The Church
The Beautiful Body of Christ
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1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: — Ephesians 1:1 (NIV)
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his 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 people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of 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.— Ephesians 4:3–16 (NIV)
4 There is one body… vs 4
12 …so that the body of Christ may be built up… vs 12
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love… vs 16
15 …the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. vs 15
“… the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.” — CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. vs 7
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. vs 16
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… vs 11-12
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.
15 …speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of 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. vs 13,15-16
The church is a community of believers, centered on Christ, who gather together for worship and fellowship. From this place of community, they go into the world as a light, bringing the Gospel to those around them.
The church is a community of believers, centered on Christ, who have committed to gather together regularly for worship, communion, teaching, prayer, and fellowship. This community is under the Headship of Jesus, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and has appointed leadership. These believers live life together, bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another, sharpening one another, challenging one another, and growing in unity and maturity as followers of Jesus. From this place of community, they go into the world as a light, bringing the Gospel to all those around them in word and deed.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. — Ephesians 5:25–27 (NIV)
“I don’t think the job of the church is to make people happy. I think it’s to make them holy.” — Chuck Colson