It's Hard to Live Without a Liver, Lungs—That's What Paul Said

There was a time when I would’ve gotten a huge ego boost if I saw my face on an advertisement that I was a speaker at a conference. The Lord has seen to it over the years to crush my pride over and over again. Now the idea of it makes me a little bit nauseous. Paul addresses this in a powerful passage in 1 Corinthians 12. Before we get into it, let me preface it by saying two things:

1. It does appear that God is putting his finger on celebrity-preacher-focused Christianity. It’s not just the preachers, but those of us who perpetuate the system by refusing to hold them accountable and putting them on a pedestal.

2. One of the main arguments for not holding these anointed orators accountable is that we can’t survive without them. They are too important to the body of Messiah.

This is exactly the opposite of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12. This has become one of my go-to verses to remind me of the importance of every member of the body of Messiah.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. 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 12:21-25).

We Can’t Survive Without the Hidden Parts

Paul makes several points here:

1. Each member of the body has a need for the other members.

2. Some members are indispensable.

3. But it’s not the famous people.

4. God gives greater honor to the parts in the body, “we think less honorable.”

Scholar Verlyn Verbrugge shares, “While we can exist without an arm or a leg, we cannot exist for long if those private parts ceased to function. They are indeed necessary.” 1 Think about it, I assume my gift to the body is that I am a mouth—a voice. But you can survive as a mute. Many pastors and apostolic leaders are builders—so maybe we’ll call them hands. I’ve seen many people survive without hands, even without legs. But I’ve never seen anyone survive without a liver.

“The human body is a marvelous machine. With more than 600 muscles, approximately 206 bones, and thousands of tendons, there are a lot of moving parts that go into keeping a person alive. Our organs are at the center of all this action.” 2

While medical technology continues to create ways for people to survive by replacing vital organs, the fact is that the members of our body, without which we cannot survive, are all hidden: the liver, lungs, heart, brain, small intestine, and kidneys. 3 Excuse the example, but without genitals, one cannot procreate or reproduce. But those areas we keep hidden (many scholars believe that Paul was specifically referring to those regions of the body in the passage.)

Often, when leaders are confronted with past sin, they argue that their calling is too important to the kingdom of God for them to be sidelined. In fact, many in the Body echo that as a reason to keep them front and center. A similar argument has been made that if the leader of a large organization is exposed, it would affect all the people who work there.

“Ravi Zacharias was a world-renowned evangelical minister and apologist for more than forty years. He led an organization with revenue of nearly $26 million in 2015. He also systematically abused women all over the world, drawing vulnerable women in by using spiritual language. In essence, he used the name and Word of God to destroy people. He habituated deception early on, deception that was never confronted.” 4

Not only did the Church survive the death of Ravi Zacharias, but it also survived the exposure of his scandal. The Body of Christ is resilient. If we lose a mouthpiece or a hand, we still have our liver and our kidneys.

But in the height of scandal, institutions will often become self-protective, knowing that if the mouth is removed, it will affect them as well as many others. Diane Langberg writes:

“One reason has to do with the belief that the institution is good and must be protected at all costs. The institution is important. It is helpful. It does good. The full truth must be kept under wraps lest it damage the institution and prevent it from continuing to do its good work.” 5

This is a Test!

The test in this hour, even as self-proclaimed Facebook prophets panic as the Body of Christ finds its voice, is whether we have the faith to believe that God can take care of his Church? There is no question that when God anoints someone, their removal causes pain. But if we adhere to biblical principles and bring discipline, as well as offer forgiveness and restoration (to Jesus, not necessarily to ministry) to those who show fruits of repentance—as opposed to gaslighting and blaming the victims/ whistleblowers—God’s Church will grow.

However, if we remain dependent on the lesser needed parts of the body, by not protecting the more vulnerable and indispensable parts of the body, we will come under God’s judgment. This is a test!

Not Revolution but an Appeal for Change

Let me appeal to those leaders who are most vocal about the necessity of apostles and prophets—and believe me, I long to see a church that looks like the book of Acts—could it be that God is less concerned with apostolic decrees and more concerned with victims of abuse? Don’t get me wrong—I love leadership. The body cannot function without leadership (Eph 4:11, 1 Tim 5:17-20), but leadership exists to equip the whole body, not to be worshiped or idolized by the more valuable and essential members of the body.

To be clear, I am not advocating for some sort of “French Revolution” against the leadership class. I’m asking you a question: Do we have the faith to believe that God will best take care of his Church if we protect the body (God’s sheep) over institutions and celebrities? Can we break our addiction to celebrity Christianity? Can we return to a simpler faith rooted in prayer, worship, solitude, and humility? Can we?

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[1] Verlyn D. Verbrugge, “1 Corinthians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Revised Edition), ed. Tremper Longman III & Garland, David E., vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 368.

[2] Savanna Swain-Wilson “12 body organs you can live without,” Business Insider, February 4th, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com/organs-you-can-live-without-2019-2.

[3] “Ogran Failure,” Cleveland Clinic, accessed May 31, 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24679-organ-failure

[4] Daine Langberg, When the Church Harms God's People: Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse, Pursue Truth, and Care for the Wounded (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2024), 93, Kindle.

[5] Langberg, “When the Church Harms God’s People,” 73.