Chapter 29
THE BODY OF CHRIST
(Matthew 10:1-8a)
Before we begin this study let us pray for God's blessing upon our time in His Word.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God we ask You to please bless our study of Your Word. Cause us to better understand the purpose and operation that You desire for the body of Christ. Then, Father, please help us to do the things that You have taught us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading Jesus' command for His apostles to go out and bear witness to the Kingdom of God. To do this let us read from,
Matthew 10:1-8(a)
"[1] He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. [2] These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. [5] These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. [6] Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. [7] As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. …"
In reflecting upon Jesus' command to His twelve apostles the following questions arise as to: "Was this command only applicable to the twelve apostles? (Or) Was this command also given to others?"
As we read the New Testament we find that Jesus' command to bear witness of His Kingdom was also given to others. For example, we find in the Gospel according to Luke that He gave a similar command to seventy two others. To see this let us read from,
Luke 10:1-9
"[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. [2] He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. [3] Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. [4] Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. [5] "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' [6] If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. [7] Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. [8] "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. [9] Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'"
As we read further in the New Testament we discover that Jesus also commanded the Apostle Paul to go and bear witness of Him and His Kingdom. However, this time His command was not limited to the people of Israel. Paul was also to go and preach to the Gentiles. To see this let us read an excerpt from what Jesus said to Ananias to convince him to go and restore Paul's sight. The passage of interest is in,
Acts 9:15
"[15] But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel."
With all the above in mind let us now address the question of whether or not Jesus has given a similar command to His church, which is the body of Christ. To address this question we will find that,
1. 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 necessary to accomplish the task of bearing witness to God's Glory and Wisdom.
3. The objective for the operation and functioning of the church is to build itself up to accomplish God’s purposes.
We begin by exploring that,
GOD'S PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH IS TO BEAR WITNESS OF HIS GLORY AND WISDOM FOR HIS REDEMPTION OF MAN
As we study the Scriptures further we find that God’s purpose for the church is far more reaching than to 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. To see this, let us begin by reading the explanation Paul gives for his apostleship and the purpose for the church,
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."
Let us notice the following verse,
10 … God's intent is that through His church, His unfathomable Wisdom and Glory, for extending His Grace and Mercy to save mankind, will be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms!
11 … God accomplished this salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
This raises the question of, "How is the church to make known to the powers of Heaven God’s Wisdom and Glory?" This is accomplished through our unwavering faith, love and devotion to Him. To see this let us look to,
THE EXAMPLE OF JOB
We begin by reading from,
Job 1:6-12
"[6] One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. [7] The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." [8] Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … As we read about Job we discover that God has given us the privilege to read a conversation He once had with Satan and in the presence of the Heavenly hosts.
8 … Just like a proud parent, God bragged about Job. He told Satan that there is no one like him on earth. In fact, God said that Job is blameless and upright. He also said that Job fears and respects God and stays away from evil things.
We now return to Job and read Satan’s response to God
[9] "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. [10] "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. [11] But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."
Let us notice the following verses,
9-10 … Satan replied to God by saying in effect, “Well, sure Job loves and respects You. Why shouldn’t He? You (God) have protected Him from harm and have increased his possessions.
11 ... Satan told God that if He would take away Job’s possessions and allow affliction to come upon him, then Job will surely turn against Him. In effect, Satan was saying to God that the only reason Job loved Him and remained faithful to Him was because God had blessed him.
To read God’s response we return to Job and read,
[12] The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."
Let us notice the following verse,
12 … To show Job’s true love, devotion and faithfulness, God permitted Satan to assault Job. In other words, Job was to bear witness to Satan and the Heavenly hosts of God’s Wisdom in choosing him to protect and bless.
However, during his second attack upon Job Satan inflicted upon him terrible afflictions, sicknesses and horrors. However, in all of his misery Job never once cursed God or charged Him with any wrong. In fact, through it all, Job’s faith, love and trust in God remained steadfast. To see this, let us first consider what Job said after Satan’s first assault of terror.
Job 1:20-22
"[20] At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship [21] and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." [22] In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."
Let us now read how Job responded to his wife's lack of faith after Satan’s second wave of terror.
Job 2:9-10
"[9] His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" [10] He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."
