In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul deals with those who have an inferiority complex and those who have a superiority complex. These two complexes are the source of today's Christianity. Because many Christians consider themselves inferior to others, they do not do anything in the meetings. But some think of themselves as superior to others and like to dominate, to maneuver, and to do everything for the whole Body. These two things, the inferiority complex and the superiority complex, kill the Body. In this portion of the Word, Paul is doing his best to lower those with a superiority complex and to uplift those with an inferiority complex. In other words, Paul is tempering the Body. This is exactly what the Lord is doing today in the church life. Because the Lord is tempering the Body, in the church life we need to adorn the uncomely parts of the Body.
In 1 Corinthians 12:22 Paul speaks of "those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble." Perhaps you are wondering what these weaker members are. Certainly the head cannot be considered a weaker part of the body. Neither should we consider the eyes or the ears weaker parts. The weaker members are the fingers and the toes. Our toes help us to walk. If our toes did not function, we would find walking very awkward. Although the toes help us to walk, they are nonetheless the more feeble members, the weaker members. I also appreciate all my fingers, even the little finger, which renders me very valuable service. Now we can see what the Apostle Paul meant when he said that the weaker parts are necessary.
As Paul was writing 1 Corinthians 12, he was under divine inspiration. Every word he used was very economical. Thus, we should not read this chapter in a casual way or consider it merely an illustration. If we probe into this section of the Word, we shall come to realize what the practical Body life is. It is not simply a matter of the gathering together of Christians. It is possible for Christians to gather together, yet still not have the practical Body life. As we pointed out in a previous message, we must be spiritual in order for the Body to be practical. According to 1 Corinthians 12, to be spiritual is to function. If we do not function, the Body does not exist in a practical way. There may be a gathering of Christians, but the Body is not present among them. The practicality of the Body is found in the functioning of the members. To function is to be genuinely spiritual. No matter how strong or weak you may be, you are not spiritual if you sit quietly in the meetings. However, if you are so strong that you function too much in the gatherings, you are not spiritual either. The weaker ones must function more, and the stronger ones must be somewhat limited. To be genuinely spiritual means that all the weaker ones must function and that all the stronger ones must be limited to a certain extent. This is the tempering of the Body. Through this process of tempering, we have the Body in a practical way.
If we have seen this vision and compare it with the situation in today's Christianity, we shall have to admit that in Christianity there is virtually no Body. On the one hand, many do not function at all; on the other hand, a few do everything. That is not the Body. Only when every part of the Body participates in the present activities of the Body does the Body exist in a practical way. Only then is it a Body in practicality, not in theory. For example, all the members of my body share in whatever my body does. The Lord will not have His recovery in full until He recovers His church to be such a Body. Among us today, the recovery is not yet in full because we do not yet have the Body in a full way. Although our situation has improved, we do not yet have the Body in fullness. The majority still are not spiritual in our gatherings, that is, they are not functioning. Rather, they have an inferiority complex and think that they are not useful. Because they compare themselves with other members, they keep themselves down.
Often those who give eloquent testimonies may discourage others from testifying. If you are eloquent, perhaps you should limit yourself and even speak in a halting way so that others will not be frustrated. Our speaking in the meetings should pave the way for others to follow us. Most gifted speakers, however, are so elevated that others cannot reach them. Their desire to be the best is a frustration to others who compare themselves with them. This is of the flesh, and it kills the Body life. By the Lord's mercy and grace, we all must learn both how to be tempered and how to temper.
When I am with my little granddaughter, I like to lower myself down to her level. If I did not lower myself down to her to where she is, she would be afraid of me or unhappy to be with me. But when I lower myself down to play with her, she comes up, sometimes climbing on my shoulder. Because I lower myself down, she and I, a little girl and her old grandfather, can play together and even be a good team. This is a picture of the Body life. We all need to learn to come down to the level of the low ones, and the low ones need to learn to climb on the shoulder of the higher ones, to become even higher than the high ones. This is the tempering of the Body, the real practice of the Body life. In 1 Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul was tempering the Body. This is the secret of the practical Body life.