Members of One Another:

Introduction
Let me be clear: This is a Bible study. Its not a study of the church Im in, or of other specific
churches. Im not interested in advancing my group as a model. Our church has so many problems and
weanesses I feel reluctant to even write on the sub!ect of the church " I worry people will thin Im
saying our church has it together# weve figured it all out. $ell, we dont have it together and we
havent figured it out. Im as agoni%ed about the deficiencies in our church today as at any time in our
history.
The real point isnt what we do or what the other group does or whether those things wor.
The point is what &od teaches in his word. 's a Bible teacher, thats what Im interested in teaching:
$hat can we fairly conclude from the Bible about &ods will for his church(
Theology and ethos
' local churchs ethos is the collection of beliefs and values that animate peoples view of
church life and ministry. )ere is where peoples theology and their values system intersect to form the
outloo and attitudes of a group. *thos is a broader concept than theology. It includes theology, but
has less to do with the groups formal statement of faith, and more to do with underlying !udgment
calls involving e+pectations and application of truth.
In most churches, people seem to buy into certain assumptions about what is appropriate and
what should be e+pected from ones self, from others, from groups, and from meetings. ,any of these
assumptions include a combination of theological and attitudinal content. -onsider different possible
answers for the following e+amples:
. )ow much time should people devote to fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism( $hat
should be the balance between time devoted to the things of &od and time devoted to career, sports,
entertainment, etc.( These /uestions have no e+act answer in scripture, even though we could argue
for some general conclusions lie those in this boo.
. $hat does it mean to be ade/uately e/uipped for the wor of ministry 0*phesians 1:234(
Thats a !udgment call. $e will see that churches answer this /uestion in wildly differing ways.
. $hat maes for a good -hristian meeting( 5ifferent believers would answer that so
differently that they would find it difficult to tolerate each others versions.
. $hat is the proper balance between politeness and honesty in the body of -hrist( $hat
about confidentiality 0or privacy4 versus transparency( In other words, should believers tal about
others lives and problems, or not( )ow deeply should -hristians be involved in each others lives(
$hen would a group be considered disengaged( $hen are they enmeshed, or lacing boundaries(
. $here do ministry results fit in( )ow should we interpret poor results( 're good results
always necessarily compatible with faithful theology( $ill faithful theology necessarily lead to good
results(
. $hat elements should we see in those we consider leaders(
. )ow responsible should individuals in any meeting feel for the /uality of that meeting(
. )ow responsible should members feel for the spiritual well6being of other members of their
church(
. $hat goes into a good time of corporate prayer( 'nyone who has spent time in different
groups nows how differently people answer a /uestion lie this.
. )ow should -hristians show love to one another( $hat constitutes a loving community( )ere
is a good e+ample that demonstrates the importance of priority " many people might agree on most
items we could assemble in a list of answers to this /uestion. But what are the priorities( $hich ways
of loving are more important and which are less so( 7hould real love include discipline(
. $hat should church leaders emphasi%e in their discourse( $hat should they teach, but not
really emphasi%e as much( The issue of emphasis often accounts for the vast difference we see
between different churches.
. $hat ind of shortcomings and foibles in people should we largely ignore and forgive( $hat
behaviors or attitudes are so negative something should be said(
. )ow much should we depend on celebrity personalities, or comple+ organi%ational structures
for advancement toward our mission goals( )ow much should we loo to every6member ministry as
the ey to healthy growth(
. $hat is the balance between efforts e+pended bringing people to -hrist versus building them
up in the faith(
. $hat should be the balance between e+pending time and effort on things that benefit people
in our group versus those outside our group(
8ou can see that these /uestions 0and many others we could mention4 contain theology, and
thats important. ' church wont have good ethos without a careful study and teaching of the
theology of the church. But these /uestions also contain sub!ective values that vary greatly from
group to group. 7ometimes we find ourselves unable to even state the reply to such /uestions in
words " the answers are too sub!ective for that. 8et, people in a given group will often loo at a case in
point and share a similar opinion: 9That group is too soft,: or 9those people are disengaged.: 9That
group is too man6centered,: or 9that group e+pects too much from its members.:
Sources of group ethos
Theology
' groups assumptions may have a basis in scripture, but many people cant articulate that
basis, or at least havent analy%ed where biblical instruction leaves off and application and opinion
begin.
