`As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so ... ' (Rom. 12:4).

`The body is not one member, but many' (1 Cor. 12:14).

`The foot ... the hand ... the ear ... the eye ... the feeble ... the less honourable ... the comely' (1 Cor. 12:15-24).

`The tongue is a little member' (Jas. 3:5).

The apostle's members had, before his conversion, been employed in the upholding of Jewish tradition and of

persecuting Christians, but after his conversion his `hands' had ministered both to his own necessities and to those

that were with him (Acts 20:34).

The apostle who wrote in the epistle to the Romans: `their feet are swift to shed blood' and `how beautiful are the

feet of them that preach the gospel' (Rom. 3:15 and 10:15) knew by experience the truth of both statements.

At the stoning of Stephen the accusers laid their clothes at a young man's feet, who was called Saul (Acts 7:58);

but a little later those self same feet were made fast in the stocks of a Roman prison (Acts 16:24). Paul could

therefore truthfully say that these two members of his body, his hands and his feet, had magnified the Lord.

What was true of these two members of his body could be true of every member. His prayer was that his

`mouth' should be opened boldly as he made known the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 6:19). His ear, like the willing

servant under the law had been `digged'. He had said `I love my master ... I will not go out free' (Exod. 21:5,6).

Paul bore in his body the `marks' (stigmata brand marks of a slave indicating the owner) of the Lord Jesus.

The body which he yielded to the service of the Lord, he calls in Philippians 3:21 a `vile' body, according to the

Authorized Version. This word `vile' as used in modern English is scarcely correct; the Revised Version uses the

word `humiliation' instead. And such is the true rendering of the word tapeinosis, linked as it is with Philippians

2:8, which uses tapeinoo `to be humble', the fuller consideration of which will come better in its place as we

The body in which Christ can be magnified is indeed `this body of our humiliation', not only by its association

with the Lord's rejection and humiliation, but by reason of the very constitution of human life, birth and

The body, with all its wonder, is nevertheless a `humiliation'. The whole process of life from birth to death has

much in it that cannot be spoken about without reserve. Even the fact that at two or three intervals every day it is

necessary to turn aside and partake of food in order to keep the body functioning is a humiliation, and belongs to the

present disciplinary period. The fact that however much we desire otherwise, it is necessary to bring work to a stop,

undress and spend a third of each day's twenty-four hours in sleep is another indication of present frailty. Yet in

spite of these limitations, it is still gloriously possible for the believer to emulate the apostle and say `these hands',

`my body', can now be the honoured instruments of grace. It is because this is a blessed fact, that we find the apostle

saying `let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good,

that he may have to give to him that needeth' (Eph. 4:28).

Frances Ridley Havergal has crystallized the truth in the lovely words :

`Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing

Always, only, for my King,

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee'.

It will be remembered that we have seen the superb indifference which grace enabled the apostle to show in his

service for the Lord, in spite of adverse circumstances. Provided Christ was preached, he rejoiced, even though