Lesson 4 – The Nature
of the Church
Metaphors and the
Church
The Scriptures use several metaphors to illustrate the nature of the Church.
In the next few weeks we will be taking a look at these metaphors to help
us understand nature of the church better.
We will study in the following order: The Body of Christ; The Temple of
God; The Bride; The Flock; and the Vine and the Branches.
The Body of
Christ
The Use of the
metaphor
Who makes up the Body of Christ? The body is composed of all those who are
united to Christ through the baptism of the Spirit.
1Co 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members
of the body — though many — are one body, so too is Christ.
(13) For in one Spirit we
were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we
were all made to drink of the one Spirit.
The human body is composed of many appendages and anatomical parts, but together
these parts make up one body. The body of Christ (the Church) is the same.
Christ is the head (the brains, director and leader) of the body, but all the
rest of the body parts word together as one body.
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” does not appear to be a
reference to water baptism, but rather that all believers, whether Jews or
Greeks, etc. have spiritually become part of the one and the same body of
Christ.
Questions:
Is
“many members” in the above passage referring to the many individual persons of
the
How could applications be made to an affirmative answer to each of the above
questions?
It seems best to understand “Firstborn from
among the dead” to mean that He (Christ) was the first to be resurrected from
the dead. His resurrection set the stage for all subsequent resurrections and
also put Him in position of leadership (the head) of all those that would be
resurrected (the body of Christ – the Church).
Question: Christ is positioned as the Head of
the church. The position is a Biblically objective reality. What does that mean?
On a practical level, how should Christ’s
headship play out in the Church?
Is there a way to structure the local church
so that Christ can better function as the head? How can churches collectively
work together to make sure the focus of the church is to recognize Christ as the
head?
Eph 1:22-23
And God put all things under
Christ's feet, and he gave him
to the church as head over all things. (23)
Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The above passage complements other passages that teach Christ as put in a
position of sovereignty over the universe, “all things under Christ’s feet.” If
the church (we assume this is the universal church) is the body, the body has
the feet, does this imply that the church is somehow over the universe?
How should the church behave in light of its position in Christ?
THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY
As
the body is composed of many parts (members) and yet is one, so also is the
church.
Gifts are given to the body for the sake of Unity.
1Co 12:3-7 So I want you to
understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is cursed,"
and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
(4) Now there are different
gifts, but the same Spirit.
(5)
And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.
(6) And there are different
results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
(7) To each person the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.
Who gives the gifts mentioned in the above verse?
Are the above gifts given for the purpose of edifying the person that has the
gift, or to bring benefits to the entire body of Christ?
There must be no schism in the body.
1Co 12:25
so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have
mutual concern for one another.
Is it possible for one to use a gift, which was given for the benefit of the
whole body, to actually cause schisms in the body through the improper use of
the gift?
1Co 14:33
for God is not characterized by disorder but by peace. As in all the
churches of the saints,
Where there is proper use of gifts peace
ought to be the result, but it appears from Paul’s discussion, that the
Corinthians use of their gifts caused disorder instead. Have you witnessed
schisms in a body of believers due to the improper use of one’s gifts?
Additional passages emphasis the unity created by proper use of gifts:
Rom 12:4-5
For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members
serve the same function,
(5)
so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are
members who belong to one another.
Eph 4:7-16
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the
gift of Christ. (8)
Therefore it says,
"When he ascended on high he captured captives;
he gave gifts to men." (9)
Now what is the meaning of "he
ascended," except that he also descended to the lower regions,
namely, the earth? (10)
He, the very
one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order
to fill all things.
(11)
It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as
evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the
work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,
(13) until we all attain to
the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God — a mature person,
attaining to the measure of Christ's full stature. (14)
So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and
carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily
carry out their deceitful schemes. (15)
But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into
Christ, who is the head.
(16)
From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every
supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love.
According to verse 12 in the passage above,
what does Paul say is the purpose of the gifts?
The body is composed of
diverse members. The physical body
is not composed of one member, but of many
1Co 12:14
For in fact the body is not a single member, but many.
Have you ever been in a church, where
everyone seems to be cast in the same mold? They all have the same smile, or
frown on their face; they all seem to speak the exact same things and they never
show any signs that they may differ somehow? What does the above passage seem to
say regarding this kind of sameness?
Not only is it alright for the members to be
different, it should be expected that they will be different
1Co 12:17-20
If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the
whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?
(18) But as a matter of fact,
God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided.
(19) If they were all the
same member, where would the body be?
(20) So now there are many
members, but one body.
These members vary in function
1Co 12:17
If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the
whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?
1Co 12:22
On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential,
Every anatomical part of the human body has
an important function to the body. So it is with the Body of Christ. Every
person within the church should be recognized as being essential to the proper
operation of the church. There should be no favoritism or jealousy in regards to
abilities and gifts of the members. Those that do the lesser jobs or exhibit
lesser gifts ought to be as highly regarded as those that tend to more highly
esteemed.
1Co 12:23
and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater
honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity,
Share some positive examples where you’ve
seen the less honorable gifts honored.
Share some negative examples regarding the
above principle. How can these be corrected? How can the local church better
recognize the less honorable gifts?
Each member is not only related to Christ the head, but also to each other.
They are “members one of another”
Rom 12:5
so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are
members who belong to one another.
Eph 4:25
Therefore, having laid aside falsehood,
each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are
members of one another.
This implies dependence one upon another and a cooperative functioning of the
body (1 Cor. 12:21-25)
THE HEAD AND THE BODY
Christ is sovereign as Head over the new spiritual creation which is His body,
the church.
(Colossians 1:18; see earlier reference).
Christ’s exemplary demonstration of love to his Bride, which is also his body,
is the manner that men are encouraged to treat their wives which are also viewed
as their own body (Ephesians
5:24-31).
Eph 5:24-31
But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their
husbands in everything.
(25)
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave
himself for her (26)
to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the
word, (27)
so that he may present the church to
himself as glorious — not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but
holy and blameless. (28)
In the same
way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
wife loves himself.
(29)
For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of
it, just as Christ also does the church,
(30) for we are members of
his body. (31)
For this reason a man will leave his
father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one
flesh.
The body of Christ ought to submit to its
head -- Christ. The body of the husband (the wife) ought to submit to its head –
the husband. Christ died for the
bride – the body. Men ought to love as much as Christ and be willing to die for
their wives. Notice how Christ takes care of His own body. Men also ought to
give the same kind of care to their body – the wife. We will continue this
analogy in the latter study on the “bride of Christ”.
The various members find their unity in the
single Lordship of the Head. The
multiplicity of gifts and personalities in the church are “knit together” or
“compacted” as they individually respond to the command of the Head (Col:19; Eph
4:15-15).
Summary
Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being
the body of Christ to explain the marvelous relationship Christ has with the
Church. Just as there is one body with the head being the organizer, leader, and
sustainer of the body, so Christ is the head of the church. The analogy between
the human body and the body of Christ illustrates the unity, diversity, and
mutuality of the universal church and gives an example for proper operation of
the local church.
Questions:
Does the universal church demonstrate
presently and historically a proper understanding of the above principles taught
in the analogy between the human body and the body of Christ? Give both positive
and negative examples.
Does your local church recognize the lesser
gifts of its members, or does it seem to focus the more esteemed gifts?
What practical action can your church take to
help it use its gifts toward unity, diversity and mutuality, while avoiding
schisms?