Leaders, on the other hand 0whether formal leaders, or !ust opinion leaders4 need to thin
through how theology affects a groups outloo and e+pectations. 7tudying theology and teaching
biblical concepts to the church can have a potent effect on peoples outloo and e+pectations. But
other things count as well.
Mission, vision, and ethos
&roup ethos may partly grow out of a groups view of their mission or their vision, but is
different from either of these. Both terms, 9mission: and 9vision: refer to what the church is
supposed to do or the way things should be. *thos, on the other hand, describes what is in the church,
not what ought to be. $hat leaders articulate when they cast vision for a group is part of what ends
up in the groups ethos. But many other features will also contribute. The overall e+pectations and
sense of appropriateness that govern peoples attitudes and actions in a group could derive from
many sources, and leadership vision6casting would be only one of them.
7ince ethos, refers to what already is in a church, it includes the negative as well as the
positive. ;or instance, people in one group might have little interest in learning the Bible, and instead
focus mostly on e+periences. 'nother group might be /uite booish but rarely practice the things they
learn. 7ome groups have little interest in deep involvement with one another. Others en!oy building
into each others lives. 'ny of these constitute aspects of ethos, but include positive as well as
negative features.
' groups ethos can develop unintentionally. Leaders may not reali%e certain habits of thought
and action are developing, and would never approve if they did reali%e it. ' regular tug6of6war
probably surges !ust under the surface during the life of any group as people pull for their views and
values in different areas.
Altering ethos
The most important point is this: a groups ethos can be altered.
<ust as rocs roll down hills rather than up them, a churchs ethos tends to slide downward
unless it is carefully nurtured and even re6inserted at times. ,aintaining good ethos isnt easy " both
during 9in season: and 9out of season: times. Leaders and members have to watch sensitively for
shifts in peoples attitudes and outloos and be ready to reassert truth. Otherwise, they may find
themselves in a group that is nothing lie the one they used to belong to or lead.
-hanging a groups ethos from something negative or inade/uate to something e+citing and
biblical is a ma!or pro!ect, involving a lot of wor and time " maybe even a fight. But the payoff is
awesome= On their own, people in a group with a healthy ethos will tae upon themselves the tass
involved in building up the church. Initiative will replace inertia. &enerous outgiving love can become
so commonplace that people cant imagine a group without it. Instead of leaders endlessly pleading to
heedless members, they will find themselves scrambling !ust to eep up with the rapid movement of
events and the urgent need for e/uipping.
The Bible and ethos
7ince a groups ethos includes both ob!ective beliefs 0truths that stand whether we believe
them or not4 and sub!ective values or interpretations, we cannot easily turn to passages in the Bible
that set us straight in these areas. )owever, the Bible is not silent on the sub!ect. $e will see that >ew
Testament churches had an ethos of their own, and some of that is embodied in e+plicit precepts or
instructions we should follow. $e can detect, by careful reading, other aspects not e+plicitly taught
but demonstrated by e+ample, and we should seriously consider trying to incorporate those as well.
$hen we see how ethos shapes every aspect of behavior and outloo in a group, the /uestion
/uicly becomes, 9)ow do we get this healthy ethos in our group(: Thats where this boo comes in.
To build healthy group ethos, you have to have a clear picture of where youre heading. -arefully
studying what the Bible says about the church is the most important step you can tae toward that
goal.
Unhappiness ith the church today
Today, abundant evidence suggests the church in 'merica is losing ground. 7everal ma!or
studies !ust completed confirm that the evangelical church in 'merica has stopped growing and is
declining relative to population, especially since 3???.@2A *ven those churches that are growing do so
almost entirely by winning people away from other churches.@3A The fastest growing faith group in
'merica is unbelievers.@BA
)ow much of this discontent is the result of our culture trending toward increased hostility
toward &od( )ow much is the result of compromise or lac of spirituality in the church( Is the church
losing people because of its message or its practice( Or is it both(
$here are we to turn( Is it possible that a reconsideration of biblical teaching on the church
could reverse this negative trend( I thin this is e+actly where we must turn.
Section !:
"rasping the #ore Issues
Before getting down to the specifics of biblical teaching on the church, this section is for
getting the big picture. $hat is the church, and what should it be lie( $hat ind of things should we
be looing for(
#hapter !$
An Aesome #hurch
Lue tells us of one awesome church beginning in 'cts 3:13. This is a good place to start
considering the whole /uestion: $hat does a vital church loo lie( Lue is at pains to stress how
wonderful this period was. $hat components do we see(
Truth
$e read that the members of this group were 9continually devoting themselves to the
apostles teaching: 0v. 13a4. 7o this group of -hristians was clearly 9contentful.: In other words, this
was no ignorant group based purely on sub!ective feelings and hysteria. These people valued, studied,
and learned truth. The ministry of the word was strong in this group.
