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YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST 1 Corinthians 12:27
Last week we thought about these words, You yourselves are God’s temple. Today.. these words.. You are the body of Christ [1 Corinthians 12:27]. Have you ever taken time to wonder at the marvels of the human body? Let’s marvel right now. Shut your eyes and tell your index finger to touch your ear.. nose.. knee. Did the finger miss? I don’t think so. What a wonder of coordination. Your finger takes its orders directly from the brain.. and with the help of the arm and hand and other muscles.. does just what the brain tells it to do! The Apostle Paul describes the church as the body of Christ in several of his letters. Sometimes he uses the human body as an illustration. For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:21 he says to believers who think they can get by without other believers, The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” But in other places, Paul goes much deeper than this.
He teaches that..
Not like or similar to.. but is the body of Christ. He writes.. Colossians 1:18.. He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church.. Colossians 1:24.. Now I rejoice in what was suffered.. for the sake of his body, which is the church. Ephesians 1:22, 23.. 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 4:11,12.. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.. Ephesians 5:23.. Christ is the head of the church, his body..
Now let’s look again at Ephesians 1:22,23.. Here the Apostle is not just painting a picture.. or giving us a symbol to think about.. He is saying that the church actually is the body of Christ. He makes this mind-boggling statement.. ..the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Let’s unpack this. Jesus is risen.. ascended.. Lord of all.. and He fills everything in every way, and in a very special way He fills the church! The Contemporary English Version translates it like this: The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything! J. B. Phillips puts it like this: In that body [the church] lives fully the one who fills the whole wide universe! Jesus fills the whole wide universe.. and yet somehow.. mysteriously.. lives fully in His Church.. His people worldwide!
Then he teaches that..
When we use the word ‘head’ we sometimes mean little more than the person in charge. Paul means far more than that. He writes.. Colossians 1:18.. He [Christ] is the head of the body.. Colossians 2:19.. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Paul has the human body in mind here.. and is saying that Christ is the head of the body.. just as the brain is the head of the human body! Medical writers.. whose works were followed at the time when Paul wrote these words.. men such as Hippocrates and Galen.. spoke of the head or brain controlling and coordinating the functions of the body. In our day.. in a book written for non medical people.. the brain is described as.. a flower perched on top of a slender stalk that runs down through holes in the vertebrae of the spine and ends at the small of the back. Many branches extend from the central stalk.. Through their finest fibres they reach in to the remotest places and into every nook and cranny from the roots of hairs and teeth to the tips of the toes.. the headquarters of the most elaborate communications network ever devised..’ [Our Human Body pp98,100,101]. Christ is the Head, the brain, co-ordinating and directing His body, the worldwide church!
Next he teaches that..
Paul makes it clear that believers.. people who have believed in Jesus.. who have surrendered their lives to Him.. and been born again.. are the members of the body.. Ephesians 4:25.. We are all members of one body. Ephesians 5:30.. We are members of his body Colossians 3:15.. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. .1 Corinthians 12:12,13,27.. 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. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. When we believed in Jesus.. surrendered our lives to Him.. the Holy Spirit baptized us into one body.. into the body of Christ.. so that now.. we are the body of Christ.. and each of us is a part of it! In Romans 12:5 Paul puts it like this.. In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We form one body.. the body of Christ.. and we belong to all the others. We cannot go it alone.. we are part of each other! Time and geography will mean we cannot associate with all believers.. but we can at least see ourselves this way.. see others as part of the same body! The church is the body of Christ in the world! We as individuals are part of it! The local church is part of it!
Then he teaches that..
The Apostle Paul writes.. Romans 12:5.. In Christ we who are many form one body.. Then in the next verse.. Romans 12:6 he says.. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is… let him use it.. We are part of the one body.. we have different gifts.. different functions to fulfil.. Whatever gift we have.. let’s use it! Now let's consider two very important things Paul says about these gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:27,28 he says.. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed.. We do not choose our position in the body.. we do not choose to be a finger.. or a leg.. or an eye.. or a mouth.. Just as God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be [1 Co 12:18].. so He places people in the body of Christ. He appoints us! Gives us a particular part to play! And then in Ephesians 4:16 Paul writes.. From him [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. The whole body grows.. as each part does its work! That applies to the world-wide church.. and to the local church! Four years ago.. at this time.. I had a broken toe.. painful.. and frustrating.. My brain wanted to put it down on the path and walk normally.. run.. and do other things.. but I could not - because the toe was not able to do its work. I wonder how Jesus feels when He wants to do something.. sends the instruction.. and the member of His body does not respond? Let’s be among those who play our part.. who do as Jesus says!
Finally he teaches that..
Paul was very concerned for the believers in Colossae. Certain people were leading them astray.. with puffed up ideas about what to eat or drink, about what religious festivals to keep, and about the worship of angels. Paul says of such a person as this.. Colossians 2:19.. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Such a person is not holding fast to Christ. He has lost connection with Christ! Do that.. and we are on our own.. living by our own ideas of what to do.. and devoid of the inspiration, guidance and life of Jesus! You and I need to work at staying connected to Christ.. living in vital union with Him. How do we do that? Paul has already told us how in Colossians 2:6,7.. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord.. just as we believed He had died for us.. had risen.. is alive.. is Lord.. and invited Him into our lives as the Lord He is.. Just as we did that.. now continue to live in Him! Day by day.. spend time with Jesus.. listen to Him.. and respond to what He says.
The Apostle has given us an inspiring and challenging understanding of the church. The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the Head of the body. Believers are the various members of the body. We as individuals are part of it! We as a local church are part of His body. Every believer has a part to play. We will play our part when we live in vital union with Christ.
Let’s take these truths to heart! Remember the exercise with your finger. It did just as you told it to do. Let it be a challenge to you.. to do just as Jesus tells you to do. Separate that finger from the brain.. and it is useless.Let’s remember that.. and day by day do what it takes to live in vital union with Christ!
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