Dem Bones Make Up the Whole Body

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:18-21

Khen Lim




Gift of healing (Image source: lds.org)

Author and songwriter James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871 and died in 1938 at the age of 67. In February 1928, he recorded his composition called Dem Dry Bones, which soon became a very well-known spiritual song. As you may suspect, the lyrics were inspired by Ezekiel 37:1-14 in relation to the Valley of Dry Bones and symbolic of Israel’s national resurrection. Over the years, countless artistes added it to their repertoire including Rosemary Clooney, The Kingsmen, The Lennon Sisters, Mills Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Fats Waller and as late as 1986, The Cathedral Quartet.

The lyrics to the first verse go like this:

“Toe bone connected to the foot bone… foot bone connected to the heel bone… heel bone connected to the ankle bone… ankle bone connected to the shin bone… shin bone connected to the knee bone… knee bone connected to the thigh bone… thigh bone connected to the hip bone… hip bone connected to the back bone… back bone connected to the shoulder bone… shoulder bone connected to the neck bone… neck bone connected to the head bone.”

Note: For those interested in hearing a good example of the song: click here or copy the following URL: http://www.mediafire.com/download/3hokmgs9tgxrx9o/Dem_Dry_Bones_%28The_Cathedrals_Quartet%29.mp4

Although the song was a clear reference to Ezekiel’s dry ones, it is also a fascinating look at how the bones are connected all the way from toe to head. While there are some 206 bones in the adult body and the song merely touches on a few of them, the idea is that all bones have their individual functional importance but only when they are connected one to the other in a complete comprehensive sequence that we get to understand that the connectedness makes the human anatomy useful and capable of the very things that God purposes it to be.

It is also this connectedness that Paul alludes to in the analogy he uses of the human body as a metaphor for the church, declaring, “Now you are the Body of Christ” (1 Cor 10:17, 11:29, 12:12-13) as well as in his other letters to the Romans (12:5), the Ephesians (3:6, 4:4,12,16, 5:23,30) and the Colossians (1:18,24, 2:19, 3:15). 

In 1 Corinthians 12:27-30, Paul talks about the unique diversities of each member of Christ’s body like every different bone does something special and unique and he directs this as an inspiration to the Corinthians to appreciate how their differences add to the colourful completeness of the Body of Christ. Each one is, therefore, a part of the body and without exception, everyone who places his trust in Christ receives a place in the Body of Christ.

If we extend on Paul’s use of the human body, we can identify seven aspects of great importance. These are bones considered most critical for different reasons. 

The skull protects the brain and provides the interfaces for the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. 

The sternum protects the heart and in assembling the ribs as a cage, it also protects the stomach and guts and houses the lungs. 

The hip bone secures the stomach and other organs and enables us to perambulate. 

The hyoid bone provides attachment for the tongue, enabling speech, eating and drinking. 

The spine or vertebrae offers up a physical anatomical frame that makes it possible for body balance, proportion and load bearing. 

Lastly are the limbs, which we have two different pairs to enable mobility in the legs and feet and workability in terms of what we can achieve with our arms and hands.

All of these bones are vital but on their own, they do not possess the real value to the human body. None of these bones can ever dominate the holistic functioning of the human body. And none will ever be more important than the others.

In 12:28, Paul outlines seven spiritual appointments God has made in and for the Church. In its accorded order of importance, he made clear that the three are apostles, prophets and teachers, for these are all well-defined leadership roles in any church. After that comes the rest in which he describes them as functions and tasks for those bearing the gifts of healing, tongues and leadership and also those with a passion to help others.

Although apostleship is at the top of the list, Paul doesn’t think it is something repeatable. He’s likely correct. With examples led by the likes of Peter, James, Paul himself, Luke, Matthew or even Silas, Barnabas, Andronicus, Junias or Timothy, it’s a tall order to find anyone approaching that gold standard of true-to-life experiencers of Christ. As Paul suggests, it is probably more useful and achievable to look to those who are of a decidedly helpful nature.

Second only to apostleship, prophets are apparently just as difficult or elusive and similarly, they must be examined in light of the apostolic word. These are people commonly illustrated in Scripture. In the New Testament, we can cite Agabus (Acts 11:28, 21:10), Philip the evangelist’s prophetic daughters (21:9) as well as Judas and Silas (15:32). Because Paul says in Ephesians 2:20 (and 3:5) that prophets are the equal of apostles, would that be the reason why it, too, is such an elusive role?

Seen in the traditional importance of the rabbi, teaching carries the value of interpreting (though not delivering) special revelation. This fact alone distinguishes it from the other two. The historical Jesus Himself was widely considered a rabbi, hence teacher. It is a role that Paul feels is similar in importance to a pastor and hence, has an enduring value to all churches for a teacher combs over Scripture studiously and teaches sound church doctrines.

Doers of miracles, though vague in description, likely refers to miracle performers (vv.8-10) in which healers are the most obvious examples. Those with a gift to help are, on the other hand, rarely mentioned other than this one time in the New Testament. We don’t know a lot about them except to guess that Paul meant those in various services to others in the church setting. Though nowhere else in the New Testament is the “gift of leadership” mentioned, within the church context, we believe Paul alludes to administrators and those involved in governance. As to “those who speak in unknown languages,” the implication is obviously those with a gift of tongues.

The questions that Paul asks in verses 29-30 are rhetorical because he leads us to return a unanimously negative response time and again. He compels us to understand that there is no single gift that will outshine or dominate the rest and neither does everyone in church possess it. Johnson’s Dry Bones lyrics show us that every bone works only because of what it can do when connected to something else. No bone overshadows another. No bone is so big that no others need to exist. 

Interestingly although Paul repeated the same list from 12:28 in verse 29, notice that he replaced help and leadership with the interpretation of tongues, which tells us his preoccupation (see 12:10 also) with the issue of speaking in tongues with the seemingly obsessed Corinthians.

Undoubtedly the tone of his disapproval at the church members’ view underscores Paul’s analogy of the human anatomy. There are different bones but even if some are regarded as critical, all are interdependent and all are diverse, yet they need one another to make sense. 

The modern church argues that every Christian is in possession of a certain gift and it is only by faith lacking that we fail to exercise them but this is not how Paul sees it. His argument for diversity relies on the fact that only some possess each gift and because of this, no Christian is dispensable. Furthermore, manifesting gifts depends not on the Christian but on God (12:6 et al).

Verse 31 is a challenge because interpretation can be varied. While some assert that it should be read within the context of the next chapter, others among us believe that Paul’s thoughts about ‘the most helpful gifts’ must be seen in the light that none of us can be done away with. All of us have the same Spirit (12:4,13) that works the gifts according to His will (12:11) and even so, greater honour does not go to those with a ‘greater’ gift for God alone deserves all such credit. 

What Paul therefore is saying here is that we ought to seek out the ‘greater’ or ‘most helpful’ gifts in order that the church may receive the greater blessings and present a more convincing witness. To ensure that the readers at Corinth do not misconstrue, Paul then uses the next chapter to discuss the most excellent way of Christian love.