307
Pope Francis, the 266th head of the
Roman Catholic Church, rides through
the crowds of the faithful in September
2015, as he attends mass at the Vatican.See also: The Word Spreads 288–89 ■ The Way of Love 296–97 ■ The Holy Trinity 298–99 ■
The Power of the Resurrection 304–05ACTS, EPISTLES, AND REVELATION
Nor is there any room for one group
of members to regard itself as
better than the others: “God has
put the body together, giving
greater honor to the parts that
lacked it, so that there should be
no division in the body, but that
its parts should have equal concern
for each other” (12:24–25).
In several letters, Paul refers to
certain “gifts,” such as wisdom or
faith, that Christians receive by
believing in Jesus. The analogy of
the body as a united entity is a way
of ensuring that none of these gifts
is viewed as superior to others. If
more visible “gifts” are held in too
great esteem, they will promote
pride, with one exception—love—
as there is no greater gift that one
can possess or give in return.
Paul ends his exhortation with
a simple metaphor: “Now you are
the body of Christ, and each one
of you is a part of it” (12:27).The concept
of the ChurchIn Greek, the word ekklesia,
usually translated in the New
Testament as “church,” simply
refers to an assembly called
together for, say, a political
purpose. The Greek version
of the Hebrew Bible, the
Septuagint, uses the term in
this sense to describe various
assemblies of the people of
Israel. It is later—in Acts and
the Pauline writings, above
all—that the word starts to
acquire the meaning of
“church” as we know it today.
Generally, in the Pauline
writings, the term refers to
an assembly of believers in
a particular city or region—
as when Paul refers to the
Galatians, for example, as the
“churches in Galatia.” In the
later New Testament books
of Colossians and Ephesians,
the use of the term “church”
(ekklesia) further develops the
more transcendent meaning
of the body of all believers,
united as the body of Christ
and the Holy Spirit.This is the first mention of “the
body of Christ” in the Bible and,
in 1 Corinthians, the concept has
a relatively narrow focus. It is about
living out the Christian message of
love and service in the context of a
local place of worship.Developing the image
Two later writings of the New
Testament—the letters to the
Colossians and the Ephesians—
are regarded by some scholars as
the work of two of Paul’s disciples,
and add to the image of the united
body. Jesus Christ “is before all
things, and in Him all things hold
together” (Colossians 1:17).
The author of Ephesians
expounds on this idea: “We will
grow to become in every respect
the mature body of Him who is the
head, that is, Christ. From Him
the whole body, joined and held
together by every supporting
ligament, grows and builds itself
up in love, as each part does its
work” (Ephesians 4:15–16). This
vivid depiction presents the body
of Christ as a living, breathing
organism. Built on love, the body
of Christ depends and thrives on
the faith of its members. ■Instead, speaking the
truth in love, we will
grow to become in every
respect the mature body
of Him who is the head,
that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15US_306-307_The_Body_of_Christ.indd 307 27/09/17 10:18 am