Christian Living

The Body of Christ

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
11/22/21
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

“For the body is not one member, but many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14)

When I think of the word body, the first thought is my body. But many bodies in the world are comprised of people. I say in my opinion that in each of these bodies, there is division. There has been a division since the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were in harmony with God, and then Satan tempted them into a division with their Creator. There was a division between God and humanity, between everybody, formed, and division within our body. It is not because I do not believe in free choice, but because free choice, like everything else, is clouded by sin. When we look at the Church body, we also see division. Not all of that division is bad, but I believe it is unnecessary, as the Church is to have like-mindedness with Christ.

If we stretch the word body, we could say a body of buildings is possible, but no building can be the body of Christ. The Church is a body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as their one Savior. The short definition of salvation is two-fold. First salvation is freedom from the second death, and second freedom from the Wrath of God. Much is to be said on those topics, but today the discussion is what the Body of Christ is.

The Church is a body of believers and means it is all-inclusive, and the common thread is believers in Jesus Christ. This common thread unites us, but it does not distort our individuality. We are many, but each has its own talent, time, and treasure. The call is to use that which the Lord provides to us for His glory. We are to use the Lord’s resources to benefit each member of the body and our outreach to the community and world. “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4-5)

In Greek, the word Church is Ekklesia and has two parts to its definition. First is has a Hebrew background of an assembly to hear God’s Word. The Church is to gather to equip the body with the nourishment of God’s wisdom. The parents of the children in the body are to pass this teaching on to the children. “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.” (Deuteronomy 4:10) God’s Word commands the Church to do this for the preservation of His people. “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Provers 22:6)

Ekklesia has a relationship with governing, such as the city of Athens. A notice was sent out to all the citizens of Athens to come to the counsel’s meeting. Those who accepted the invitation would gather ten times a year to have a voice in government affairs. The meeting would start with a trumpet sound, and only those who accepted the invitation could attend.

It fits with the Church as the Body of Christ. Only those who accepted the invitation (call) will come and assemble to hear the Word of God. The Church Body is a Divine assembly as it was ordained by Jesus in the New Testament when talking to His disciples. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18) Therefore, the Church can never be a building built by man, as it was built by the Rock, the Word of God. The Body of Christ, for now, has divisions. Different denominations come from different interpretations of His Word in the Church Body. I always refer to this when people ask me why there are differences in the Church. “In the beginning was the Word.” John 1:1) Humanity has been adding to it ever since.

There are eight titles given to the Body of Christ, and one of them is the Body of Christ. “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.” (Colossians 2:18-19) Many have spiritual thoughts to share and deviations from the truth. There is only one perfect wisdom and only one perfect Word, which comes from the head of the Body Jesus Christ. “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18)

The Church is the Bride of Christ. “And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2) God instituted marriage at the beginning with Adam’s rib, then he and the woman would become one flesh. It is a picture of the Church and Christ that they will become one.

The Church is the Children of God. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26) As Prophet John the Baptist testified, when we receive Christ, we become a Child of God. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

The Church are the Chosen Ones. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10) The body of Christ is set aside that the world may experience Him and be drawn to Him.

The Church is the Elect of His Kingdom. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” (Romans 8:33) The world may accuse and persecute the Church, but only God will justify the good work the Church has done. As the Church is the Sons of God. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) The Church Body is filled with the power of His Spirit within them.

The Church is the Children of the Light. “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” (John 12:36) A Divine light planted in a darkened world that wicked people may see the truth of God’s righteousness. The Church is the Temple of God. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

As the Body of Christ, His Bride, the Church, has to witness the Bridegroom’s love, His love for His Bride, and our love for Him. The Church is to show that love to the world. And display that love amongst the members. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34) His Church body is to gather together and edify each other that all will be equipped to face the challenges the world presents, lifting our Lord up that others will know. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

The Church Body must never forget the sacrifice of love that our Lord suffered on the cross that we can be free from the bondage of our sin. We do this in remembrance of Him by sharing the Lord’s Supper. (Luke 22:17-19)

Each title is a privilege and has a responsibility. Our responsibility as the Body of Christ is to share the good news of our salvation, so those destined for the wrath of God might become free. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

It is not our work but His work through us, His life living within us, in the power of His Spirit upon us. “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]” (Mark 16:20). He has placed us in whatever station of life we are in the mission field, planting the seeds of His truth. All of humanity should have the opportunity to accept or reject the truth of the one way they can find salvation. Our prayer and hope that they will be drawn to Him as we lift Him up in our life. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” (John 12:32)

The day will come when all division is gone, and the Body of Christ will be of one Spirit with our Lord who saved us, justified us, and restored us to the creation we were created to be. “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, November 18, 2020