Defining what the Body of Christ is, who belongs, and what it signifies.
This is one of those terms and concepts that are very important for issues of sanctification and understanding our relationship with God. But are not important concerning issues such as gaining salvation itself.
Here it must be noted some will immediately react with, “What are you talking about! The meaning of the Body of Christ is salvation itself!”
No, it is not. These issues are dealt with more fully under pages on the subjects of covenants, Church, Israel, and similar.
The Body of Christ is composed of those who are saved, indeed. It is spoken of in terms of individuals and those in special covenant relationships. But those covenants are not salvation themselves. Covenant does not mean salvation. It means contract, testament and agreement between parties. They are about salvation, preaching, teaching, revelation, and so on. But being under a covenant does not save you.
It should be noted up front that a reminder on the issues covered under Interpreting the Bible is called for here.Shopping Cart Theology is pervasively used in interpreting this issue.
Those who claim the Church existed in the Old Testament, replaced Israel as the covenant people, and so on will quote a lot of verses all over the place to prove the Church is the Body of Christ and the Body of Christ is the Church, alone.
Their arguments sound good as long as the context given is not examined and verses stating otherwise are not read.
First, let us define Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12: (NIV) 12The 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. 13For we were all baptized by[3] one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Clearly here every member of the Church is part of the Body of Christ. The illustration of a human body clearly shows that while each saint has a different function and different placement together under Christ they are one body functioning in unison for a common reality.
It is perfectly in keeping with Christ being King and we are members of his Kingdom. Each has a place and function within the Kingdom that functions for the purposes of the Kingdom as a whole. The Body illustration stresses the closeness and unity of that functional relationship and it is all through our King, “brain,” Savior, and Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Second issue is does this mean either the Body is limited to the Church or that all saints of all times are Church? Hence the Body of Christ and Church mean exactly the same thing?
Here are some of the verses used to claim exactly that.
1 Corinthians 12: (NIV) 27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
The argument is that this is addressed to the Church hence only the Church is the Body of Christ. But, this is addressed to the church at Corinth actually. So following this logic only the church at Corinth is the Body of Christ.
Obviously that is nonsense. It is addressing them as a local congregation of the Church as a whole so it is fully logical to extend the meaning to the full Church.
But is it logical to limit the meaning to Church only? No!
It is spoken during the Church Age to Church saints. So there is no logical reason for it to address historical saints. But neither does it exclude historical saints under other covenants from being Body of Christ. Yet neither does it declare them Church in the Body of Christ either.
Ephesians 5: (NIV) 30for we are members of his body.
Different setting but same issues again.
Colossians 1: (NIV) 24for the sake of his body, which is the church.
No way around this one is there? Clearly says the Church is his body. Or does it?
Here is where the interpreting method warned about comes in. Look at the whole passage in context.
Colossians 1: (NIV) 24Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
This is Paul speaking about Paul regarding the Church. And it is about what is still lacking for the sake of his body the Church.
Still lacking. Still under work. Still progressing. So clearly only a reality for those at the time of the speaking. Not those of past covenants and so on. They are dead and locked into their eternal fates.
Or is Paul claiming to be preaching to the dead? That the dead can still be saved or add to their rewards and so on? No. He is addressing the living flesh Church.
And so on with other verses when read in context do not state the Church and Body of Christ are the same entity and are interchangeable terms. Just never said.
Others simply spiritualize every meaning so there are no longer any references to flesh realities on these issues. Every statement is spiritual only. Thus since the Jews failed to accept Christ the Old Testament Covenant was annulled the Church inherited the covenant promises. So all references to Israel and the future prophecies must now be read as being to the Church.
Well, after years of challenges for some proof of these spiritualized claims none have ever been given. Attempted, yes. As in claims the Holy Spirit revealed it, or when you read certain verses, correctly interpreted, the spiritual meanings in the others becomes clear. And so on.
But they do not. They remain spiritualized declarations totally lacking in proof. And saying they have Holy Spirit guided faith not only does not prove anything, but is incredibly dangerous to believe.
We are told to test all things and all things. 1 Thessalonians 5: (NIV) 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
1 John 4: (NIV) 1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The very demand that all be test states there are proofs to test things against. And that is the literal words of the Bible. No prayer alone and the resulting assumption of the Holy Spirit speaking to one. For those who reject these spiritualized meanings also believe the Holy Spirit has spoken to them denying such interpretations.
Acts 17: (NIV) 10As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Did they sit around praying for revelation? Did they seek spiritualized meanings? No, they read the scriptures literally and grammatically.
