How is the church the Body of Christ?

30 Now our union with Christ, as His body, forms a definite part of this work, and, indeed, that in which the positive work and power of God operating in us, as in Christ, when it raised Him and set Him at His right hand. Thus the body is composed of the true members of Christ, united to Him by the power of God and the effectual presence of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, while He is sitting at the right hand of God; and they are sitting there in Him.

I have been trying on previous nights to show that the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has Him for his life: he has the place, and the position, and the relationship, which the Lord Jesus, as the ascended Man, has now before God, and, further, is united to Him. One is therefore quite prepared when we come to a scripture like this, to hear the Holy Ghost saying, as He speaks of the members of that one body here upon earth, "So also is Christ." God calls His Church upon earth by the name of Him, through whom it gets life, and existence, and every blessing, and to whom it is, by the Spirit, united: He calls it, Head and members together, Christ. How perfectly beautiful Scripture is. The thirteenth verse of 1 Cor. 12 is the explanation of the statement in the twelfth verse. The thirteenth verse expounds the nature and origin of the marvellous truth of the twelfth verse, which is this, that, being many members, we are one body, and that body is called Christ, The Head, in glory, and the members here on earth are called by the same name. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member but many." Now you see that the baptism of the Spirit carries with it the thought of the formation of a body, of which Christ is the Head. All who have received the Holy Ghost are members of this one body — the body of Christ. It was formed by the descent of the Spirit, still exists, and, as the Spirit yet abides on earth, no fresh baptism is to be expected.

The word “church” (or assembly, for the Greek word translated church in the A.V. means assembly) is sometimes used to embrace all the saints on earth as one body, and sometimes of the members of that one body gathered in a given locality. The above references show its local use and in Ephesians 1:22-23 where we read, “The church, Which is His body”, we see it used to embrace all the saints on earth viewed as one body. See also Ephesians 3:10, 21; 5:23, 29, 32; Colossians 1:18, 24, etc. The way in which the Spirit thus uses the word church or assembly, to embrace the whole body of saints on earth in some passages and in other passages to embrace the saints gathered in a given locality, goes to show that the local gatherings are looked at as an integral and representative part of the one body of Christ on earth. That is, the local gathering was viewed as the church of God in that place. They were the members of the one body on earth residing in that locality. This is clearly brought out in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, “For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body”, etc. There he is speaking of all the saints on earth but when in verse 27 he turns to the Corinthian saints viewed locally he says, “Now ye are the body of Christ”, or literally translated, “Ye are body of Christ”. Not “a body of Christ”, as though there were many other such bodies of Christ, nor yet “the body of Christ”, as though they only were the body of Christ, but “ye are body of Christ”. According to the Greek construction here the term “body of Christ” without the article is characteristic. They were viewed as having the same quality or relation as the whole of which they were a part; they were the representative part of the one body in that locality.

Every believer is a member of the body of Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). This body is not something that one can join at will or disassociate oneself from. The Spirit baptised us all — all believers — into this one body. He united us in a living union with Christ, the Head, and with one another as members of this body.

The truth then taught is, that believers are baptized by one Spirit into living union with Christ, so that Christ and all His people on earth form one vital body; and hence it is that believers are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones — words which indicate in the strongest possible way the living organic union of believers (as wrought and maintained by the Holy Ghost) with Christ as their risen Head. Several very important consequences flow from this truth; and it is to these we now invite your prayerful attention as we point them out from the word of God.

Note that the believers in any given locality — or rather the assembly of God in any given place — is regarded as the expression of the body of Christ. Thus the apostle, writing to the Corinthians, after unfolding the practical aspects of the body of Christ, says: "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." (1 Cor. 12:27.) This is a most important principle, and teaches most explicitly what is God's ground for the gathering together of His people — that it is the ground of membership of the body of Christ; that is, in other words, if saints are gathered together on any foundation which does not admit of all the members of Christ in that place (excepting such as may be under scriptural discipline), it is not God's ground. For example; if believers meet as Wesleyans, as Baptists, or as Presbyterians, they meet as being members of their respective denominations, and not as being members of Christ. But you may reply, "It is true that we are Baptists, etc.; but we have no sympathy whatever with those who exclude all others from fellowship; and, in fact, we admit all believers." That is to say, beloved friends, other believers are welcomed by you if they are willing to submit themselves to your views of truth, your views of "church" government, and to your methods of worship. If this be so, as I know it is with some of you, the case is not altered. It only proves that you have a little more liberality of feeling than many others; but it still remains true that you are not gathered on the ground of the body of Christ, that you are not gathered unto His name. For while you might tolerate those who rejected your peculiar views, you would not regard them as bona fide members, or permit them to minister in your meetings if they did not accept those views which so many Christians believe to be unscriptural. And this being so, your ground of meeting — I desire to say it tenderly, though with all faithfulness — is a denial of the unity of the body of Christ. If it were not so, membership of the body of Christ would be the only term of fellowship, and Christ's name the only centre of your gathering; and then you would view with grief the name "Congregational," "Baptist," or "Presbyterian," written up outside your chapels; because you would feel that there might be many dear children of God, members of Christ, who, not agreeing with the views indicated by these names, might be shut out from fellowship by these denominational signs.

"And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23), In the verses just preceding, our Lord had been set forth as quickened and raised up from the grave, and then placed at God's right hand, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named." It is Christ glorified, after redemption has been accomplished through His death, that is given as Head to the Church which is His Body. Here we have the beginning marked, for the body could not exist without a Head, and Christ was made Head of the Church when He was glorified. We will find this confirmed when we come to the baptism of the Spirit. I merely mention it now. In answering the question, What is the Church, we turn to a glorified Christ at God's right hand and say, There is the Head. The Church is His body, the fulness, or complement of Him who in His divine being fills all things. Think of the link here: how complete, how intimate. We shall find it is so intimate that in one place at least (1 Cor. 12:12) Christ and His Church are spoken of under one name, "So also is Christ." It reminds us of that expression in the book of Genesis, where speaking of the creation of the man and the woman, we read, God "called them Adam."

