Pastor Rockwell / THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST,

Pastor Jerry Rockwell

THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, 

AND UNITY

Ephesians 4:12, Romans 7:4

Introduction: The phrase “body of Christ” occurs four times in the New Testament, Romans 7:4, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 12:27, and Ephesians 4:12. It is unnatural to think of the body in a sense other than literal, especially the church. Dr. L. S. Chafer observes, “The clear recognition of that which, through divine grace, the Church is, of the supreme place she occupies as the Body of Christ, and of the glory and exaltation which awaits her as the Bride of the Lamb, is indispensable if a worthy perspective of God’s plan and purpose is to be gained.”   For the natural mind, it is difficult to comprehend that believers are known as “the body of Christ” and the “Bride of the Lamb” (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 10:16; 12:27; Eph. 4:12; Rev. 21:9). Another concept difficult for people to understand is that a new classification of people was introduced in 1 Corinthians 10:32 (KJV), “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.” Here, we find how God divides people. There are three groups on the earth, even now: Jews, Gentiles, and the church of God. The nation of Israel was the focus of God for His people until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. That brought about a “setting aside the nation of Israel,” and the church was established and has received God’s attention since then (see: Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:3-5). The Gentiles have always been the focus of God in bringing them into a relationship with Him. Solomon, in his dedication prayer for the newly built Temple, made a statement about the world and God’s desire was “. . .that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that this house, which I have built, is called by thy name” (1 Kings 8:43). The Jews failed this miserably, and Paul said that “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles come in” (Rom. 11:25). Israel in a sense is in “captivity” (similar to the Babylonian Captivity) and even today they are not the focus of God’s attention. Israel may be a nation again, but they are not a spiritual nation with God as their focus. One writer’s comment about this verse says, “If you are saved, you are a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, and you are not a Jew and you are not a Gentile. If you are unsaved, you are a Jew or a Gentile. So, all men are lost or saved. That’s two branches. If you are saved, you are in the Body of Christ, and if you are not in the Body of Christ, you are a Jew,

or you are a Gentile.” With the focus now on the church, it has some applications that should be addressed.

