Study 18
THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST
Before we begin our study of the church, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before you, Father, through Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, please open our ears, our eyes and heart so we can hear, see and understand Your Word. Lord, please reveal to us the nature of Your church, its purpose and its operation.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin by reading about the time when Jesus asked His disciples what the people were saying about Him. This conversation is recorded in,
Matthew 16:13-18
"[13] When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi; he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" [14] They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15] "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" [16] Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
Let us notice the following verses,
13-14 … Jesus opened His interchange by asking His disciples what people say about Him. They responded by providing Jesus with the various opinions of the people. In like manner, when we read or hear about Jesus Christ, we too observe and hear what other people think and believe about Him. However, there does come a time when we, as individuals, must also address the question of, “Who do I say that He is?” For the disciples, their moment of truth was recorded in the following verse,
15 … "But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16-17 … Peter responded by identifying Jesus’ true identity. Specifically, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Upon hearing Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus told him that he was blessed. The reason Peter was blessed was because it was the Father who revealed this truth. Thus, if you truly believe that Jesus is the one and only begotten Son of the living God, then you, as Peter, are blessed.
18 … Jesus explained to Peter that it is upon this rock, that is this revelation or faith in who Jesus is, that He will build His church.
For our study of the church that Jesus Christ is building we will,
1. See that the Old Testament Temple was a foreshadowing of the church.
2. Find that the church is composed of all the born again believers in Jesus Christ and is also known as the body of Christ.
3. Review God’s intended purpose for His church.
4. Explore God’s intention for how His church is to operate and function.
With the above introduction mind we begin by a brief examination of the Old Testament Temple. As we do this we will discover that,
THE OLD TESTAMENT PHYSICAL TEMPLE WAS A FORESHADOWING OF THE CHURCH OR BODY OF CHRIST
Since the Old Testament talks about three temples or tabernacles, the following historical background material is offered to help clarify the chronology or timeline and setting of these temples.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The first temple was built under the direction of Moses. It was constructed during Israel’s exodus from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. This temple was often identified as the Tent of Meeting. It was referred to in this manner because it was the place where God would meet and give direction to the representatives of Israel, which were Moses and the priests (Exodus 25:23). This temple was actually a tent composed of wood boards, cloth and animal skins (Exodus 26:1-36). It was used throughout Israel’s exodus in the wilderness of Sinai. Each time the nation was to move from one place to another, the tent was dismantled, carried and reassembled by the Levites (Numbers 4:1-33). This temple was also used by the Israelites during the early years of their stay in the promised land of Canaan. Specifically, it was used throughout the reigns of King Saul and King David.
In approximately 954BC, under the direction of King Solomon, a son of King David, the second temple was built in Jerusalem1. This temple was fashioned after the pattern of the temple built by Moses. However, it was a permanent structure composed of huge quarried stones. For approximately 368 years, this temple was used by the Israelites until the time of the Babylonian invasion. In approximately 586BC2, under the authority of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian army overran Jerusalem, took the citizens captive and destroyed the temple built by King Solomon.
After the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon, a third temple was constructed. This temple was built under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel. It too was a permanent structure and was completed in approximately 512BC3. However, even though it was fashioned after the pattern of King Solomon’s temple, it was smaller in stature.
Even though it is not part of the Biblical record, it is noted that in approximately 20-19BC4, King Herod rebuilt the temple. King Herod's rationale for this undertaking was he felt that the temple of Joshua and Zerubbabel did not measure up to the glory of the one built by King Solomon5. It is noted that it was this temple, the temple built by King Herod, which was standing during the days of our Lord and Savior’s sojourn upon this earth.
As Jesus foretold, in approximately 70AD6 the temple built by King Herod was utterly destroyed. This occurred under the command of the Roman General Titus during the overthrow of Jerusalem. It is noted that even to this day this temple lies in ruin. The reason for this will become evident in the remaining pages of this study.
With this background it is important to note that,
THE OLD TESTAMENT TEMPLE WAS DESIGNED BY GOD
At the time when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the rules and regulations for the Ceremonial Law, He also instructed Moses to build a tabernacle and its associated furnishings, that is altars, lampstand, etc. To see that this Temple was God’s design we go to the wilderness of Sinai and read what God said to Moses concerning its construction. The Scripture of interest for this study is,
Exodus 25:40
"[40] See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
In other words, the design and construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings was a design given to Moses by God. In a similar fashion, God gave King David the design and plans for the Temple that was to be built by his son Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:11-12).
In addition we find that,
THE OLD TESTAMENT TEMPLE WAS THE HOUSE OF GOD
To see this we begin by noting that,
God's Presence Resided In The Temple
As we read about the construction of the first tabernacle or Tent of Meeting constructed by Moses, we find that when it was completed God filled it with His Glory. This is recorded in,
Exodus 40:33-35
"[33] Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. [34] Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
The Old Testament Temple Was A Holy Place
We also find that God’s Presence filled the Temple that was built under the direction of King Solomon. Consequently it was considered to be a Holy Place. To see this, let us read what happened after the Temple was completed and all its furnishings were put in their proper place. To do this we go to,
1 Kings 8:10-11
"[10] When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. [11] And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple."
