1 Corinthians 12:22 Commentary and Bible Study

Whatever is the apostle talking about? What are the members of the human body that seems to be more feeble? Well there are various suggestions made, and they are all valid. What about the brain? It is feeble in the sense that it is so vulnerable. So it is put into the skull and is protected by bone. But it is vital and you cannot live without it, and it is the most sophisticated organ we have. Yet in a sense, it is the most feeble and vulnerable and wants special protection. We have got people like that in the church. Maybe you can talk about the elderly: the most vulnerable, the most subject to illness, the frail. But it is among the elderly you get the best prayer warriors, and you get the strength and power of the church. So we have a special respect for the elderly, for the seniors. Other people say you have got the lungs and the heart and the internal organs protected by the rib cage: how vulnerable they are! Nevertheless, you cannot do without them. You can’t see them. They are inconspicuous. Well, it is a nice idea that they represent people who are inconspicuous, people who are unassertive, people who are unassuming in the church; and yet, we are so dependent upon such people. They are the strength of the church. Then what about the emotions, or, say, the fingers: so easily damaged. Try living a few hours without them! So even the least attractive looking members may be the most precious; the least apparently, outwardly gifted may be the most valuable, and we all know one another and value each other.