"The Head Of The Body, The Church"

by HYLAND, D. T. | Category: General | Nov 1978

It was at Caesarea Philippi that the Lord chose to make an important declaration heralding the opening of a new and unique dispensation in the purposes of God. The Master addressed a vital question to the Twelve, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" (Matt. 16:13). The enquiry was concerning the opinions of the common people, for the open hostility and intense hatred of the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees were well known. The replies reveal a variety of opinions: "John the Baptist... Elijah... Jeremiah, or one of the prophets". They indicate that the populace did not recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah; nor did they identify the Stranger of Galilee with Jehovah's Righteous Servant.

The second question was directed to the disciples and challenged their faith, "But who say ye that I am?" Peter replied with conviction, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God". This confession was comprehensive; the Lord's Messiahship, Deity and Eternal Sonship were all acknowledged. From what source had Peter received this knowledge? It came to him not by observation, or by investigation, but by divine revelation.

Peter possessed valuable knowledge concerning the Lord's Person; he was then given an insight into divine purpose, "I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter (Greek, Petros) and upon this Rock (Greek, Petra) I will build My Church". The future activity of which the Lord spoke was not the subject of Old Testament prophecy and revelation; it was, however, a subject of eternal counsels within the Godhead, "which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men" (Eph. 3:5). God's intention regarding what the Lord calls "My Church" is described as "the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations" (Col. 1:26). This was not an afterthought in divine purpose; it was the result of God's foreordination, but the truth was "kept in silence through times eternal" (Rom. 16:25). In retrospect, in the light of Calvary and the New Testament revelation, we may see Christ and His Church represented typically in Adam and Eve and in Isaac and Rebecca.

The Lord had announced, "I will build My Church". Further revelation regarding what would be involved in the project was given through the apostle Paul when he described the same company as "the Church which is His (Christ's) Body" (Eph. 1:22). In the New Testament the word "church" (Greek, ekklesia) denotes a company of people who are called out and called together; it never refers to a material building. The New Testament writers usually used the word "church" with a qualifying phrase, the most frequent being "the church (or churches) of God" and "the Church which is His (Christ's) Body". It is vital to note the distinctive aspects of truth indicated by these qualifying phrases and their context.

When attempting to express abstract concepts we often use metaphor or analogy to illustrate the meaning we are trying to convey. When the Spirit of God was revealing profound spiritual realities, He sometimes guided the human writers of the New Testament to use figurative language to illustrate these truths. For instance, the intimate living relationship between Christ and His Church is graphically illustrated by the analogy implied in the term "the Church which is His Body". The believer's relationship to Christ is seen to be as close as the relationship between different parts of the human body. The unity of the human body is organic. The Church the Body of Christ is not an organization; it is an organism. The relationship between the members is one of intimacy. The Body Church is a new creation in which every member is different and all are interdependent. This is not superficial uniformity but vital union. Paul shows that it would be impossible for an individual member of the human body to rebel and claim to be independent. He then postulates the absurdity of a body which consisted of one member. "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?" (1 Cor. 12:17). Sight is the eye's functional service to the whole body.

In the human body, the head is set in a position of authority. The authority of Christ as Head of the Church the Body is absolute. In the Epistles statements regarding the Headship of Christ in relation to the Church the Body are emphatic: "He is the Head of the Body, the Church" (Col. 1:18). There is no command or exhortation to make Christ the Head of the Church; the fact that this is the relationship is clearly stated. The Church is subject to Christ, the Head, from whom she derives her life. Whilst union with Christ can never be severed, the individual member's personal communion with Christ is conditional. Some of the believers in the Church of God at Colossae were being seduced from the faith by false teachers. Because they were following the heretics their personal communion with Christ was affected. They were "not holding fast the Head" (Col. 2:19).

As stated previously, the Lord was not building the Church the Body during His earthly ministry; He distinctly said, "I will build". His atoning death, glorious resurrection and ascension to heaven were all necessary before the purpose could be put into effect. The Lord promised His disciples that on His return to heaven He would request the Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell them. The advent of the Spirit was necessary before the building could begin. Paul associates membership of the Church which is Christ's Body with baptism in the Holy Spirit. "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one Body" (1 Cor. 12:13). This would indicate that the building of the Church began on the day of Pentecost when, under the influence of the Spirit, the gospel was preached in power and many souls believed.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, being the Saviour (Preserver) of the Body, guarantees the eternal security of each individual member. He also preserves the exquisite beauty and perfect unity of the whole Church. "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it". The powers of darkness under the influence of Satan may assail, they can never prevail. All attacks are continually repulsed. The Church is invulnerable and remains inviolate. Neither the passing of time, nor even death, has any effect upon the believer's union with the Church's raised and glorified Head.

"His members all - below, above

As one with Him are blest".

At the Lord's coming to the air "the dead in Christ shall rise first" then, together with the living in Christ, the whole blood-bought company will be "caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17). Subsequently the Head will "present the Church to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing" (Eph. 5:27). Then the Saviour will "see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa. 53:11).

HYLAND, D. T. | Nov 1978
General