2 Peter 1: (NIV) 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 16We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Did they tell those what the spiritual meaning of what they saw and heard was? No, they told what they saw and heard literally.
Isaiah 8: (NIV) 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
Again the literal word. But those endorsing these spiritualized meanings will tell you they did not understand the true meanings in the Old Testament. That only once the New Testament was given was God able to reveal the true meanings.
I suggest before any accept this they study on the subject of Gnosis. The claims of hidden truth only for those mature enough to understand it and receive it. That is exactly what is being said here.
That being that if one reads the literal words they will not understand. They must be given spiritual revelation to understand the true meanings.
And such claims and statements, along with praying for confirmation is exactly what such as the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Moonies, and other such Christian Cults preach and practice.
How can one determine whose revelation is true and whose is false if there is not a literal foundation to work from? That only exists when the Bible is read as a literal document according to the principles of historical grammatical understanding as words and statements have been read throughout history. Not some Heavenly Dictionary and Rules of Grammar only the mature can receive and understand.
Now, having said that, does the Bible actually say others than Church are part of the Body of Chirst? Yes it does.
Ephesians 3: (NIV) 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
Heirs together, not the same heir. One Body but separate members. Sharers together not one sharer. Very clear they are separate entities within the Body of Christ.
Yes, in the Church Age saved Jews are Church, not Israel, as far as covenant issues go. But no, they are not the same covenant entity. Notice the Jews of the Church are referred to as individuals, not a nation? But in the covenant with Israel they are referred to as a nation with the Gentiles held separately?
Paul makes it very clear when speaking of Israel as a nation and the Church they are distinct issues. He is very careful never to equate the two.
Never will you find Israel called Church or Church called Israel the nation. Never does it say the Church holds any of the eternal covenants to Abraham or Israel. We are only involved with the issues of the conditional one, the Mosaic Covenant. Never does it say the New Covenant is with the Church. We profit from it and share to a degree, but it is fully with Israel and Judah.
And in the 70th Week of Daniel on that distinction returns. In Hebrews you will see the New Covenant is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, no gentiles included. And it is called future to the time of writing.
Read the prophecies of the Old Testament and so on. Again in the Millennial Kingdom Israel is restored as covenant nation. The 70th Week of Daniel is for the Jews only.
And other points covered on other pages make it crystal clear Israel as a nation and the Church are completely separate entities. As in the Church is the Bride of Christ but Israel is the Wife of God. And the 24 Elders of Heaven in Revelation show a distinction of Israel from the Bride of Christ.
Finally, many never even think about or consider those who were outside the covenant of Israel, before Abram became Abraham, or unable to even hear about the Church or Israel due to their location. While those issues are mainly covered under Dispensationalism, they deserve being touched upon here.
Many, but not all, believe those other than Israel or Church are additional separate parts of the Body of Christ. Obivously such as Noah, Enoch, and Abram were righteous men who were saved. But they predate Moses and the covenant with Israel. Yet they do have eternal destinies, even though not elaborated upon in the Bible.
Here is where they can be seen as being part of the Body of Christ.
Romans 8: (NIV) 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[10] who[11] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
First notice that while this is written during the Church Age it is conditioned upon the love of God. Not the seeking or acceptance of Christ. That is important if one follows the whole issue through to conclusion.
Next, it says those who love God are foreknown. So those who will seek God in love and ask for his mercy were foreknown. Then they are predestined to succeed in finding him and are preserved and predestined to eternal glorification.
But many miss the key element embedded in all that information. It says those who love God, not Christ, are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. The easily missed part is this covers those who could not hear about Christ in their life times. But could and did seek God unto salvation.
Romans 2: (NIV) 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
When God will judge Man’s secrets through Jesus Christ. Again centered on love of God, not Christ.
Can any example be shown to illustrate how this was accomplished? Yes, indeed.
1 Peter 3: (NIV) 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19through whom[1] also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
Ephesians 4: (NIV) 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it[1] says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."[2] 9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[3] ?
Christ in the grave descended to Hell and preached to those who would accept and reject him alike. Thus God judged them though Jesus Christ.
It is apparent God gives everyone a chance on earth to come to a point of eternal commitment for or against him. Or else they enter Heaven as innocents. And nothing will change that. As here and the Rich Man and Lazarus clearly demonstrate.
Those whom love him will either be conformed in this lifetime or in death. But God will lose none that will come to him.
And obviously many have come to God under neither Israel or Church in the flesh. But in being conformed to Christ in death are they not in Christ? But clearly by definition neither Israel or Church?
