Christ’s Church is His spiritual body. What does that mean? Christ revealed this to Paul so he could record it for our learning. It’s so stated in Ephesians 1. When speaking of Christ, Paul said, “He was raised from the dead, and sat at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in the world to come: and has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.”
Chapters 4 and 5 of Ephesians follow with repeated references to the Church, the spiritual body of Christ. It’s a term that can be confusing. We know Christ had a physical body while here on earth. He acquired it while He was incarnated as deity into human flesh and began His earthly sojourn in Bethlehem. That was His physical body that was placed on the Cross and died there in our stead.
But, in the Scriptures, just as there is physical and spiritual bread, physical and spiritual water, physical and spiritual light, physical and spiritual life, so, too, there is a physical and spiritual body. Christ’s physical body includes His flesh and bone, as your body does. But what comprises His spiritual body? We do. We who are believers in Jesus Christ are His spiritual body. Why do you suppose the analogy of a body is used in connection with the believers’ position in Christ? Because nothing is so altogether as a body. Although comprised of multiple parts, there is an undeniable cohesion of the parts so connected as to make a whole body. What better or more accurate analogy could be used to describe the relationship of individual believers to the person of Jesus Christ. We are spiritually members of His body. How closely connected is that?
Paul, whom God uses to reveal the body concept connecting the Christian and Christ, repeatedly uses the term “in Christ” when he states in Galatians 3, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Did you hear it? You are all one in Christ Jesus.” This concept of the spiritual body of Christ is reinforced in Ephesians 5, stated with crystal clarity, “For we are members of His body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” He concludes by saying, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” This truth of being “in Christ” was never presented nor considered until after the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Now, it remains one of the most telling and powerful truths connected with the believer and Christ’s body.
CC-06-15
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