Let us notice the following verses,
9 … With all the misery that had come upon Job and his household, his wife questioned Job’s faith and suggested that he should give up and curse God for their misery.
10 … Again we read of Job’s unconditional love for and devotion to God. Job was clearly bearing witness to the rulers and authorities in Heaven of God’s manifold wisdom in choosing him for salvation.
Job also demonstrates to us that we are but pilgrims upon this earth and that our eyes should be focused upon the eternal life that is to come. To see this let us prayerfully consider the following Scripture as it is translated in “The Amplified Bible.”
1 Corinthians 15:19
[19] If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life [and this is all there is], then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied.
This brings us to,
THE APPLICATION TO US, THE CHURCH
It is through this type of faith, love and devotion that we too will honor and glorify God. In effect we, as Job, will not only bear witness to all the Heavenly hosts of God’s Wisdom in choosing us for His salvation, but we will also be a witness to the people of this earth. To see this let us read from the Apostle Peter's first letter where he encourages those that were being persecuted for their faith in Christ,
1 Peter 3:13-16
"[13] Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? [14] But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." [15] But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, [16] keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
Let us notice the following verses,
15a … We must always be ready to share our faith in Jesus Christ.
15b … Our sharing is to be done in gentleness and respect.
To expand upon this we go to,
Matthew 5:14-16
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
With Job and the apostles in mind, let us now read a description of the kind of love and devotion we, the born again believers, are to have for God in Christ Jesus,
Romans 8:35-39
"[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Let us notice the following verse,
39a … In other words, being in Christ Jesus nothing can separate us from our love of God.
For us to possess this type of love and devotion, we must grow and mature in faith and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thus, the second purpose God has for His church is for,
THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ARE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER GROW AND MATURE IN THEIR FAITH
To see this, let us read why from,
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 … Not everyone is called to be an apostle or a prophet or an evangelist or a pastor or teacher.
12 … God gave the various positions or functions within His church to equip it for ministry, that is to perform works of service. This work of service is to be performed to edify, strengthen and build up the body of Christ.
13 … The body of Christ is not strengthened by numbers or quantity of people, but 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 … By speaking to one another the truth and in love about the various doctrines and principles of the Bible, we will mature in Jesus Christ; who is the Head of the church.
16 … As each member does their part in love then every supporting ligament of the body of Christ will be built up.
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). It is also noted that the gifts identified above are only a sample of the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts. A few more examples are the spiritual gifts of: charity, leadership (Romans 12:8), apostleship and evangelists (Ephesians 4:11).
7 … Each born again believer is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
11 … All born again believers have the same Holy Spirit. Also note that it is He, not us, who determines what gift we are to have. Another significant point to make is that these are spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit.
We now come to the topic of,
DETERMINING OUR GIFT AND PLACE WITHIN THE BODY
There are 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 in a given body of believers is to impart and/or recognize a spiritual gift God had or wants to give a member of the body of Christ. To do this they are to lay hands on that individual. To see this let us first read what God told Moses to do to transfer his leadership to Joshua. The Scripture of interest is in,
Numbers 27:18-20
[18] And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; [19] set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. [20] And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
Let us now read the outcome of Moses laying his hand on Joshua.
Deuteronomy 34:9
[9] Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
To see the application of this anointing for the church let us first read the following excerpt from Paul’s first letter to Timothy,
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.
A second example of how God uses the leadership within the church to direct the efforts or activities of its membership was when Paul and Barnabas were sent on their missionary journey. It is recorded in,
Acts 13:1-3
"[1] In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. [2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." [3] So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."
Let us notice the following verse,
2 … It was not Paul’s or Barnabas’ idea of what they should do within the body of Christ. It was the Holy Spirit, speaking through the prophets and teachers, who sent them out.
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. To see this we go to,
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 that 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 the second in command to Pharaoh. God 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 uses circumstances to get His people to where they should be is by noting that it was through a ship wreck that God 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 to 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 is 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 born again believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words God the Holy Spirit lives within the born again believer. To see this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 6:19
[19] Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
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. In a similar fashion so it is with each member of the body of Christ. To see this, let us first read what the Holy Spirit is saying,
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."
Let us now read the Holy Spirit’s instruction,
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
So what is the point? What is the message? Well, it is pretty much summarized for us in,
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."
Blessed be the Lord forever
Amen and Amen