It is noted that, all this was a foreshadowing pointing to the time when God would inhabit another temple, which is,
THE BODY OF CHRIST OR THE CHURCH
To see this, let us read how Jesus prepared His disciples for this glorious blessing. He did this by telling them that His own body was to be destroyed and resurrected. To make the point He said this by the Temple constructed by Herod. This occurred after Jesus cleansed it from the corruption of those who were making a profit from its services. This incident is recorded in,
John 2:13-22
"[13] When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. [15] So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. [16] To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" [17] His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." [18] Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" [19] Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." [20] The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" [21] But the temple he had spoken of was his body. [22] After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."
Now some may be thinking; “How does this apply to me, the church or the body of Christ?” As we discovered in previous studies,
EACH BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST IS A TEMPLE OF GOD
To refresh our memories of this truth, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 3:16
"[16] Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
To emphasize the significance of this, let us also read from,
1 Corinthians 3:17
"[17] … God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
In addition to each one of us being a temple of God the Holy Spirit, the Bible also teaches us that we are collectively being built into a Holy Temple of God. To see this, consider,
Ephesians 2:19-22
"[19] … you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. [21] In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. [22] And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
In addition to being a temple of God the Holy Spirit, we also find that,
EVERY BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS A MEMBER OF THE BODY Of CHTIST
This truth is clearly stated in,
1 Corinthians 12:27
"[27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
The body of Christ, which is composed of the born again believers, is the church that Jesus came to build. To see this, let us read from,
Colossians 1:18
"[18] And he is the head of the body, the church; ..."
SUMMARY
Thus, we discovered that the church, which is the body of Christ, is not a physical building. No, the church is a spiritual temple composed of the born again believers in Jesus Christ.
With the above in mind, let us continue our study and address the questions of: (1) “What is God’s purpose for His church?” and (2) “How does God intend His church to operate and function?”
We begin with,
GOD’S PURPOSE FOR HIS CHURCH
With respect to God’s purpose for the church we will find that,
1. In addition to being a habitation for God the Holy Spirit, God’s purpose for the earthly church is to bear witness to the peoples of the earth and all the Heavenly hosts of His Wisdom and Glory.
2. The second purpose of the church is for its membership to help one another attain the spiritual growth and maturity to grow up in Jesus Christ.
We begin by seeing that,
THE CHURCH IS TO BEAR WITNESS OF GOD'S GLORY AND WISDOM FOR HIS REDEMPTION OF MANKIND
We begin with the church’s purpose to,
Witness to the People Dwelling Upon this Earth
During the days of the apostles our Lord Jesus Christ gave them the commission to preach the Gospel. To see this let us read from,
Mark 16:15
"[15] He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
To continue this commission, even today our Lord has anointed some members of His church to be evangelists. This is revealed to us in,
Ephesians 4:11
[11] And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Secondly, all of us, with our life style, are to be a witness and when asked, we are to provide the reason for our hope. To see this let us read from,
“[15] But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” [16] having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
It is noted that according to Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon the word fear as used in verse 15 means with reverence and respect. Thus, when sharing the reason for the hope we have in Jesus Christ we are to do it with gentleness, reverence and respect.
Let us now move on to see that the church is also to be a,
Witness to the Heavenly Hosts
The Scriptures teach us that the purpose of the church is far more reaching than for those dwelling upon this earth. What we find is that through His church God's Wisdom and Glory is also being made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Paul documented this purpose in,
Ephesians 3:8-11
"[8] Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. [10] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The second purpose God has for His church is that
THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ARE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER GROW AND MATURE IN THEIR FAITH
To see this, let us read why God gave spiritual gifts to the members of His body,
Ephesians 4:11-16
"[11] It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. [16] 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."
Let us notice the following verses,
11-12 … God gave the various positions or functions within His church to prepare its membership for works of service. These works are to be performed to build up or strengthen His body.
13 … The body of Christ is not strengthened by the quantity of people in a given congregation. It is strengthen by becoming mature in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.
14 … The reason for growth and maturity is so that, when faced with various lies and schemes of men motivated by the evil one, we can stand firm in our faith.
15-16 … By speaking, in love to one another, the various doctrines and principles of the Bible, we will become mature in Jesus Christ. Also notice that each one of us is to do our part.
This brings us to the topic of the,
OPERATION AND FUNCTIONIONING OF THE CHURCH
To see that it is God's desire for each member of His body to actively participate in the building up of each other's faith and love we will,
1. Find that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit each member of the church has been given a spiritual gift to be used for the common good.
2. See that each and every member of the body of Christ has an important part to play in its healthy operation.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To equip us for the task of building up the body of Christ, God has given each born again believer at least one spiritual gift. To see this, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4, 5 & 6 … God has given to His body various gifts, functions (ministries or works of service) and effects (degrees or different kinds of workings).
