“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Cor. 12:24b-25, ESV)
Our culture loves to exalt people who have talent. Actors, athletes, singers, and musicians all are praised and honored because they entertain or amuse us. Hence the popularity of award shows and ceremonies that crown these artists as if they were demigods. And even the Christian community has joined in by exalting flashy and trendy preachers as well as singers and musicians as if they were worthy of exaltation. This does not belong in the Kingdom of God.
Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians because they exalted a certain group of super spiritual saints who spoke in tongues and prophesied with great eloquence. He wrote to correct this problem by pointing out that spiritual pride and self-aggrandizement were not only destroying proper relationships within the body of Christ but also providing a poor witness of Christ’s love to those outside the Church. The people of God needed to be humbled, to see that their talents and gifts were provided by the Holy Spirit to build and edify the entire church. Thus, Paul warned of the dangers of spiritual pride, celebrity status, selfishness, power plays, and church politics. These have no place in the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit desires to build a community with one focus: to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.
To that end the members of the Body of Christ need each other to exercise their individual gifts as the spirit leads. Thus no one gift is more valuable than another and no one person is indispensable. All of us are members of the Body of Christ and so one with each other. We all need each other. Therefore, we must work together for the common good of the Body, not for our own agenda. The only glory we seek is the glory of God.