The e+pression 9continually devoting themselves: is strong. This was not !ust something they
did once in awhile. This group didnt trust their leaders to do the learning: the whole group felt they
needed to now truth at a deep level. )appily, we have this same teaching from the apostles in our
>ew Testament. 7o while we cant go down some evenings and listen to Ceter or <ohn lecture, we can
read and study their boos. Dnderstood properly, the church is a community of truth. $e dont come
together based mainly on social need or affinity, but based on the great truths of &od and especially
his wor in <esus -hrist. $e also shouldnt compromise the truth on the theory that we will be more
popular if we do so. 'ny suggestion that truth isnt important, isnt nowable, or doesnt need to be
learned flies into the face of this >ew Testament e+ample.
%oinonia
Lue says people in this awesome church also continually devoted themselves 9to fellowship:
0v. 13b4. The word translated 9fellowship: is koinonia. This important word means 9to have in
common: or 9to share.: Koinonia became the early churchs favorite word for their practice when they
gathered. They taught that assembling -hristians could e+change the life of -hrist between one
another through serving love. Its such an important concept that well devote a later chapter to it. ;or
now, we should notice that these people thought it was so important that they 9continually devoted
themselves: to it.
' later verse e+pands on this point. 95ay by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and
breaing bread from house to house, they were taing their meals together with gladness and
sincerity of heart: 0v. 1E4. The e+pression 9day by day: means more or less daily 07ee >IF 9every day:4.
It sounds lie these people found time for being with each other in one way or another most days.@EA
)ow different is our contemporary church, where people often have a 97unday6go6to6meeting:
mentality " they try to find an hour or two per wee for attending church. This ancient group
apparently invested e+tensive time each wee into relationship building and fellowship.
&eflection and prayer
$e also read that they continually devoted themselves 9to the breaing of bread and to prayer: 0v.
13c4. These activities liely happened in house meetings, because verse 1E mentions breaing bread
9from house to house.: Breaing bread probably refers to celebrating the Lords 7upper, because verse
1E also mentions, 9taing their meals together,: and that would be redundant if breaing bread !ust
meant eating meals. On the other hand, evidence is good that they did both together bac then, so
this difference is a moot point. -elebrating the Lords 7upper shows that this community was
reflective and reverent, not wanting to forget or tae for granted the grace of &od and the
breathtaing price so recently paid by <esus. In the Lords 7upper and prayer, we see a strong &od6
centeredness in the mindset of this group.
Ferse 1G adds that they were 9praising &od,: which naturally flows from &od6centeredness in
prayer. -hristians in this group believed that the ey to effectiveness, growth, and even survival was
the power of &od. 7o prayer and thansgiving were not peripheral, but central in the ministry of the
church.
Supernatural
Lue goes on, 9' deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many
miraculous signs and wonders: 0v. 1B4. These people new that what was happening could not be
e+plained by human ingenuity or manipulation. These were real miracles " the >ew Testament ind.
Dnlie some modern miracle worers, these miracles were so real that even enemies of -hristianity
said of them, 9$e cant deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in <erusalem
nows about it: 0'cts 1:2E4. They never had to fae anything.
's believers in this group saw &od woring in mighty ways, they naturally felt 9a deep sense of
awe.: 'nyone who has been part of a church where &od begins to wor powerfully to win the lost,
heal, and change lives, nows this feeling. $hen I was young, the only awe I could remember was
what you said to your mom on 7unday morning: 9'w, do we have to go to church(: ;or many today,
awe is the furthest thing imaginable from what they feel when in church " boredom would be closer.
"enerosity
Lue goes on to point out that these peoples behavior grew /uite e+treme: 9'nd all those who
had believed were together and had all things in common# and they began selling their property and
possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need: 0vs. 11, 1H4. @GA This part is
/uite a shoc to individualistic 'mericans= 7elling your real estate( ' community of goods( 're you
idding(
8es, these people lost trac of where the line should be drawn " the line that says &ods
interests can encroach this far into my life, but no farther. These people gave themselves over to &od
and his people without limit. They had a poverty problem: ,any out6of6towners had come for
Centecost and decided to stay after meeting -hrist# they probably had no way to earn a living. They
were under occupation by Iome and had to pay high ta+es. It was a poor culture anyway. They had no
social security for widows or orphans, no welfare for the poor.