7 … Each born again believer is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, not for selfish ambition.
8-10 … This is only a partial list of spiritual gifts.
DETERMINING OUR GIFT AND PLACE WITHIN THE BODY
Since we all have a part to play within the body of Christ, the question arises of; “How does one know the spiritual gift and function God has given to them?” The Bible shows us at least three ways through which the Holy Spirit leads us to our assigned task. These are: (1) through His elders, (2) through desire and (3) through circumstances and situations.
The Elders
One of the functions of the elders of a given body of believers is to impart and/or recognize a spiritual gift within a member of the body of Christ. For example, we read that through the laying on of hands by the presbytery, that is the body of elders, Timothy received the gift of preaching and teaching. To see this let us read what Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him to use his gift,
1 Timothy 4:14
"[14] Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you."
Notice, when the elders laid their hands on Timothy, it was through the spiritual gift of prophecy that God announced the gift He imparted to Timothy.
Desire
The second method God uses to confirm a person’s function within His body is that He will place an almost irresistible desire within us to do it. To see this, let us read how Paul described the desire that God placed within him to preach the Gospel. It is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 9:16
"[16] Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"
The third manner in which God may use to move us to the position or activity that He has for us is through the,
Natural Circumstances of Our Life
For an example of this method let us read about the anointing of King Saul. In this case God used some lost donkeys to lead Saul to the prophet Samuel. He did this so that Samuel could anoint Saul to be King of Israel. To see this, let us read from,
1 Samuel 9:1-6
"[1] There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. [2] He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites--a head taller than any of the others. [3] Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." [4] So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them. [5] When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us." [6] But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.""
When Saul and his servant met with the prophet Samuel, Samuel first told Saul to not be concerned about the donkeys. He told him that they are back with his father. Then, knowing that God had selected Saul to be King over Israel, he invited Saul to a feast. Samuel did this so he could prophesy over Saul and anoint him for the kingship,
1 Samuel 9:25-10:1
"[25] After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. [26] They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. [27] As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"--and the servant did so--" but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.""
"[10:1] Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?"
As we read the Old Testament we find many times God used seemingly natural circumstances to move His people to the place and activity He had for them. As another example, we read in Genesis (chapters 37 through 47) how God used the jealousy of Joseph's brothers to get him to Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph ultimately became second in command to Pharaoh. He did this to move Joseph to a position where Joseph could save his father and family from the devastating effects of a severe famine.
A New Testament example of how God used circumstances to get His people to where they should be is by noting that it was through a ship wreck that got Paul to the island of Malta. It was here that Paul found himself in a situation where he was to utilize the spiritual gift of healing. To see this, let us read what happened while Paul was on the island of Malta,
Acts 28:7-10
"[7] There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. [8] His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. [9] When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. [10] They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed."
Now that we have seen that each one of us has been endowed with a spiritual gift for service and that God will move us to the place where He wants us to use it, it is important for us recognize that,
EVERY MEMBER HAS AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY
To help us better understand this, the Holy Spirit gave us an analogy of the functioning of the body of Christ to the human body. To see this, let us begin by reading from,
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
"[12] The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. [14] Now the body is not made up of one part but of many."
Let us notice the following verses,
12 … As the human body is composed of many members or parts, so it is with the body of Christ (the church).
13 … All born again believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Also note that, all true born again believers are filled with the Holy Spirit.
With the analogy of the human body in mind, it follows that as each member or part of the human body has an important function or role to play, so it is with each member of the body of Christ. To see this, let us first read what the Holy Spirit says,
To Those who Feel they have Nothing to Contribute
These are those who may not feel worthy to perform a function or exercise the spiritual gift they were given. These members may also feel that their role or gift is not very important and wish they had a more visible position within the body. The instruction for these members is given in,
1 Corinthians 12:15-20
"[15] If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? [18] But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. [19] If they were all one part, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, but one body."
To Those who Feel they have No Need of Others
These are those who may have highly visible gifts and functions. As a consequence they may not appreciate the importance of the less glamorous, humanly speaking of course, positions within the church. The instruction for these members is given in,
1 Corinthians 12:21-27
"[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
SUMMARY
Let us summarize the message or teaching for this portion of our study by reading from,
Romans 12:3-8
"[3] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. [4] Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. [7] If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; [8] if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
Before we close, let us take a moment to,
RECAP SOME KEYS POINTS OF THIS STUDY
1. The church, that is the body of Christ, composed of the born again believers in Jesus Christ, is an earthly habitation of God the Holy Spirit.
2. One of the main purposes of the church is to bear witness to the peoples of this earth and to the principality and powers of Heaven God’s Wisdom and Glory for saving them.
3. To be an effective witness of God’s Wisdom and Glory, the church must grow and mature in faith, love and devotion to Jesus Christ.
4. To bring about the church’s spiritual growth and maturity, God has equipped and called each born again believer to perform an important function within a specific area of His body.
CLOSING
Let us close this study by reading from,
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
[23] Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN
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