Body of Christ

Meaning

The Body of Christ is a term that likens the church to a single body with Jesus Christ as its head. Each believer is called a member of that body, that is, one of the limbs or organs belonging to it. The expression conveys three ideas at once: unity, in that different believers are joined together as one; diversity, in that each has a different role; and belonging, in that all belong to Christ. The term is also used for the bread shared in the Lord's Supper.

Biblical and Historical Background

The metaphor appears chiefly in the letters of Paul.

• 1 Corinthians 12:12-27: Paul states that all have been baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). Just as the eye and the hand, the head and the feet, need one another, he explains, so believers with different gifts of the Spirit need one another. The same metaphor appears in Romans 12:4-5.
• Ephesians and Colossians: These letters emphasize Christ as the "head" of the body (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). The church is portrayed as a body that grows up in love into Christ, who is the head (Ephesians 4:13-16).
• Connection with the Lord's Supper: Paul links sharing together in one bread with being one body (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

In church history, Augustine is known for describing Christ the head and the church his body together as the "whole Christ." The Catholic Church placed this concept at the center of its ecclesiology in Pope Pius XII's 1943 encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi (On the Mystical Body of Christ). Among Protestants, chapter 25 of the Westminster Confession of Faith confesses the invisible catholic church to be the spouse and body of Christ.

Usage in the Korean Church

In Korean churches, the phrase "we are members of one body" is common in preaching and exhortation. It is typically used to encourage harmony among church members, service in the church, and participation in small groups. The emphasis varies somewhat by denomination.

• Presbyterian and other Reformed traditions: The Body of Christ is understood fundamentally as the universal church of true believers of all ages. The local church is viewed as the visible expression of that body, and the body is often described as being built up through church offices and order.
• Baptist and other congregational traditions: These traditions are more inclined to regard the local congregation as the Body of Christ. They see this as the basis for the congregation making church decisions together and connect it with the principle of the priesthood of all believers.
• Pentecostal and Full Gospel churches: These churches emphasize that the gifts of the Spirit are given to every member to build up the whole body.

Denominations differ in their understanding of the sense in which the bread of the Lord's Supper is called the body of Christ; this question is addressed in the article Eucharistic controversies. In addition, those who emphasize cooperation and unity across denominational lines cite this concept as a basis for the ecumenical movement, while others hold that doctrinal unity must come first.