The Body in Action
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1:22-23.)
The Church is described in scripture as the Body of Christ, a picture both of the relationship of the Church to Christ (as Head) and of the way the Church is designed to function.
The Fullness of Christ "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." (Colossians 2:9-10.)
When Jesus walked the earth, His physical body housed the fullness of God - His body was a temple of the Spirit (John 2:19-21). Now the Church is His Body, the temple of God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16); (2 Corinthians 6:16).
We are a corporate Body expressed on three levels: The universal Church The regional Church The local congregation Jesus said it was expedient for Him to return to His Father, for only then could He send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Whereas His physical body was limited by space and time, His corporate Body - the Church - has no such limitations (John 14:12).
A Body Prepared "Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, "Here I am - it is written about me in the scroll.
I have come to do your will, O God"'" (Hebrews 10:5-7). This is the function of any body - to do the will of that person. Jesus came to the earth in bodily form to fulfil the will of His Father (John 5:19); (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (John 1:1,14,18); (1Timothy 3:16).
Now the Church, as Christ's corporate Body, is to express God's will on earth (Matthew 6:10) - to be God manifest again in the flesh.
Structure of the Body "...the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow" (Colossians 2:19).
The Body of Christ has structure, but it is a structure designed for flexibility. The two elements mentioned in this verse - ligaments and sinews - picture this structure. Sinews are the muscles of the body, designed for movement. But muscles won't work by themselves; they need something to pull against. Ligaments join the muscles to the skeleton, which creates the body's structure.
Without structure, the body will collapse. With too much structure, the body becomes immobilized. "...speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:15-16).
One Body "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body..." (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Body of Christ is a unit comprised of many members (1 Corinthians 12:12). This unity is possible because in Christ we have:
One Spirit The Body of Christ is filled with the Holy Spirit - also called the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:6-7); (Galatians 4:6). This Spirit is the bond which holds the Body together (Ephesians 4:4).
One Blood All true Christians have one common denominator (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) - we have been redeemed by the Blood of Christ (Acts 20:28); (Ephesians 1:7; 2:13). This Blood is the basis of our life in God and continues to nourish us (John 6:53-56) and cleanse us (Hebrews 9:14).
One Mind This is not just doctrinal agreement, but agreement in purpose and vision. For the Body of Christ to function as God intended, we must all be motivated by the heart of Christ FPhilippians 2:5-8) and guided by the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Many Parts "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12).
In (1 Corinthians 12:15-27), the Apostle Paul deals with two problems in attitude that will hinder the proper functioning of the Body: Inferiority (verses 15-20) Superiority (verses 21-27) We are not to think more highly of ourselves nor more lowly of ourselves than we should. Rather, we should see ourselves as a vital but inter-related part of the Body (read Romans 12:3-6).
Practical Unity "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, - - - then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:1-4) (see also (Colossians 3:12-16).
The early Church expressed this bond of unity on three levels: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had" (Acts 4:32). One in heart - the bond of a common Spirit One in mind - the bond of a common purpose One in life - the bond of a common concern
Positioned by God "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?" (1 Corinthians 12:18-19).
The Body of Christ has unity, but not uniformity. Just as there is a wonderful diversity in the natural body, so it is with the Body of Christ - a diversity of function and a variety of expression.
In (1 Corinthians 12:7-10), the Apostle Paul uses two words to describe this diversity in action: Allos - "to one kind" Heteros - "to an entirely different kind" Christians tend to gather with others of their own kind (allos), but the Body is also made up of people of completely different kinds (heteros). It is only when the allos and the heteros come together that the whole Christ is manifest to the world.
Purpose of the Body God's plan is that Christ should manifest to the world, through His Body, four things: The glory of God (Ephesians 2:21); (Habakkuk 2:14) The wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10) The grace of God (Ephesians 2:6-7) The praises of God (1 Peter 2:5,9-11)
The Whole Christ It is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to the world (John 16:14-15), and He does this by indwelling the Church. In order to reveal the whole Christ, the Body must reveal Christ... In His character (Galatians 5:21-22) In His power (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) In His authority (John 16:23-24)
"Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21)