Later groups in the >ew Testament period apparently didnt practice a community of goods lie
this group. But they probably would have if the need had been as acute. $e see evidence for this
when even poor -hristians were eager to give way more than seemed reasonable to help these same
poor people in later years 03 -orinthians J:2614. Iemarably, materialistic greed had no hold on this
group. In its place, raw, self6giving love predominated.
Outard
;inally, we read that they were 9en!oying the goodwill of all the people. 'nd each day the Lord
added to their fellowship those who were being saved: 0v. 1G4. This whole description would read so
differently without the last comment. $ithout this verse, this group might be nothing more than what
Ialph $inter called a 9self6actuali%ing cult.: 7ure, people would be giving out, but only to each other.
They might be lie a circle of people scratching each others bacs. Thats not good enough. ' healthy
organism grows, and &od wills growth for his church " not always the same amount for every local
group, but always reconciling people to &od. >otice, not a single person came in through transfer
growth. *ach and every new person came through conversion.
The fact that this group had the goodwill of the people shows that they werent withdrawn to
themselves. These people were out in the community doing good and living out their faith in a way
people admired even when they werent persuaded.
'hat should e ma(e of it)
Oay, maybe this church was awesome# maybe it would have been fun to be a part of that
e+perience. But what are we saying for today( -ertainly some of the features in this group might be
true of /uality local churches today, but come on: people disowning their real estate and giving the
money to the poor( Ceople gathering virtually every day( 're you idding( That would be completely
insane= 's modern people, we have lives to live, things to do. 'ny group lie this that showed up today
would be re!ected as a cult. Cure fanaticism. This is downright weird= Its bi%arre=
Or is it(
,aybe our lives are bi%arre. In western cities, many thin its normal for people to spend whole
series of days and nights without any meaningful human relating. Their 9conversations: may never go
beyond the superficial# rarely or never connecting on a personal level. ,odern people see nothing
strange about living in a sea of people who have no idea whats really going on in their lives, and their
closest relationship may be with their dog.
,any in the modern west see nothing strange about a life where we have never e+perienced
actual intimacy with a community of people. $estern city dwellers usually dont now who their
neighbors are. They may remember a time when they were on a sports team or had some dorm
roommates with a special closeness, but theyve grown up now. ;or many 'merican adults, superficial
banter with people they barely now or 9tweeting: on a white screen is called 9being friends.: 't best,
the nuclear family involves some personal relating, but we now how well thats going=
$e live in a culture where millions choose a video6based entertainment stupor over deep
human relationships. &oing out several nights a wee to Bible studies or 9hangouts: with -hristian
friends sounds far6out and unreasonable to us. But sitting night after night slac6!awed in front of an
L-5 screen, watching something we cant /uite remember, or playing the same video game over and
over, maes perfect sense.
$e in the modern west thin a life spent earning money all day and en!oying spending it all
night is a life of success " even though we now perfectly well well have to wal away from all of our
riches soon. On the other hand, investing in spiritual riches that will never fade has to be 9ept in
perspective#: we wouldnt want to get carried away= ,issing time with the people of &od is often
unavoidable, but not missing a worout at the gym.
'hat prevents us)
's twenty first century western -hristians, we have to reali%e we are products of our culture.
$hy would so many -hristians in the modern west loo at a picture lie that in 'cts 3 and shae their
heads septically( $hy do so many feel it !ust isnt realistic( $hat barrier holds us bac from living
lie they did(
Its not the )oly 7pirit# we have the same )oly 7pirit they did.
-ould it be that &od no longer wants people in the body of -hrist to live this way( >ot if we
can believe our >ew Testament. $e will see overwhelming evidence that this picture is not !ust a
curious e+ample, but reflects direct, moral imperatives# instructions that are not optional for Bible
believing -hristians.
Our problems as modern people are severe. $e are cynical# we simply dont believe that a
picture lie that in 'cts 3 is possible today. 7uch unbelief will effectively bloc what &od wants for us.
-ynical -hristians will never even try something they believe is nonsense.
