The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ

Is the body of Christ to be identified with the church of the wilderness of the Old Covenant? Some believe so.

They have assumed and affirmed that the body of Christ, i.e. the spiritual body of the Lord or the church, only existed for the first century transition period between 30 to 70 AD.

After examining what some have written on the subject (we do not claim to have listened to all) we have noticed one problem in their attributing passages which speak of the body of Moses to the body of Christ.

By the body of Moses (Jude 9) we refer not to the Old Testament figure who led Israel out of Egypt, but to the corporate collective body of Israel which derived it’s name from Moses.

The body of Moses was in existence during the earthly ministry of Christ. For this reason, it could not be what Jesus meant when he said I will build my church, Matthew 16:18, for that was yet future.

The Body of Christ and the Local Churches

We have also noticed that some confused the corporate collective body of Christ with the local churches such as Rome, Ephesus, Corinth, etc.

These are not what is meant by the body of Christ. Those were local assemblies of individuals who came together to worship. The body of Christ, is none other than Christ himself.

Thus to affirm that the body of Christ was a temporary entity is to affirm the end of Christ. That is such an objectionable fallacy that it ought not to be countenanced, yet such is the logic of those who claim the body of Christ came to an end in 70AD.

Local Synagogues and the Body of Moses

It should be noted that there were local assemblies of Jews in the corporate body of Moses. Yet, these local synagogues no more equated with the body of Moses as a local church equates with the body of Christ.

The only body that was coming to an end was the body of Moses. It is the corruptible body spoken of in scripture, the body or ministration of death, the body of mortality.

The Body of Christ is the Resurrection Body of 1 Corinthians 15

In the zeal of those who argue that the body of Christ, i.e. the church no longer exists, they fail to see that the church is the body of Christ. We ask, how many bodies does Christ have?

The spiritual body of 1 Corinthians 15 is equated both with Christ and the kingdom. It is interesting that those who claim the church ceases to exist do not claim the kingdom or Christ have ceased. But, to deny one is to deny all. They are not separated in scripture.

This also shows the fallacy of those who deny that resurrection is complete. Christ affirmed that he is the resurrection and the life. How is it that one can be in Christ and not raised from the dead? How can they be in the kingdom and not have life?

Strange indeed that such is affirmed.

The Body of Christ and the Kingdom Future to Pentecost

For those who want to argue away the body of Christ in 70AD, they must answer why Hebrews 12:22-23, says the saints were coming to the “church”. They were not leaving it. Every time I ask this question, I get nothing but silence. Why is the silence so loud on this text for those who claim the body of Christ ended in 70 AD?

In that same text they were coming to or “receiving the kingdom, Christ, the heavenly city, God, Christ and the New Jerusalem, it must be a part of same.

In the next study, we’ll focus on some objections we have received to the continuation of the body of Christ.