Paul Compares the Church to the Body of Christ
Teaching about spiritual gifts, unity, and charity
Corinth was a big, busy city. Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ lived there. But they were all from different places and were very different from each other. Paul wanted to help them be united and see the good in one another. So he wrote them a letter.
In his letter, Paul told the Saints that they all had special gifts from God. Some people had the gift of faith. Others had the gift of doing miracles. Some were wise, and some could heal others. Some people could speak other languages. All the Saints had different gifts, but they all came from God.
Paul taught that even though the Saints were different from each other, their faith in Jesus brought them together. When they decided to follow Jesus’s teachings, be baptized, and join His Church, they became one group, united in Jesus Christ.
Paul said that the Church is like a body, with a head, arms, legs, and feet. Every part of the body does different things. The ear shouldn’t feel bad because it is different from the eye. And the head can’t say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” Each part is important, and they all work together.
Paul called the Saints in Corinth “the body of Christ.” He wanted them to work together like the different parts of a body, using their different gifts to help and bless each other.
To do this, the people needed a very special kind of love, called charity. It is the love that Jesus Christ has for everyone. Paul said having charity means being patient with others, even when they are unkind. It means not being rude, selfish, or jealous. It means loving truth and having hope.
1 Corinthians 13:1–7; Moroni 7:47
Paul told the Saints in Corinth that charity lasts forever. No matter what other gifts we might have, we all need to have charity. Any of us can have charity if we ask Heavenly Father for it with all our hearts and try to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.