The Church / The Body of Christ – Part One

Ephesians 5:29-30 “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.”

I’ve been reading a great little study on the Christian church. Ecclesiology is the study of doctrine of the church. Now, the word “doctrine” may sound like some big “fifty cent” word that only Theologians and Biblical Scholars understand, but the 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “doctrine” as: In a general sense, whatever is taught. So, the doctrine of the church is simply the teaching about what the church is and does. The emphases of the Protestant Reformation of the 16^th Century included doctrines such as the final authority of Scripture, justification by faith alone, and the centrality of Christ. The Reformation was a movement to place Christians truths back in their proper place, including church traditions in their rightful position as subservient to the Word of God and “Good (godly) Works” into their proper role as the fruit of salvation, not the means of attaining righteousness. This redirected the church to glory only in Christ rather than encouraging an idolatry. The Reformers of the 16^th century loved the church and were committed to Christ and His Word because the church (the body of believing disciples of Jesus Christ) are the members of His body.

Ephesians 5:25b-27 “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

The lesson explains that just as we show proper love for our physical condition by taking care of ourselves, so Christ shows love for His own body – the church – by nourishing and cherishing it. The application for us is that if our Lord loves His church, so too must we, for we are called to imitate Christ. We are to carefully study the Holy Scriptures and thoughtfully apply their teachings  on the nature and practice of the church.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The the church is the body of Christ also tells  us something  vital about how Christ works in our world. Christ carries out His saving purposes for the world through His body, the church. We are His hands, as it were, through whom he ministers His love to the world  and takes His truth to the end of the earth.

Let's continue this message on the doctrine of "the church" in the next post.

Blessings in Christ.