The Local Expression

I think this post will be my last follow up to A Remnant and Consider the Sources. I believe that this post wraps up the subject well, although I'm sure that there are aspects that I haven't yet discussed, but I'm not the only person speaking so I'll leave that to someone else.

How do you define our group of people? On the whole we call ourselves the Body of Christ. I've said that we use this term much in the way that denominational churches refers to the greater organization of which they are a part, and frankly many of us do. I've also said we are a special group, and I won't rehash this here, but this remains my opinion. But really, how would you define our group?

We are the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), however it seems that we don't really have much say so in the matter (1 Cor. 12:18). Does it surprise you to think that not only is God in control, but that He takes an active role in the development of the Body of Christ? How much more that it pleases Him to set the members in His order, by His design? Why then would we attempt to dictate what is and what is not the Body of Christ? This exclusivity that some espouse which dictates that this group of people whom Paul calls the Body of Christ must be derived solely from our rank and file is hogwash. I don't doubt that people in our group help comprise the Body of Christ, but to think that no one else who bears the name Christian could ever qualify for that distinction and that instead they partake in some lesser Christianity is nothing other than a superiority complex on our part. This my friends is not only prideful in the extreme, it is also ludicrous.

When did we start subdividing Christianity anyway? When did statements like "It's our group and not some other group that is special" or "This denomination has this doctrine here wrong and that's why the can't be used by God" become part of our lives? The truth is that we are all one body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Additionally, this body that we are all a part of is not a homogeneous body (1 Cor. 12:14). Instead it is a varied body, and all parts of it are important and to say that one part is more important than another or that one part of it is not valuable is wrong (1 Cor. 12:20-21). Does this not apply to everyone, or did the translators miss an "if" and some kind of qualifier when they were translating verse 31?

Some of you might have problems with me using 1 Cor. 12 to address denominational divisions because Paul is obviously dealing with the church in Corinth and not the greater amalgamation of churches that comprised Christianity in the first century. Although I think that not only this chapter but also 1 Cor. 3:4-6,9,11 can apply, I agree that 1 Cor. 12 is not addressing large organizational divisions like those that are present in contemporary Christianity. I recognize that 1 Corinthians was addressed to a local church quite clearly and this is in fact one of the points I so very much want to bring out. Although Paul is addressing the Body of Christ in this chapter, he is doing so on a strictly local level. Strangely enough, all of Paul's epistles seem to be addressed either to a local church or an individual and not to the Body of Christ at large. Why do you think this is?

Let me pose a question. Is it the members that define the Body of Christ or the Body of Christ that define the members? I know that I am getting off into philosophy here, but the issue at hand is fundamental, and a greater understanding must be built upon a firm foundation in order for it to be correct. Let's look at the phrase "building blocks" and consider it's meaning. I think this is a good thought as Jesus is called the stone that has become the head of the corner and Paul refers to himself as a master builder(Luke 20:17, 1 Cor 3:10). How does the progression go? Do I first become a Christian and then a member of the Body of Christ, or do I first become a member of the Body of Christ and then a Christian?

The Body of Christ is made up of individual Christians who gather and worship together in their local assemblies on a regular basis. This is why Paul addressed his epistles to specific churches, and not to the larger organization. I won't deny that our group is a wonderful affiliation, but you must understand that it is made up of local assemblies which in turn are made up of individuals, not the other way around. I believe that "the Body" exists much more at the local level and not so much at a larger corporate level. To believe otherwise puts the Body of Christ back on some pseudo-denominational level.

This stuff is basic and simple, but how you understand the Body of Christ will color what you see happening in our group. You see, someone who sees the Body of Christ as an organizational entity will make sacrifices on an individual level in order to save the whole. Conversely a person who is a member of a functional church that is under the covering of God will see injustice that is happening at a group level and believe that it reflects directly on their local church because they are a part of that group. You must understand that both of these examples are only relevant if you see the Body of Christ as some kind of organization. If however you see the Body of Christ as something that transcends organizations of men, it doesn't matter anymore. You see, while the leadership of an organization might have the authority to remove a person from that organization or even choose to reorganize in whatever way they see fit, no man will ever have any authority when it comes to determining the makeup of the Body of Christ. That will always remain God's prerogative. Additionally, our local churches are not called to be representatives of a larger organization on this Earth, they are called to represent Christ. The only reflection that matters to the true Body of Christ is that of Christ Himself.

Isn't it time that we stopped looking at the Body of Christ as a pseudo-denomination or any affiliation of churches and instead recognize that it is made up of individuals whom God has chosen in order to bring Him glory? Isn't it time that we stopped feigning control over things that we have no right to? Isn't it time that we who adhere to a Christ centered order actually recognize the order that Christ created?