The Head and Body of Christ

Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead.
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The scripture does describe Christ as the head of the church, just as a man is the head of the woman. And the meaning of it all is very much as you have described. Yes, they are not one biological person where Adam is only a physical head, but the idea is to be cast upon the one person that results from their mystical union.

Adam is the symbolic head on top of the body which is Eve. As leadership and authority over the body comes from the physical head, so in a mystical body Adam was a head, and Eve was his body, which he was to take care of and nourish. She was to support the head in a cooperative role. Together they were one person. At least this is how the New Testament understands the biological symbolism that was created so to reflect and run parallel to the spiritual truths analogous to it. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

This idea of nourishments from the head and organic life sharing of the body is similar to the 'living' temple imagery where Christ is the cornerstone of the building and the Spirit flows through each 'living' stone.

The Body of Christ

Yet it goes beyond a mere handy symbol. We inherit his guilt and sinful nature by this means as he was our federal head. The whole gospel is premised upon this idea, where Christ is a new federal head of a new creation in him. When a person is 'born again' through the 'seed' of the 'word', the Spirit unites them into the human nature of Christ, first mystically, and then organically in the final resurrection. By this real mystical union, our old life in Adam literally mystically dies and our new life is born. Our seed dies by being killed and engrafted into a new 'life form' Christ.

Thus we transform and we are removed from Adam, being planted into the new Adam, i. Christ, our new Federal head. This is not just a handy symbol but also a mystical reality. In the same way, my wife is my body.

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Although the organic part is not true like Adam and Eve, by sexual union the symbolic acts underlines a spiritual truth. She is me, without doubt as we have become 'one flesh'. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

The nourishment in love references made earlier indicate the holy Spirit in the union. There are only two people we can be in the body of, Adam, or Christ. Inwardly by faith we are created in Christ, while outwardly our life that came from Adam is still dying and will be joined to Christ later.

Then nothing about us will be in Adam and all our being will be in Christ, our life will be his, which explains why we will lose our ability to sin in heaven as our life can't break out of his life. If we try to pierce the veil of this mystery to any degree of course we will mostly fail I think the following verses are a good place to try:.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This joining of men into his flesh is an eternal, irrevocable literal joining of their souls into the life of God deposited in Christ. Just as it took a new Adam to transplant us into a second Adam, it is impossible that we then can be changed again, without a third Adam, with the same powers of Christ. This never shall be as the Father is perfectly satisfied in the works of his Son, to be Lord of the new creation forever and ever.

It would be easier to explode the entire universe than to plant a Christian back into Adam. John Owen is good for explaining the mystical aspect of this union in various locations of his theological works:. He gives and communicates unto them his Holy Spirit;—the Holy Spirit as peculiarly his, as granted unto him of the Father, as inhabiting in him in all fulness.

This Spirit—abiding originally as to his person, and immeasurably as unto his effects and operations, in himself—he gives unto all believers, to inhabit and abide in them also, John Hence follows an ineffable union between him and them. For as in his incarnation he took our nature into personal union with his own; so herein he takes our persons into a mystical union with himself.

The Body of Christ

Hereby he becomes ours, and we are his. Yes, you have it all right, I just do not know why you seem to pause and doubt it. Your question already outlines what Christians have believed for centuries as far as I can tell. If Christ is the head of his body, and his body is his bride, then he is his own bride? The Father and the Lamb and the Holy Spirit are actively reversing what happened to us in the first Adam.

In Rev 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Who is waiting for Her manifestation on this planet. It shows God's original purpose for all of His creation. So the answer to the question: Just like the first Adam. So we find the Second Adam. But a body can't be comprised of just a single member. Can you picture a head with only an arm growing out of it?

Christ's body can't be made up of a head alone, with no limbs or organs. His body consists of many members. We simply can't be one with Christ without being one with his body also. You see, our need isn't just for the head. It's for the whole body. We're knit together not only by our need for Jesus, but by our need for each other as well.

Paul states, "The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: Note the second half of this verse. Even the head can't say to another member, "I don't need you. Paul is telling us, "Christ will never say to any member of his body, 'I have no need of you. Moreover, he says we're all important, even necessary, to the functioning of his body.

This is especially true of members who may be bruised and hurting. Paul emphasizes, "Much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary" The apostle then adds, "And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness" He's speaking of those in Christ's body who are unseen, hidden, unknown. In God's eyes, these members have great honor.

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And they're absolutely necessary to the work of his body. This passage holds profound meaning for us all. Paul is telling us, "It doesn't matter how poor your self-image may be. You may think you're not measuring up as a Christian. But the Lord himself says, 'I have need of you. You're not just an important member of my body.

You're vital and necessary for it to function. Each of Christ's parables contains a hidden truth of God. These secrets have been shared by Father, Son and Holy Ghost from before creation: Jesus testifies that these hidden truths are revealed only to those who take time to seek them.

In Matthew 22, we read a parable that I believe reveals much about Christ's body. In it, God outlines his eternal purposes in raising up a body of believers. In short, he wants a bride for his Son. This bride is to be joined to Jesus, knitted together with him as one flesh, one body.

