1 Corinthians 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

A metaphor is an implicit comparison. Metaphors and tupos, which is a foreshadowing, are used throughout the bible. Jesus is the Rock, the Cornerstone, is one example of a metaphor. The image is implicit, easily related.

Many within the body of Christ have wondered what body part they are implicit comparisons. Am I the eye? Am I the ear? Am I the feet? Am I the tongue? They use comparative language to try and discover who they are in Christ, so that they should know how to act. They seek to act in character with their calling.

1 Corinthians 12:31a But covet earnestly the best gifts:

Error can be seen within the body of Christ in how they interpret this verse. Even if you replace covet with desire or seek as are listed in other versions of the bible, the danger still remains. I will try and describe this danger by exchanging one word in a bible quote. That being metaphor.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of metaphor is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Money after all is also a metaphor. The error comes not from misunderstanding the metaphor but misapplying it. We err when try to discover who we are in Christ.

Discover who Christ is in you.