Then too, we have prior loyalties that cannot be interfered with. If a >ew Testament church
e+perience happened within our e+isting schedule and priorities, we wouldnt ob!ect. But if
e+periencing real body life means changing our entertainment schedule or our furious pursuit of
sports leagues, driving our ids to e+cel in ten different ways 0all based on the values of the world4, or
even turning down a promotion that would tae us away from fellowship, thats really too much= The
goals of the world6system too often trump the things of &od.
If we lived lie these people in 'cts, we would be completely different than any of our
neighbors " real oddballs. That doesnt appeal to people who derive their sense of well6being from
how similar they are to everyone else. Our need to conform to others e+pectations and standards can
bloc us from e+periencing radical body life.
8et an array of data suggests that we arent happy with our driven, materialistic, and
impersonal lives.@JA >either are we happy with our churches. 7omething is missing. $hat is it(
Only one ay out
's Bible believing -hristians, we should now e+actly what the answer is. <esus taught that &od
made us for love. 'dding more inches to the screen si%e of our )5 TFs wont scratch the itch inside,
any more than boo%e, drugs, or power would. &od made us for love, and we have to connect the dots
between our pursuit of alternatives to real love and the emptiness we feel.
Of course, western people welcome love, but usually not the love of &od. $e want romance,
we want hot love affairs, and maybe some family love too. But thats it. One problem is that these
pursuits could all be self6serving. $e might appreciate self6gratifying love and still miss the point.
<esus said we need to love one another as he loved us " the sacrificial way. )e specified that !ust
loving those who love us is not good enough# that even nonbelievers do that 0,atthew H:1E4. 7o
people who didnt now &od bac then also embraced this narrow band of self6gratifying love.
7acrificial love. Love where I surrender my life up to the pro!ect of serving others. Iadical love.
Love without limits. This is what <esus was beconing us toward when he referred to those who lose
their lives but will ultimately save them 0Lue K:314. 'nd then he gave us the body of -hrist as the
ultimate venue for living this out.
Dntil we accept that the relational and spiritual side of life " love with &od and with others " is
where our fulfillment and satisfaction lie, we will continue to feel that other things are more
important. $e will refuse to let &od and his people encroach into our time and affections beyond
minimal levels.
@cutA
But the >ew Testament picture of church life is definitely possible today. $e are not taling
here about something e+otic that &od reserves for the few. This lifestyle is the will of &od for all of us.
If we dont have it, thats probably because weve departed from his teaching, or have accepted
definitions and values that come from our modern, individualistic culture.
*cut+
#hapter ,$
-esus .aunches his body
Before we can do and be the body of -hrist, we have to understand what it is according to &od.
This is one of the biggest barriers to successful body life today: failure to understand what the body of
-hrist is. It would be a huge mistae to sip this section of the boo. 'uthor ,ar 5riscoll recently
commented that at a pastors conference on the church he found that none of the pastors in his group
could give a coherent definition of what the church is= ,y e+perience is similar. Ceople want to bypass
this part and get to the /uestion of methods. But trying to implement organic church principles
without understanding what &od teaches about the body of -hrist will result in confusion, frustration,
and probably failure.
Our mystical union ith -esus
In the boo of Iomans, Caul e+plains that we are identified with <esus death and resurrection,
and therefore we should present ourselves to &od as those alive from the dead 0Iomans E:2B4. This
union with <esus, this new position we have in -hrist, is one of the most important, but often poorly
understood, teachings in the >ew Testament.
