The apostle Paul considered the church as the living body of Jesus Christ made up of believers. Paul did not make any formal difference between professional church leaders and ordinary members, where only the leaders did the ministry work. The community had leaders (see, for example, 1 Timothy 3:1–13). But every Christian could contribute to building up the body (1 Corinthians 12:12–31). The early Christians usually gathered together in someone's home, and everyone could share a gift from God with others (14:26–33).
Paul understood that God's Spirit gives people special gifts for their specific ministries (1 Corinthians 2:7–11, 28; Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11). The Holy Spirit leads them when they come together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer should use their spiritual gifts to help the church. Paul wanted believers to be aware of the Spirit's power in everything they did (1 Corinthians 14:26–33).
When Christians gather, every person is important and has an active role to play. Christians must listen for God speaking his word and be ready to speak it in all their relationships. Paul also calls for others to "weigh carefully" (or evaluate) what is said (1 Corinthians 14:26, 29). Every Christian is a necessary part of the group. Each person is called to actively help it grow.
Passages for Further Study
Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–31; 14:26–33; Ephesians 1:23; 4:11–13; Colossians 1:24; 2:18–19; 1 Timothy 3:1–16