  1. The Trinity in a Believer’s Life. One will note that in Ephesians 4:4-6 there is a clear manifestation of the three persons of the Godhead (Trinity). Those who study their Bible are familiar with the Trinitarian statement of the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:19 (KJV), “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The order is reversed in Ephesians 4:4-6. It starts with the Spirit, then the Lord (Son), and ends with the Father. Why does Paul begin with the Spirit? Mainly because the Holy Spirit is the active person of the Godhead in this Dispensation. Look at how the work of the Spirit in a believer’s life is presented in Ephesians:
  2. The Spirit’s Work in Salvation.
  1. We are “sealed with the holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:13.
  2. We have access unto the Father “by one Spirit,” Ephesians 2:18.
  3. We are “an habitation of God through the Spirit,” Ephesians 2:22.
  4. We have access to the revelation of the mystery given to the apostles, prophets, and Paul by the Spirit, Ephesians 3:2-5.
  5. We are “strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man,” Ephesians 3:16.
  6. The Spirit indwells us, Romans 8:11.
  7. The Spirit “beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God,” Romans 8:16. God has many more privileges for believers, demonstrating His care for those who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Paul began with the Spirit and moved to the Lord, then to the Father.
  1. The Literal Body of Christ. This phrase occurs four times in the New Testament. Two of these references are to the physical body of Christ (Rom. 7:4; 1 Cor. 10:16), and the other two address the “body of Christ” as the church (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12). This will be studied in the next section of this message. The word “body” is found in 1 Corinthians 44 times in 33 verses. Paul uses “body” twelve times in 1 Corinthians, verses 1-7. Then, in 1 Corinthians 10:17, he first references the “body” as that of the church, which says, “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” It must not be overlooked that the verse says, “we are all partakers of that one bread.” The Gospel of John has some interesting statements about “bread from heaven.” In John 6:31 (KJV), he says, “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” This was the “manna” given to the people of Israel in the wilderness. Psalm 78:24 (KJV) reads, “And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.” Jesus said in John 6:48 (KJV), “I am that bread of life.” Then he said in John 6:50 (KJV), “This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” Now, look again at 1 Corinthians 10:17, which says, “for we are all partakers of that one bread.” When you believe in Jesus for salvation, you have partaken of the “bread of life,” Jesus Christ (John 6:35, 48). It should be noted that there is corruption in application of this passage among some denominations. There is one that when they celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they claim the bread is turned into (“transubstantiation”) the “literal” body of Christ, and the wine is the “literal” blood of Christ and are not symbolic. They indicate that while the elements are changed the “taste” and “appearance” remain the same. That is not the position of this church and Baptists in general. We do what is said in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (KJV), “24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. [Emphasis added.] Our practice is remembering what Jesus did for us when taking the elements of the Lord’s Supper. No unbeliever should ever take the elements of the Lord’s Supper. 
  2. The Body of Christ, The Church. Some refer to the phrase “the body of Christ” as a “mystical” body which is understood as a Roman Catholic doctrine where there is a spiritual union of all Christians. This is referred to by non-Catholic theologians as the “invisible or universal body of Christ” which encompasses all Christians/believers. The things Paul says in Ephesians 4 contradict the concept of a “universal body.” When Paul says in vs. 1, “I therefore. . .”, he calls attention to the point that what he is about to say is built on what was said in the previous three chapters of Ephesians 1-3. It is essential to recall that in those chapters, Paul established the “practical-doctrinal” foundation on which he would teach the Ephesian believers how this principle applied to their lives. Look at Ephesians 1. We were “chosen in him” (vs. 4). We are informed that “he made us accepted in the beloved” [Jesus Christ] (vs. 6), having “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (vs. 7), God gave us “an inheritance” vs. 11). Then it says in, Ephesians 1:13–14 (KJV), “13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory”. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints. These verses present the basis of a believer’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the basis of the unity of the church, “the body of Christ.” The “body of Christ” as it represents the church is explained in 1 Corinthians 12. To understand this, it is essential to explore the three places where the “body of Christ” is speaking of the church local. In the first two of these the “unity” of the body is assumed and the guiding principle of “unity” is what we find in Ephesians 4:4-6.
  1. Romans 12:3-8. 
  1. Protection of Unity. This verse follows an exhortation by the Apostle about commitment and service. He has told the believers in Romans 12:2 to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. . .” That means we need to change the way we think. What is that change? It is in vs. 3 where the emphasis is on a person “not to think more highly than he ought to think.” This is a way of saying that a person who thinks to highly of themselves will destroy the unity of the body, the church. “A Christian is to do a job well because his actions are a reflection on His Lord.” In the next five verses, he lists some of the believer’s “office” of the Holy Spirit. 
  2. Preservation of Unity, vss. 4-5. In these two verses, it is to be noted that this “grace” (vs. 3) is a function within the body. Do not overlook that Paul said this “grace” was given to him and “to every man that is among you. . .” Romans 12:5 reminds us of the importance of being “one body” since this phrase, “one body” is stated two times in these two verses. The phrase “. . . every one members one of another.” We as a church are to function as “one.”
  3. Practice of Spiritual Gifts, vss. 6-8. It is interesting that in Romans 12:4 Paul calls these functions an “office.” In Romans 12:6 he calls them “gifts.” When you compare this list of “gifts” it is discovered that some are the same in 1 Corinthians 12 yet some are unique to the passage. Note the several “gifts” that a believer has (every Christian has at least one gift of service). There are seven which are:
  1. 1 Corinthians 12:1-31. This chapter begins with the statement in1 Corinthians 12:1 (KJV), “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Then is says in 1 Corinthians 12:4 (KJV), “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” We find in this passage an important principle. It is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (KJV), “12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 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.” Verse 12 once again emphasizes the “unity” of the body as being “one” even though there are “many members.” Then he tells what happens when a person receives Christ as Savour, he is “baptized into one body” by “one Spirit.” This is the only placed in the New Testament where we are told what the “baptism of the Holy Spirit does.” We don’t speak in tongues, we don’t heal people, etc. We are ONE. The next thing to understand here is 1 Corinthians 12:14 (KJV), “For the body is not one member, but many.” The emphasis here is that the church is “one” but has many members. He then gives an illustration in 1 Corinthians 12:15-23. There is a transition (which is difficult to discern) in vs. 24. Paul moves from the “physical body” and how it is united to the “body of Christ” that is similar to the physical body, with many members, some “seemingly” more important than others. This is a major problem in the church. Some come along thinking they are more important than others. No, one may have more responsibility but there must be unity. It says in 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 (KJV), “26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” The closing verses of this chapter (vs. 28) give more information about the function of “spiritual gifts.”
  2. Ephesians 4:7-24. This section of Ephesians is comparable to Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 where the spiritual gifts are discussed and explained. We will examine this next week.
  1. Unity in the Body, Ephesians 4:4-6. Reading this passage will reveal that the word “one” occurs seven times in it and 448 times in the entire Bible. The breakdown of the passage demonstrates how God wants us to see the importance of “unity” a stated in Eph 4:3 (KJV), “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The verse begins with “Spirit” (vs. 4), then the “Lord” (vs. 5), finally “God and Father” (vs. 6). This demonstrates the significance of the Trinity in the life of the church. Note the breakdown of each verse. A Christian is to do a job well because his actions are a reflection on His Lord. Jesus
  1. Vs. 4, has the unity of “one body,” “one Spirit,” and “one hope of your calling.” The word “one” is found three times but distributed under three principles, “body, Spirit, and “hope.”
  2. Vs. 5, has the unity of the “one Lord,” “one faith,” “one baptism.” It is the position of this message that the “one baptism” is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:13 (KJV), “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.” That baptism is what places you into the body of Christ, the church. Water baptism is a testimony of your commitment and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for you sin. You have eternal life as a result and your water baptism is a testimony of your change and place in the “church, the body of Christ.”
  3. Vs. 6, “One God and Father of all” and He is “above all” and “through all.” This is not “Pantheism” which believes God is in everything. The universe was created by God and they give testimony to His activity (Psalm 19:1ff; Rom. 1:19-20).