Theologians call it the 9mystical union: of believers with -hrist. Our mystical union is very
profound " not !ust a metaphor or a picture. It refers to something real# in some ways its more real
than our temporal lives here. To be 9in -hrist: is to be united with him now and forever. Caul says,
9The person who is !oined to the Lord is one spirit with him: 02 -orinthians E:2G 7ee also Iomans J:2,
K# 2E:22# &alatians 3:3?# *phesians 3:2B# H:B?# 3 Ceter 2:14. 's theologian -harles )odge said, 9>o
doctrine of the Bible, relating to the plan of salvation, is more plainly taught or more wide reaching
than that which concerns the union between -hrist and his people.:@KA
Our oneness with <esus describes how &od loos at us: he sees us in his 7on. That means what
is true of <esus becomes true of us in the eyes of &od. &od directly lins many of his most important
>ew Testament promises to this spiritual union with <esus. >otice how the authors of the >ew
Testament use the term 9in -hrist,: 9in the beloved,: 9in him,: or similar e+pressions in this partial list
drawn from the nearly 3?? uses in the >ew Testament:
Things e get from our mystical union ith -esus:
/assages and 'hat is /romised
Iomans J:2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
;reedom from condemnation
Iomans J:3 ;or the law of the 7pirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and of death. ;reedom from the law of sin
Iomans J:BK @>eitherA height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate
us from the love of &od, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 7ecurity and permanence in &ods love
2 -orinthians 2:B? &ods wisdom, goodness, etc. imparted to us
3 -orinthians 3:21 But thans be to &od, who always leads us in )is triumph in Christ, and
manifests through us the sweet aroma of the nowledge of )im in every place. Triumph in spiritual
war
3 -orinthians H:2G >ew identity
&alatians B:3J There is neither <ew nor &ree, there is neither slave nor free man, there is
neither male nor female# for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Basis for social, racial, and se+ual e/uality
*phesians 2:B Blessed be the &od and ;ather of our Lord <esus -hrist, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, *very blessing, note the past tense
Chilippians B:K Iighteousness imparted to us
Chilippians 1:G 'nd the peace of &od, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Inner peace of mind
-olossians B:B,1 ;uture inheritance and eternal life
3 -orinthians H:32 )e made )im who new no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might
become the righteousness of &od in Him. The righteousness of &od
2 -orinthians 2:H In everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all nowledge,
7piritual gifts
8ou can see from this partial list that those who fail to comprehend our mystical union with
-hrist miss one of the most important teachings in the >ew Testament. This is the center of the >ew
Testament web of teaching# the strands going out from our mystical union with <esus touch all areas.
'hat does this have to do ith the church)
In Iomans 23 we learn that the mystical union not only affects our identity as individuals, but
also corporately, as the people of &od:
;or !ust as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same
function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another 0v. 16
H4
This passage, lie others, says that the same mystical union that maes us one with <esus also
maes us one with each other, or 9members one of another.: The mystical union operates hori%ontally
as well as vertically. This is why the >ew Testament calls believers 9the body of -hrist.: Its much more
than an illustration. The mystical union of believers is a divine fact: we are individually members, not
only of -hrist, but also of one another.
$hy does Caul, in this same conte+t, urge all6out commitment to <esus, lie when he says a
couple of verses earlier, 9present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to &od, which is
your spiritual service of worship: 023:24( $hat does that have to do with verses 1 and H( <ust this:
-ommitment to <esus is commitment to his body=
These are not two separate things, but one and the same. $e are not !ust members of -hrist.
$e are also members of one another. $e cannot commit our lives to <esus without also committing to
the people of &od. If we thin we are totally committed to <esus, we had better plan on all6out
commitment to his body as well.
'nyone who truly understands the mystical union reali%es that each of our lives has been
!oined to the body of -hrist in a very profound way. $hether we live that truth out in any visible or
tangible way here on earth is another /uestion. But &od has already settled the issue: 9$e are one
body in -hrist, and individually members one of another.:
Over and over throughout the >ew Testament, this mystical union appears, either e+plicitly or
by implication.
*cut+
! #orinthians
The church in -orinth was a divided church. That may be why Caul gave several of his clearest
teachings about the mystical union in that boo. )e e+plains that the formation of the body of -hrist is
the result of spiritual baptism:
7ome of us are <ews, some are &entiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all
been bapti%ed into one body by one 7pirit, and we all share the same 7pirit 02 -orinthians 23:2B >LT4.
To be 9bapti%ed into one body by one 7pirit#: what does that mean( Iemember, baptism often
refers to a 9putting into: something other than water.@2?A This passage is not referring to water
baptism but to spiritual baptism into the body of -hrist. *arlier, Caul said, 9by &ods doing you are in
-hrist: 02 -orinthians 2:B?4. &od places all believers into <esus body when he spiritually unites them
with -hrist. >otice how Caul says 9we all have been bapti%ed: in 23:2B. This is not !ust true of some
-hristians.
Caul comes bac to this mystical union repeatedly. )e e+plains that because of our union, our
actions affect the whole group. ;or instance, the sinning brother in -hapter H defiled the whole church
0vs. H:E6J4. )e challenges the fornicators in the group, 95o you not now that your bodies are
members of -hrist( 7hall I then tae away the members of -hrist and mae them members of a
prostitute( ,ay it never be=: 0E:2H4. They must not understand that, 9the one who !oins himself to the
Lord is one spirit with )im.: 0E:2G4. In both of these cases we see the actions of individual members
impacting the other members 0negatively4 even though that was never their intent.
