former needs no adorning, the latter does. God hath tem- pered the body together^ i. e. he has so adjusted it and com- bined its several members, as to secure the result that more abundant honour should be given to thoseVhich lacked. By- making the uncomely parts essential to the well-being of the rest, and by diffusing a common life through aU the members, he has made the body a harmonious whole.
25. 26. That there should be no schism in the body ; but (that) the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suf- fer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
God has so constituted the body that there should he no schism in it, i. e. no diversity of feeling or interest. Schism means simply division, but when spoken of an organized body, or of a society, it commonly includes the idea of aliena- tion of feeling. Such was the schism which existed among the Corinthians, see 1, 10. 11, 18. JBut that the members should have the same care one /or another. That is, that one member should have the same care for another member that it has for itself The body is so constituted that the eye is as solicitous for the welfare of the foot as it is for its own well- being. The consequence is that if one member suffers all the members suffer with it ; and if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. This is the law of our physical nature. The body is really one. It has a common life and consciousness. The pain or pleasure of one part is common to the whole.
27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
That is, collectively ye are the body of Christ ; individual- ly or severally, ye are members. This is the application of the preceding analogy to the case of the Corinthians. What had been said of the body, of its unity ; of the diversity of its members ; of their mutual dependence ; of the greater import- ance of the weaker than of the stronger members ; of the com- munity of feeling and interest that pervades the whole ; is all true in its application to the church. The body of Christ is