Distinct Body of the New Testament Church
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The New Testament church is an interdependent spiritual body comprised of many individual members. It is referred to by the Apostle Paul as “one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5), “one body” (1 Corinthians 10:17, 12:13, Ephesians 2:16, 4:4, Colossians 3:15), “the body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-26, Ephesians 3:6, 4:12, 16, 5:23), “Christ’s body” (1 Corinthians 12:27), “His body” (Ephesians 1:23, 5:30, Colossians 1:24), “the whole body” (Ephesians 4:16) and “the entire body” (Colossians 2:19). The distinct church of the New Testament is the body of Christ.
Under the immediate headship of Christ, the body of Christ is animated, formed and cultivated on earth by the Spirit of Christ. It is animated by means of His work of regeneration, indwelling and leading; formed by His baptizing and sealing; and cultivated on earth according to His fullness. Animation The distinct church of the New Testament is privileged to share life (zoe) with God in Christ. His indwelling life (zoe) is its source of animation. Thus, the New Testament church was designed to live and move in accordance with the indwelling life (zoe) of God. Human cooperation occurs by faith alone. Regenerated by the Spirit Fallen mankind exists in a natural state of spiritual separation from God. In order to share life with God, he must be made organically compatible. Fallen mankind is made organically accommodative of divine life (zoe) by act of regeneration. Generally speaking, to generate means to create or produce. To generate life is to create or produce life. In contrast, to degenerate means to decline or fall to a less desirable state. Therefore, degeneration of life speaks of a decline in quality of life. Regeneration means to reform or recreate in a new and improved state. To regenerate life is to reform or recreate life to a new and improved state. The regeneration of fallen mankind is a gracious act of God. Through His regenerative work He reforms or recreates man into a new and improved state of life that is accommodative of His indwelling life (zoe) (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5-7). Indwelt by the Spirit Through the divine act of regeneration man is made suitable for a spiritual union of life with God. The actual union occurs by means of spiritual birth (John 1:12-13, 3:3-8; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Born of the Spirit, the life (zoe) of God is manifested in regenerate man by His indwelling Spirit. Therefore, the Apostle Paul stated, “….Christ lives (zoe) in me ….” (Galatians 2:20) and “Christ…. is our life (zoe)….” (Colossians 3:4). Intimately united with God, the New Testament church is privileged to experience animation by the immediate presence of the indwelling “Spirit of life (zoe)” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:45). The New Testament church is presented with a continuous choice of faith. By sight, it can live and move in accordance with the powerlessness of its old earthly life (psuche) or, by faith alone, the incomparable power of the indwelling life (zoe) of God. |
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Led by the Spirit
By physical birth, fallen man is described as “according to the flesh” and “in the flesh”. He exists in the “dominion of darkness”, the realm of sin and death. As such, the fallen live and move in accordance with the controlling influence of the fleshly nature. Consequent to regeneration and spiritual birth, the New Testament church is described as being “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14; cf. Galatians 5:18). Relative to Pauline usage, “being led by the Spirit” does not primarily mean to be guided down a specific path for service. Instead, it is first and foremost descriptive of being positioned in the realm or sphere of the Spirit of Christ and, therefore, subject to His controlling influence. “It refers to that general control by the blessed Spirit of those born of the Spirit, living by the Spirit, in the Spirit.”1 Under the controlling influence of the Spirit, the New Testament church is said to “live….according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4, 5, NIV), to be “in the Spirit” (Romans 8:9) and to “live by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). Formation The distinct community of the New Testament church is formed into one spiritual body by the baptizing and sealing work of the Spirit of Christ. It occurs by the grace of God alone. Baptized by the Spirit The New Testament church is formed into one body by the baptizing work of the Spirit of God. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Greek verb for “baptized” in the aforementioned verse is baptizo (bap-tid'-zo). The English word “baptized” does not constitute a translation from New Testament Greek, but a transliteration. Therefore, it is merely an English representation of a Greek word. The literal, figurative and theological meaning of baptizo provides insight into the meaning of its usage in the New Testament. The literal translation of the Greek word baptizo is to dip, immerse or submerge. Figuratively, it can mean “to overwhelm”. “Theologically, baptism may be defined as an act of association or identification with someone, some group, some message, or some event.”2 As used in the context of the New Testament, the most suitable translation of the Greek word baptizo is “identification with”. Through the baptism of the Spirit, the New Testament church community is spiritually identified as one body with the person and work of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). United as one body in Christ, the church community is comprised of “many members” who are “individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4, 5; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12, 20; Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 3:15). |