In the next place we learn in the revelation of the mystery how God, in His most wonderful purpose and grace, has associated believers of the present dispensation with Christ, in this place of honour and glory, as His body and His bride. In this place, when risen and exalted, He is given to be head over all things to the church, which is His body. It does not say head over the church, but head over all things to the church. Surely nothing could more fully display the riches of God's grace than that He should be pleased to associate the church (that is, all saints from Pentecost until the Lord comes) with Christ, the Man of His purpose, His own blessed Son, the One in whom is all His pleasure. Yet so it is. Every believer indwelt by the Spirit is united to Christ, the living Head, as a member of His body, and is regarded by the Lord as a part of Himself. The church is thus the fulness of Him who filleth all in all, the fulness of the mystic Man, the subject of God's purpose - that is, Christ the Head and the church His body making the Christ, as it says in 1 Cor. 12:12, one perfect man according to God's counsel, which will be manifested as such in the day of glory. This is the force of the expression, "His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."

35 I shall now shew, that what Scripture presents to us is a body on earth, formed on earth as Christ's body, the Head being in heaven, by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Let my reader look at 1 Corinthians 12:12 to the end. It is perfectly impossible for a man in his senses not to recognise a body on earth. The apostle compares it to our natural body: we have body and members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body; the body is not one member, but many. But C. E. will say that this is in heaven. But, unfortunately, it is by one Spirit we are baptised into one body: now this was on earth. "Ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence." They were to tarry at Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon them. It was one of the two great characters of Christ's work. He it is that baptised with the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of God came down to earth and formed one body before Paul was called. If anything need be added, it is found here, verse 25: and there was to be no schism in the body, the members were all to have the same care one for another; if one member suffered, all the members suffered with it, or one member were honoured, all the members rejoiced with it. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular; and God hath set some in the church, etc … ." Will C. E. tell me which of these gifts are to be exercised in heaven? The whole passage is as clear as language can make it, that there is a body on earth formed by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, and recognised on earth with these words, "so also is Christ." Chapter 10:17 does not refer to the connection of the heathen with idols, or Jews with the altar. It is used in reference to this as the basis of the argument. "For we, being many, are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." The same principle is recognised as known truth in Romans 12, "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." And all that follows applies to the saints down here exclusively. It is now (Eph. 3:10) that the manifold wisdom is to be made known by the church to principalities and powers in heavenly places, the Gentiles being a joint body. So in chapter 4, the very verse cited by C. E. It is exhortation to us now to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit, and what we are called to is still a hope, as the verse itself says. It will be said, "But the hope of the calling is glory with Christ above." Undoubtedly, but it will then have ceased to be a hope; it is when we have been called and have it as a hope (for we are saved in hope) that there is one body and one Spirit; there is that, as there is one faith and one baptism. The whole passage plainly shews that it is the present time, the time when the Spirit is personally down here, and faith has its place - hence the apostle speaks of the edifying of the body of Christ, "till we all come," etc. Hence C. E. cannot speak so; He has given these ministries, not for the edifying of the body, as Scripture speaks, but "the members of His body on earth." He has lost the great truth, that God has revived in these last days that presence of the Holy Ghost down here. He confounds the kingdom of heaven with the church and the body of Christ, and so will have tares in it, and tares to remain in it till harvest. In Scripture, "an enemy has done it."

The body is the vehicle, we might almost say, for the spirit. So the Church as the body of Christ is the vehicle, — may we not say? — for the activities of Christ. He uses the Church, through the indwelling Spirit, to perform His work in the world, to represent Him. "As My Father sent Me into the world so send I you into the world." It is through His members that the Lord acts in saving souls, in building up saints and nourishing and caring for His Church.

There are three ways of looking at membership in the Body; as linked with Christ, "we are members of His body" (Eph. 5:30); as linked with all saints, "we are members one of another" (Rom. 12:5); as individuals, "we are members in particular" (1 Cor. 12:27). Here we have three lines of truth: connection with Christ, with one another, and individual responsibility.

The truth of the body of Christ is here practically brought in to show the relative bearing of Christians one to another. All members have not the same office. We are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. The members of our bodies, though many, do not interfere with one another: so it is in the church of God. There are different gifts; let each one use his gift according to his faith, in responsibility to the Lord. Here perfect liberty of ministry is brought out. There is no such thing mentioned here as setting apart by man.* Every one, if he has a gift, is responsible to the Lord to use it. This is not the license of the flesh, but the liberty of the Spirit. Notice also, these gifts flow throughout the one body, and not many bodies: "We being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Exhortations follow, which enter into the minutest concerns of daily life. Do I really love a person? let not shyness, conventional usages, or selfishness, hinder me from showing it. Do I love my brother? let me in honour prefer him. Have I an honest earthly calling? I am not to be slothful in it, serving the Lord in it all, for He is my Master. Is a saint in need? help him. Is a saint passing by the road? open thy house to him. Are you persecuted? bless them that curse you. Do any rejoice? rejoice with them; do any weep? weep with them, Do you love the company of the rich? walk with men of low estate. Everything is summed up in the little verse — "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." If I am insulted, trampled upon, spit upon, like the Lord, what matters it? He gives His power. "When he was reviled, he reviled not again, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." He overcame evil with good in life; He overcame it in death, and rose Conqueror out of it all. Let us be followers of Him.

Christ is the source of all the activity of the saints, Who works through the Holy Spirit, for the edification of the body, the assembly.