Bible Strands
Romans 12:5
so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Roman believers, continuing his physical-body analogy from the preceding verse to explain their spiritual unity. He speaks at the pivot point between describing diverse functions and listing specific spiritual gifts.
The words — σῶμα (sōma) translates literally to "body," and Χριστῷ (Christō) means "in Christ," anchoring the collective identity to a specific person rather than an abstract concept.
The thread — The same body metaphor appears in 1 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Corinthians 12:27, and 1 Corinthians 10:17, where Paul repeatedly ties corporate identity to shared participation in Christ.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that individual function does not override collective belonging, requiring each reader to actively acknowledge their dependence on others. It asks for practical alignment with the stated reality that unity in Christ precedes and governs all internal diversity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 12:20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
- 1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.
- 1 Corinthians 10:17 Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.
- Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
- Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body.
- Colossians 2:19 He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
- 1 Corinthians 10:33 as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
- Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
- Romans 12:4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,