One and Many

  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.