Christ will become her very life, as well as her source. He'll be connected to her, and she to him. Jesus begins the parable by stating, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding" Matthew The king in this parable is clearly God the Father. And the son here is Christ. Here we see the Father sending forth the Holy Ghost to seek a bride for his Son. The bride, of course, is the church of Jesus Christ. And this bride is made up of many members.

In fact, she's comprised of every person who accepts the king's invitation to the marriage supper. Yet, Jesus states in the next verse, "They would not come" He's speaking here of his own preaching to the Jews. Christ urged Israel to receive him, but they refused.

Scripture says, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" John 1: So the king tried once more: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: Not only did the Jews kill Jesus, but they slew his apostles who followed.

9 Bible verses about Christ, The Head Of The Church

So, Christ tells us, "When the king heard thereof, he was wroth: Jesus was speaking prophetically here. Just decades after his death, Roman armies marched into Jerusalem and destroyed the holy city. Earlier in Israel's history, God had used Assyria to chastise his people. Now he sent the Roman generals Vespasian and Titus to burn Jerusalem to the ground. Thus, Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled to the letter: The next passage in the parable contains the heart of my message about Christ's body.

Jesus tells us, "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: Since Calvary, the gospel has gone out to all of humankind: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor, good and bad alike. This is how "the wedding was furnished with guests" Please understand, this scene isn't about the marriage supper of the Lamb.

That celebration will take place after the judgment. No, this supper is an espousal feast. And the guests are those who heed the call to receive Christ as Lord. According to Jesus, this bride is comprised of "as many as they found, both bad and good" Such a group includes formerly bad people: Yet it also includes formerly good people, those who once relied on a righteousness of flesh. Now they all have been changed. They've confessed their sins and been washed clean by Christ's blood. Just as multitudes sing each week, they testify, "He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner over me was love" Song of Solomon 2: When Jesus says the feast was "furnished" with guests, the Greek word he uses is pletho.

It means to imbue, fill, influence.


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In other words, these guests represent the cleansed, redeemed body of Christ. They've been influenced, imbued and filled by God's Holy Spirit. And he has robed each of them in a white wedding garment. Typically, we think of wedding feasts as lasting a few hours. In the Jewish culture of Jesus' day, such feasts could last up to seven days. Yet to God, a day is as a thousand years.

And in this parable, the feast we're seeing has lasted since Calvary. It has been going on for centuries. And it won't end until the Bridegroom returns. Dear saint, do you realize what this means? Every day is your wedding day. As a member of Christ's body, you're a part of his bride. That means each morning when you rise, you're to put on your white wedding garment. If it becomes spotted or soiled, you're to bring it to his Word, to be washed clean. And you're to wear your wedding ring at all times. It signifies your married status, as sealed by the Holy Ghost.

Finally, you're to feast on the bread of heaven: Christ, the heavenly manna. Jesus continues the parable:. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" Matthew Who is this man in the parable?

Clearly, his identity is a serious matter, because of the awful fate he suffers. Some commentators suggest the man represents those who come to Christ dressed in rags of their own self-righteousness. The image is of a poor, deluded, ragged soul who's condemned by his self-reliance. I don't accept this interpretation. You may be shocked when I tell you who I believe this man is.


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I find a clue when the king addresses him as "Friend. I believe the king in this parable is using the word in great derision. After all, he was about to send this man to hell. In my opinion, this visitor is the man of sin himself: I envision him parading into the feast, wearing a gorgeous, purple robe of his own making, and not the robe prescribed. He's the very picture of pride. Why wasn't the man of sin stopped at the door? I believe Zechariah gives us the answer. The prophet says, "He shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

Joshua, of course, signifies the high priesthood, those saved by Jehovah. To believers today, he also represents the body of Christ, God's royal priesthood. In Zechariah's vision, Satan stood beside Joshua to "resist him. I have to confess, I don't know why Satan is allowed to accuse and attack God's people. But I do know what God says will become of our enemy: One day, the Lord is going to bind the devil and cast him into an eternal prison.

But this hasn't happened yet. Meanwhile, Satan knows his time is short. So he's coming against the body of Christ with great wrath. Indeed, his attacks are marked by a boldness and brazenness such as never before. He knows the greatest threat to him is a body of blood-cleansed believers, walking in unity.

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And in these last days, the Holy Spirit has performed a marvelous work of raising up and knitting together saints all over the world. These dedicated servants stand together as one body. They love each other, pray for one another, minister to the wounded and discouraged among them. And they also stand united in warfare. They do battle with the enemy, binding his kingdom, casting out principalities, taking authority over hellish powers. We see this last-days army in Jesus' parable, embodied in the wedding party. These blood-cleansed warriors are gathered at Christ's banqueting table, where they grow strong by feasting on his bread.

And they all have one goal: We shouldn't be surprised at all that Satan has intruded in God's house. It's his last chance to try to break up Christ's growing, maturing body. So he has entered the wedding feast on a rampage, looking to destroy everyone he can. And he's convinced the best way to do this is to try to deceive God's elect. How does the devil go about this? He does what he's always done since Calvary: He injects doubts and fears into your mind.