我们需要彼此，好满足上帝呼召我们的目的。

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

就如身子是一个，却有许多肢体；而且肢体虽多，仍是一个身子。基督也是这样。-哥林多前书12章12节

Corn, also called maize, is the staple food in my home country of Mexico. There are so many different types. You can find yellow, brown, red, and black cobs, even ones with a wonderful spotted pattern. But people in the cities usually won’t eat the spotted cobs. Restaurateur and researcher Amado Ramírez explains that they believe uniformity is a synonym of quality. Yet the spotted cobs taste good, and they make excellent tortillas.

玉米，又称作玉蜀黍，是我家乡墨西哥主要的粮食作物。玉米的种类繁多，有黄色、棕色、红色或黑色，甚至还有美丽的混色玉米。然而住在都市里的人多半不吃混色玉米。身兼餐厅老板和研究人员的阿玛多·拉米瑞兹（Amado Ramírez）表示，这是因为民众认为单一颜色代表品质好。但事实上，混色玉米的味道极佳，而且还可做成非常美味的墨西哥玉米饼。

The church of Christ is much more similar to a spotted ear of corn than to a cob of just one color. The apostle Paul used the imagery of a body to describe the church, because even though we are all one body, and we have the same God, each of us has been given a different gift. As Paul said, “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:5–6). Our diversity in the ways we help each other shows God’s generosity and creativity.

比起单色玉米，基督的教会更像是一根混色玉米。使徒保罗用身体来形容教会，即使我们都同属于一个身体、同一位上帝，但每一个人却领受不同的恩赐。如保罗所说：“职事也有分别，主却是一位。功用也有分别，上帝却是一位，在众人里面运行一切的事”（哥林多前书12章5-6节）。我们因彼此的差异而互相帮助，显明了上帝的仁慈慷慨和创造的大能。

As we embrace our diversity, may we also make every effort to keep our unity in faith and purpose. Yes, we have different abilities and backgrounds. We speak different languages and come from different countries. But we have the same wonderful God, the Creator who delights in so much variety.

我们接纳彼此的差异，也要在信仰和目标上追求合一。的确，每个人的能力和背景都有所不同，或说不同的语言，或来自不同的国家。但我们同有一位奇妙的上帝，一位乐见丰富多元的创造主。

亲爱的天父，求祢帮助我们力求合一、彼此尊重，并能重视彼此间不同的恩赐和才能。

1 Corinthians 12:4-14   NIV

12 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

哥林多前书 12:4-14 

12 恩赐原有分别，圣灵却是一位； 5 职事也有分别，主却是一位； 6 功用也有分别，神却是一位，在众人里面运行一切的事。 7 圣灵显在各人身上，是叫人得益处。 8 这人蒙圣灵赐他智慧的言语，那人也蒙这位圣灵赐他知识的言语， 9 又有一人蒙这位圣灵赐他信心，还有一人蒙这位圣灵赐他医病的恩赐， 10 又叫一人能行异能，又叫一人能做先知，又叫一人能辨别诸灵，又叫一人能说方言，又叫一人能翻方言。 11 这一切都是这位圣灵所运行，随己意分给各人的。 12 就如身子是一个，却有许多肢体，而且肢体虽多，仍是一个身子；基督也是这样。 13 我们不拘是犹太人，是希腊人，是为奴的，是自主的，都从一位圣灵受洗，成了一个身体，饮于一位圣灵。 14 身子原不是一个肢体，乃是许多肢体。

INSIGHT

灵粮透视

Romans 12:6–8 and 1 Corinthians 12 provide important instruction about spiritual gifts: All Christians have been given gifts; all gifts have different but equally important functions; all are from God; and all are to be used to build up others in the church. We have no reason to boast about our gifts because they are products of God’s grace. “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:5–6).

罗马书12章6-8节和哥林多前书12章，提供了有关属灵恩赐的重要教导：所有的基督徒都被赋予恩赐；所有的恩赐都有不同的功用，但却同样重要；所有的恩赐都来自上帝；所有的恩赐都是要在教会中造就他人。我们没有理由夸耀自己的恩赐，因为这些全都是出于上帝的恩典。“我们这许多人，在基督里成为一身，互相联络作肢体，也是如此。按我们所得的恩赐，各有不同”（罗马书12章5-6节）。

How can you use your gifts to promote unity?

你如何运用你的恩赐来促进教会合一呢？

整理：于姊妹