The Church, the Body

THE CHURCH, THE BODY

The Bible uses many metaphors to refer to the church, the local congregation of baptized believers. Many of them are familiar to us – a bride (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2), a building (1 Corinthians 3:9; Psalm 127:1), a city/Zion (Matthew 5:14; 1 Peter 2:6-10; Psalm 127:1), a field (1 Corinthians 3:6-9), a flock (Luke 12:32), a house or temple (Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Timothy 3:15). The church is a bride and Jesus the husband; a building and Jesus the builder, a field and Jesus the owner, a flock and Jesus the shepherd, a temple and Jesus the inhabiter of it.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. Here the church metaphor is “body.”

Romans 12:4-8 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. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The teaching through the metaphor of “the body” emphasizes unity (one life), diversity (many parts, functions), and headship (one head). It puts us in our place.

It puts us in our place in regard to ourselves. We are not alone (Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think”)

• Considering the church as a body jettisons high thoughts of ourselves (“not to think of himself more highly”).
• Considering the church as a body reminds us God is working with others (“God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”).
• Considering the church as a body exalts the goodness of each having his own important and varying gifts (“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us”).

It puts us in our place in regard to one another. We are the body (1 Corinthians 12:27 “ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”). 1 Corinthians 12:12 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.

• The church as a body is one in the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3 “endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”). There is organic unity and practical unity.
• The church as a body serves both the head and one another (1 Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all”). 
• The church as a body, through differing gifts of the Spirit, can serve and function effectively and efficiently (1 Corinthians 12:4–7). Every member has an unique function and also depends on the other members (1 Corinthians 12:14–25). 
• The church as a body – the whole body, every member of it – shares one and the same life.  “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

It puts us in our place in regard to our Lord. Christ is the head (Colossians 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church”). 

• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of authority to whom we submit (Ephesians 5:23–24 “the church is subject unto Christ”). 
• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of influencing and ministering to the body, e.g. for health and growth (Colossians 2:19 “the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together”). 
• Jesus Christ is head in the sense of his exercising power over the body for its good. He is the Saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:23).

We church members need to be put in our place, in at least two senses.

To put someone is his place is to remind someone of his position, to show him he is not better than others, not as important as one thinks he is. Understanding the church as a body performs this function for us. We are part of something bigger than ourselves

To put something is its place is to position or arrange an object correctly, such as installing physical objects in their intended or correct location. A library book has a certain and exact number which identifies its placement in the proper order in relation to the rest of the books on the shelf. Understanding the church as a body teaches us of our proper placement “on the shelf” – under and subject to the head of the body, Jesus Christ.

Lessons from a tuber crop

Lessons from a tuber crop (potatoes – unlike beets, carrots, turnips – are not a root crop, but a tuber, a stem that grows underground).

Fruit, noun. Any product of plant growth; any edible part of a plant; product, result.

It’s May and I am digging my potatoes, slowly but hopefully surely. (It was May 2024 when I wrote this.) Here are a few lessons I’ve learned.

The results can be described as no fruit, fruit, more fruit, much fruit (John 15:1-5).

Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things?

All my potatoes had fruit, with some having more and some having less. If the taters (tubers) were larger there were often fewer of them. If they were smaller, there were often more of them. The amount of fruit given could be deceptive to the naked eye. If the tubers were weighed rather than counted, those that appeared to have more fruit might have less fruit – which made me think, our casual calculations of how much fruit is on some other Christian’s vine might likely be misguided.

Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. 

Jesus did, in a sense. (For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him).

Some fruit comes in unexpected shapes.

If you are used to buying your potatoes in a grocery store, you might think they are all nicely round or oval. And they mostly are, but apparently the odd-shaped potatoes get passed over for lesser jobs.

What you see above ground hints at what is not seen. 

Fine plants. Cracked soil. Maybe even a top part of a tuber visible above ground.

Sometimes you have to dig deeper. 

All the potatoes are not just below the surface. Some are right under the surface and some are deeper. It is easy for the shallow digger to overlook good fruit.

There are enemies of the fruit – for example, the potato bug, fire ants, as well as weeds & grass. The potato bug is a perennial enemy, whose larvae infestation can destroy the foliage on potato plants. Last year I fought them on three fronts. This year I saw one adult beetle, crushed it in my hand, and (surprisingly) never saw another beetle or its larvae. Weeds and grass flourished this year, and I had a hard time keeping up. These compete with the potato for water and nutrition. Fire ants can cause some damage to the tuber and plenty to the hands digging them!

1 Peter 5:8 ...your adversary the devil...

1 Kings 21:20 ...Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

The fruit brings joy – for what it is (the result of laboring together with God) and what it does (provide food/sustenance).

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

God gives the increase (Psalm 67:6; 1 Corinthians 3:6). Without Jesus we can do nothing (John 15:5).