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Sealed by the Spirit
The formation of the New Testament church achieved by spiritual baptism is assured by the sealing of the Spirit of Christ. “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory” Ephesians 1:13-14). “The word ‘seal’ is indicative of security (Matthew 27:66; Ephesians 4:30), authentication and approval (John 6:27), certification of genuineness (John 3:33), and identification of ownership (2 Corinthians 1:22; Revelation 7:2; 9:4). Relative to the church, “God is the One who seals, Christ is the sphere in which the seal is done, and the Holy Spirit is the instrument of the seal.”3 The sealing of the Spirit assures that the New Testament church is perfectly secure in Christ, approved of the Father in Christ and a beloved possession of God in Christ. Cultivation Beyond its animation and formation, the distinct church of the New Testament is cultivated in accordance with the fullness of the Spirit of God. It occurs by the grace of God alone through faith alone. Filled by the Spirit Jesus cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). John clarified that the “living water” was descriptive of divine life (zoe) ministered by the indwelling Spirit of God (John 7:39; cf. John 4:7-14). According to the incarnate Christ, the indwelling Spirit of God desires to minister the benefit of His life (zoe) through His people. Congruent with the flow of “rivers of living water” from the innermost being, the Apostle Paul commands the New Testament church to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The verb pleeroústhe (be filled) is in the present imperative and, therefore, means to be constantly, moment by moment, filled with the fullness of the Spirit of Christ. Ultimately, the apostolic command is to keep on being filled to overflowing with the fullness of the Spirit. Filled with the Spirit of Christ to the point of overflowing, the “living water” of eternal life is allowed to flow like a river from God to His ecclesia and through it to the world. The Apostle Paul further exhorted the New Testament church community to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16; 25). His desire was for the church community to walk in continuous dependence on the fullness and consequent movement of the indwelling Spirit of God in Christ. By grace alone, walking by the fullness of the Spirit obligates a daily, moment by moment choice of faith to yield to the indwelling Spirit of God. Walking by the fullness of the indwelling Spirit is accompanied by the evidential fruit and manifestation of the Spirit. “….the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The manifestation of the Spirit is inclusive of spiritually gifted ministry, spiritual fellowship, participatory worship in song, abundant thanksgiving and mutual submission (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 5:19-21; cf. 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1). The overflowing ministry of divine life (zoe) is the means by which the ecclesia is cultivated on earth. It is the source from which the Gospel is proclaimed, captives are released, the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the oppressed are set free and the dead are raised (cf. Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18). |
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By the Spirit
The New Testament church is one spiritual body animated, formed and cultivated by the Spirit of Christ: |
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By the Spirit, the New Testament church body was designed to accommodate the “treasure” of divine life (zoe) on earth (2 Corinthians 4:7). The higher life (zoe) of God, manifested by His indwelling Spirit, is its source of animation, formation and cultivation. As a consequence of the life-giving presence of God, the New Testament church, the body of Christ, is able to provide an irrefutable demonstration of the divine nature to both the angelic host and a world characterized by sin, separation and darkness.
Endnotes 1Newell, William R. Romans Verse by Verse. (Moody Press, Chicago, © 1938) pg. 311 2Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology. (Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1987) p. 422 3Harold W. Hoehner. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament Edition. (SP Publications, Wheaton, Illinois, © 1983) P. 619 © 2018 James Hiatt |
