and
others expanding the connection.
I may feel sadness and shed a
tear. You may see the tear and rightly discern that I am sad but when I use
words to explain how I am being betrayed by a close friend and the deep feeling
of helplessness that I am experiencing, you can share my sadness. We, two
individuals—the many—are joined in a common thought and feeling. We have become
the one.
Consider two applications of this. First, Scripture is the Word of God.
When the Scripture, the expression of God’s thoughts, enters the minds of all
the gathered worshippers on a Sunday morning, they are transformed from the
many into the one. They become a single body. God opened His mind to us and
provided a tool to help the many become the one, united by God’s own thoughts.
As each one hears and believes the Scripture being read, prayed, sang, and
preached, they become one.
The second application
recognizes that Jesus is the Word of God. John 1 says that, “In the beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Hebrews 1:3
explains regarding Jesus “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation
of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had
made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high.” Jesus reveals God to us. He is the deepest, truest essence of God. As
each of us receive and rest upon Him, the Word of God, we are joined together
as his body. The “many” become the “one”.
Consider this reality when
you go to worship this week.
