From speaking about spiritual gifts, Paul now broadens his focus to teach his readers about the general character of the church (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). In describing the church he uses a well-known ancient metaphor for unity, namely, the human body.

By describing the church in this way, Paul is still seeking to guide the Corinthians toward a proper perspective on the spiritual gifts. Just as no body part exists for its own sake, so no church member exists for his (or her) own sake. The spiritual gifts are not given for the sake of the individuals who exercise them, but for the sake of the church.

A surprise comes at the end of the verse. Where we would expect Paul to write, So it is with the church, we find the words, So it is with Christ. This highlights the close bond between Christ and his church. The church is Christ’s body on earth. Indeed, when Christ spoke to Paul for the first time, he asked him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? (Acts 9:4). By persecuting the church, Paul was persecuting Christ himself.

The body metaphor is also found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. There the metaphor is used in a slightly different way, with Christ being the head of the body and the body being the universal church (Ephesians 1:22–23; Ephesians 4:4–16).