The same applies to positive actions. In 2 -orinthians 23:3E Caul e+plains, 9if one member
suffers, all the members suffer with it# if one member is honored, all the members re!oice with it.:
>otice, this is not an imperative, or an instruction 0lie a similar verse in Iomans 23:2H4. )ere, Caul is
not calling on them to empathi%e, but is simply stating that because of the mystical union, our lives are
intertwined. Thats why 9the eye cannot say to the hand, LI have no need of you# or again the head to
the feet, LI have no need of you.: 023:324.
Thin about this last statement. Cauls illustration is a human body. $hat happens to an eyeball
removed from its body and placed on a shelf( 5eath, and /uicly= If we follow the logic of Cauls
illustration, we see that we have as much chance of spiritual life apart from the body as would a
pluced6out eyeball.
>otice also that Caul is not !ust saying we need the presence of the other members, but that
we need their function. The reason the eye needs the hand is because eyes are fine when it comes to
vision, but pitiful for doing wor. *yes and hands have to wor together, and they do wor together in
our bodies, because of their organic linage.
This organic inter6connectivity in the body of -hrist flies in the face of modern notions of
9going to church.: -hristians who thin they need to 9attend: church have missed the point. 7imply
being around other members of the body falls woefully short of Cauls picture in this chapter. Instead,
lie organs in a living, functioning body, we are supposed to supply what others need while receiving
from them things we could never do for ourselves.
The mystical union of believers is an awesome concept that can revolutioni%e our
understanding of the church. Dnderstood correctly, this union constitutes our corporate identity, as
opposed to our individual identities. Thin about these provocative words by one author on the
church:
This @corporate unityA is the very opposite of mans condition by nature. In 'dam, I have the life
of 'dam, but that is essentially individual. There is no union, no fellowship in sin, but only self6interest
and distrust of others....

8es, the -ross must do its wor here, reminding me that in -hrist I have died to that old life of
independence which I inherited from 'dam, and that in resurrection I have become not !ust an
individual believer in -hrist but a member of his Body. There is a vast difference between the two.
$hen I see this, I shall at once have done with independence and shall see fellowship. The life of
-hrist in me will gravitate to the life of -hrist in others. I can no longer tae an individual line. <ealousy
will go. -ompetition will go. Crivate wor will go. ,y interests, my ambitions, my preferences, all will
go. It will no longer matter which of us does the wor. 'll that will matter will be that the Body grows.
I said: 9$hen I see this...: That is the great need: to see the Body of -hrist as another great divine fact#
to have it brea in upon our spirits by heavenly revelation that 9we, who are many, are one body in
-hrist.: Only the )oly 7pirit can bring this home to us in all its meaning, but when he does, it will
revolutioni%e our life and wor.@22A
7eeing the body of -hrist for what it is will indeed change our perspective. *ven the Lords
supper is intended to remind us, not only of the death of <esus, but our mystical union with him. Caul
e+plains in 2 -orinthians 2?, 9when we brea the bread, arent we sharing in the body of -hrist( 'nd
though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body 0v. 2E, 2G >LT4.
5o 'merican -hristians grasp their corporate identity in -hrist( I have my doubts. Today,
church is something you go to on 7unday, not something that you are. I now the church has to
assemble, so maybe Im being too fussy, but I dont thin so. I thin we view the church as something
e+ternal to ourselves, something I might go to if I have the time, something Lover there. $e tend to
see churches as things we attend or !oin, or even as a building. Instead, we should see the church as
something Im a part of, and whether Im assembling with one group or another, or even if I havent
been assembling at all, doesnt change anything. -hristians who fully grasp the mystical union see
things in a fundamentally different light. 'll that we e+pect and all that we do in the church grows out
of our understanding of what the church is.
*cut+
/ractical outor(ing of the mystical union
;ew theological teachings have more impact on our view of the church than that about our
mystical union with <esus. If people come to view their church the way &od views it, the other points
raised in the >ew Testament follow naturally. 's we will see, an organic ethos depends on an organic
definition of the church rather than an institutional, structural, or corporate definition. In a word, the
essence of the church is spiritual and inward, not e+ternal.
