Belonging before visibility

World English Bible

¹² For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.

¹⁵ If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.

¹⁶ If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body.

¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?

¹⁸ But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

¹⁹ If they were all one member, where would the body be?

²⁰ But now they are many members, but one body.

²¹ The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”

²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

²³ Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant modesty,

²⁴ while our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,

²⁵ that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

²⁶ When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.