The Wambsganns Lesson

by Garnett Reid

Bill Wambsganss snared Clarence Mitchell’s line drive. The Cleveland second sacker then toed the bag to retire Pete Kilduff who was off the base, and tagged Otto Miller running from first. There it was—an unassisted triple play!

Too bad no cameras caught it for a Sports Center Play of the Day. Wambsganss pulled off the rare feat, and he did so—of all things—in the 1920 World Series against Brooklyn.

Triple plays are scarce in baseball. When they do happen, rarely does one player pull off such a defensive gem by himself.
All Believers

Yet Wambsganss’ historic play raises an important point with regard to the nature and function of God’s Church. Recent trends among many who study and write about the life and culture of the Church have stressed—rightly so—its communal nature. The Church is one body, the body of Christ, corporate in character, with members responsible for mutual nurture and fellowship.

Ephesians 4, for example, highlights this corporate identity with phrases such as “the unity of the Spirit” (verse 3), “one body” (verse 4), and other elements of the seven-fold oneness (verses 4-6); “building up the body of Christ” (verse 12); “the fullness of Christ” (verse 13); and “the whole body, joined and held together” (verse 16).

Each Believer

My concern here, however, is that the pendulum not swing too far in the direction of this corporate, communal view of the Church to neglect an equally biblical emphasis on individual identity within the body. The unit thrives and grows only as each person thrives and grows.

Even in the Ephesians 4 passage noted earlier, Paul emphasizes the significance of particular believers who comprise the Church. He mentions “grace given to each one of us” (verse 7) and “when each part is working properly” (verse 16). God “arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose,” the Apostle teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:18.

A brief survey of the word each used by New Testament writers reveals this concern for individual Christians and their particular roles within the body.

• Individual Gifts—The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:15 explains that though the servants have a common task—manage the property—individual amounts are suited to each individual servant. So, too, with spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12: “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit . . . to one is given . . . to another,” and so on with eight total individual giftings (verses 8-10). The Spirit “apportions to each one individually as he wills” (verse 11).
  

• Individual Tasks—Each believer has unique work to do within the body. As with the landowner in Mark 13:34, Jesus puts us, His servants, in charge “each with his own work.” Let each one who builds on the Church’s foundation “take care how he builds upon it,” Paul cautions (1 Corinthians 3:10). Each believer must carry his own load (Galatians 6:5), since God will evaluate “each according to his works” (Romans 2:6).
  

• Individual Choices—While the Church is one body in Christ, not everyone will live their lives exactly alike and make the same choices. Plenty of room exists for individual preferences on non-essential matters. “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind,” counsels Paul (Romans 14:5).
  

• Individual Witness—According to the Lord, each tree is known by its fruit (Luke 6:44). Our lives give evidence of our hearts, so we try to “be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:12).
  

• Individual Needs—The Jerusalem Church sold their property and gave the proceeds to the apostles, who distributed “to each as they had need” (Acts 4:35).
  

• Individual Responsibility—While God calls me to love and strengthen my brothers and sisters, I answer to Him alone for my choices in my relationship to Him (Romans 14:12).
  

• Individual Involvement—Each of us must invest in the work of God by nurturing other Christians (Romans 15:2) and by giving to meet the needs of other Christians (2 Corinthians 9:7).
  

• Individual Integrity—I am the only one who can live out my life in the Spirit through holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:4) and honesty (Ephesians 4:25).
  

• Individual Faithfulness—The writer of Hebrews longs for “each of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11). Like you, I must fan the flame of my commitment and stay faithful to Christ.
  

If Bill Wambsganss didn’t make the triple play at that place and in that moment, it would not have happened. If you don’t teach that lesson, share the gospel, make that visit, or disciple your family right now where you are, it likely won’t happen, either.

Intersect: Where the Bible Meets Life is a regular column written by Dr. Garnett Reid, a member of the Bible faculty at Welch College.