Homilies on First Corinthians

Now you are the body of Christ and severally members thereof.

For lest any should say, “What is the example of the body to us? Since the body is a slave to nature but our good deeds are of choice;” he applies it to our own concerns; and to signify that we ought to have the same concord of design as they have from nature, he says, “Now you are the body of Christ.” But if our body ought not to be divided, much less the body of Christ, and so much less as grace is more powerful than nature.

But what is the expression, “severally?” “So far at least as appertains to you; and so far as naturally a part should be built up from you.” For because he had said, “the body,” whereas the whole body was not the Corinthian Church, but the Church in every part of the world, therefore he said, “severally:” i.e., the Church among you is a part of the Church existing every where and of the body which is made up of all the Churches: so that not only with yourselves alone, but also with the whole Church throughout the world, you ought to be at peace, if at least ye be members of the whole body.