Thematic Bible: The body of Christ


Thematic Bible




For just as we have many parts united in our physical bodies, and the parts do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are united in one body through union with Christ, and we are individually parts of one another. As we have gifts that differ in accordance with the favor God has shown us, if it is that of preaching, let it be done in proportion to our faith; read more.
or of practical service, in the field of service; or of a teacher, in the field of teaching; or of one who encourages others, in the field of encouragement; or one who gives his money, with liberality; or one who leads others, with earnestness; or one who does deeds of charity, with cheerfulness.

Do you not know that your bodies are parts of Christ Himself? Then may I take away parts of Christ and make them parts of a prostitute? Never! Never! Or, are you not aware that a man who has to do with a prostitute makes his body one with hers? For God says, "The two shall be physically one." But the man who is in union with the Lord is spiritually one with Him.

Is not the consecrated cup which we consecrate a sign of our sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the loaf which we break a sign of our sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is only one loaf, so we, though many, are only one body, for we all partake of one loaf.

For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, many as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit all of us, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, have been baptized into one body, and were all imbued with one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one part but of many. read more.
If the foot says, "Since I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body. If the ear says, "Since I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that does not make it any less a part of the body. If all the body were an eye, how could we hear? If all the body were an ear, how could we smell? But as it now is, God has placed the parts, every one of them, in the body just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, how could it be a body? But as it now is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or the hand to the feet, "I do not need you." No, on the contrary, even those parts of the body that seem to be most delicate are indispensable, and the parts of it we deem devoid of honor we dress with special honor, and our ill-shaped parts receive more careful attention, while our well-shaped parts do not want for anything. Yes, God has perfectly adjusted the body, giving great honor to its apparently inferior parts, so that there is no disharmony in the body, but all the parts have a common care for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. If one part receives an honor, all the parts can share its joy. So you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it. And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as prophets, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then people with power to cure the sick, helpers, managers, ecstatic speakers. Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all are wonder-workers, are they? Not all are people with power to cure the sick, are they? Not all are ecstatic speakers, are they? Not all can explain ecstatic speaking, can they? But you must earnestly continue to cultivate your higher spiritual gifts. And yet I will show you a way that is better by far:

and how surpassingly great is His power for us who believe, measured by His tremendously mighty power when He raised Christ from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, far above every other government, authority, power, and dominion, yea, far above every other title that can be conferred, not only in this world but in the world to come. read more.
And so He has put all things under His feet and made Him the supreme Head of the church, which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.

So I, a prisoner for the Lord's sake, entreat you to live lives worthy of the call you have received, with perfect humility and gentleness, with patience, lovingly bearing with one another, continuing with eager earnestness to maintain the unity of the Spirit through the tie of peace. read more.
There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope resulting from the call you have received; there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over us all, who pervades us all, and who is within us all. But in accordance with the measure of Christ's gift, His favor has been bestowed upon each one of us. Concerning this the Scripture says: "He led a host of captives, when He went up on high, and granted gifts to men." What does "He went up" mean, except that He had first gone down into the lower regions of the earth? The very One that went down has gone up, too, far above all the heavens, to fill the universe. And He has given some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, for the immediate equipment of God's people for the work of service, for the ultimate building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to unity in faith and to perfect knowledge of the Son of God, namely, to a mature manhood and to a perfect measure of Christ's moral stature; so that we may not be babies any longer, or like sailors tossed about and driven around by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men through their cunning in inventing new methods of error. But, on the other hand, we shall go on holding to the truth and in love growing up into perfect union with Him, that is, Christ Himself who is the Head. For it is under His direction that the whole body is perfectly adjusted and united by every joint that furnishes its supplies; and by the proper functioning of each particular part there is brought about the growing of the body for its building up in love.

You married women must continue to live in subordination to your husbands, as you do to the Lord, for a husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the Head of the church, His body, and Saviour of it. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so the married women in everything must be subject to their husbands. read more.
You married men must love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, to consecrate her, after cleansing her through His word, as pictured in the water bath, that He might present the church to Himself as a splendid bride without a blot or wrinkle or anything like it, but to be consecrated and faultless. This is the way married men ought to love their wives, as they do their own bodies. The married man who loves his wife is really loving himself, for no one ever hates his own physical person, but he feeds and fosters it, just as Christ does the church; because we are parts of His body. Therefore, a man must leave his father and mother and so perfectly unite himself to his wife that the two shall be one. This is a great secret; I mean this about Christ and the church. But each one of you married men must love his wife as he loves himself, and the married woman, too, must respect her husband.




which is His body, that is being filled by Him who fills everything everywhere.