Notes on Covering

This post are my notes from a class I taught during our midweek meetings. It fits in with what we have been learning lately so I decided to post them. Although it does not have a lot of extra information other then the texts used, by following the scripture you can gain an understanding of covering in the body. Your comments or questions are welcomed.

We are set in the body.

1 Corinthians 12: 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

Everyone has a place in the body. Every person is important, consider any ecosystem and how each part needs another part to function. The church works the same way.

1 Corinthians 12
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our unsightly parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Ephesians 4:
4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The body of Christ was created to bring us to the image of Christ.

Ephesians 4:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes an increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There is a misunderstanding that because Jesus is the head of every believer then there is no covering or line of authority in the church. If that is the case then Paul had no grounds to instruct believers in his day. He did so base on His apostleship.

We are thinking in the carnal mind when we resist people who love us and try to instruct us in the way of Christ.

Consider Hebrews 13:16-18
16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

We are not only spiritually enabled by the body of Christ we are physically emotionally upheld. When we yield to the Holy Spirit who places us in His desired place in the body we find the strength for Christ-like living.

1 Corinthians 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
This is the image of the body working as God intended to bring us closer to Christ.
Acts 2: 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Revival had come to the Church and you see how the Holy Spirit directed everyone to care for each other.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
NASB 5: 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Emotional support = This depicts a body of trust and desire to see people grow.

Romans 12:3-5 (King James Version)
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
We are not in a competition or should and truly Godly person want to control or exploit.
However, when God calls a person to their office they must serve it as one serving the Lord and not man.
1 Peter 5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resist the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

This calling to be in subjection to Christ and then each other as a body working under a spiritual “covering” is against the will of our flesh.
But imagine the true image of the Body working as one under the headship of Christ.
Trusted source for spiritual direction, being released to minister and do your part. The body becomes an instrument of healing, physical and emotional.
The term covering has been used a lot in the church lately as a form of control. There is leadership, offices needed to keep organization and allow everyone to work together. Their calling is to keep out the “wolves” and care for the “lambs”. Nurture people, love people, and guide people.
Everyone from apostle to layperson (if there is such a thing) is apart of the body. In Christ we are all subject to each other in love! The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are subject to Christ and to others because Jesus style leadership is serving. Although they make themselves servants to others by God's will they serve them through leadership!

If everyone did their part.

Not if every one did there part on their committee, but if everyone allowed the gifts that God gave them to be used in the Body of Christ.

People who could be evangelists (not the kind that go from church to church exhorting) true evangelists people who go into the field and seeks the lost.

Care givers giving care, people of great faith encouraging, the older women teaching the younger woman and men doing the same.

Teachers teaching not only in Sunday School but in homes.

Elders giving counsel to younger families.

The Pastor guiding the spiritual direction of the Church.

The church functioning in all the gifts of the Spirit for the empowerment of all believers!

This image of the Bride is incredible, my prayer is that we will submit ourselves to the vision of biblical covering.