7ome readers may thin this is too abstract and theological to mae a difference. $rong= It
does mae a difference and a huge one. $hat the church does grows directly out of what the church
is. ;or instance, why would -hristians in a healthy church consider other members lives to be their
business( 7houldnt they focus on their own lives and let others live theirs( $hy would we conclude
that every single member in the church should develop a personal ministry( $hy thin that if one
member is built up, all of us will improve( The answer to all these and many others is the same " 9we
are individually members of one another.:
#hapter 0$
.iving Out Our Unity: %oinonia
The unity of the body of -hrist, based on our mystical union with <esus, is not something we
need to bring about or mae happen. Instead, it is an accomplished fact. But !ust as in other areas, we
have a part in living out what &od has already accomplished. I thin one of the most ma!estic
discussions of the body of -hrist is in the boo of *phesians. )ere again, Caul begins with a lengthy
discussion of the nature and importance of our mystical union with -hrist and each other. ;or three
chapters he argues that &ods vast plan of the ages has been building toward this outcome.
To pillars of unity in practice
;inally, in -hapter 1, he pleads with his readers to live out what &od has already done:
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to wal in a manner worthy of @or 9suitable
to:A the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the 7pirit in the
bond of peace 0vs. 26B4.
>otice that Caul e+tols the 9unity of the 7pirit: in this passage. This is not an organi%ational
unity. Its not an outward, structural unity where we all share the same church government. Ceople
have made huge mistaes during the history of the church by concluding that the ey is a single, over6
arching church structure or a single leadership entity. Caul is referring to a unity that is spiritual and
mystical. Its the unity we studied in the previous chapter " the one that comes from our mystical
union with <esus.
>otice also that the last phrase urges us to 9preserve the unity of the 7pirit,: not to create
unity. Caul is teaching that &od has already built real unity into his body, by virtue of the mystical
union. But how will this inner, spiritual unity ever come out into the light of day where people can see
and e+perience it(
&elationship
The first clue is in verse two. 7howing 9humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance in love: "
all these are referring to things found in relationships between people. Living out our unity in the body
of -hrist is not to be some strange or far6out thing, lie a spell or a feeling that comes over people.
Instead, we wor out our unity by developing loving, deep, personal relationships between the people
of &od. $ouldnt that be something " -hristian people who deeply loved the others in their spiritual
community( It would be very impressive if these relationships reached the level called for in the >ew
Testament writings.
't the deepest level, then, is the unseen, but real, mystical union. But over that and because of
it, we are to build relationships that are deep, loving, impressive, maybe even ama%ing to the watching
world. <esus prayed that the unity between believers would be so profound and unusual that it would
convince the world that he was authentic 0<ohn 2G:3B, c.f. 21:B16BH4.
Truth
But relationships arent all. consider verses 1 through E:
;or there is one body and one 7pirit, !ust as you have been called to one glorious hope for the
future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one &od and ;ather, who is over all and in all
and living through all.
)ere again, we see unity. But these seven bases for unity all lie outside our doings with each
other. They are truths, or facts, that we did not create and cannot alter. Truth, as well as love, is a ey
basis for unity. In fact, truth and love have a dynamic relationship that forms the basis for what we
should be doing. Caul calls us to bring these two pillars together in verse 2H:
But speaing the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into )im who is the head, even
-hrist
To spea the truth in love# what does it mean( 'nd how does that result in spiritual growth to
maturity(
Sharing
In the >ew Testament, -hristians gathered to share or e+change the life of -hrist with each
other. The >ew Testament authors often e+press this sharing, or having in common, with the &ree
word koinonia. Koinonia comes from a stem meaning 9common,: and so means to share or to have in
common " to e+change something. The term is a rich one and has many applications, including the
one here in *phesians 1, when Caul refers to 9speaing the truth in love.:
To develop true koinonia " or 9body life: as some have called it " is not that easy. $e must
develop several bacground features if we e+pect to practice body life at the >ew Testament level.
Caul e+plains in *phesians 1:
>ow these are the gifts -hrist gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to e/uip &ods people to do his wor and build up
the church, the body of -hrist 0v. 226234.
12uipping
The process of establishing /uality koinonia begins with the leadership, according to these
verses.@21A Those with spiritual gifts and roles associated with leadership in the local church have the
tas of 9e/uipping: &ods people to do his wor, or his ministry. One of the central parts of e/uipping
members in the body is teaching them truth. Caul describes this wor in -olossians 2:3J: 9$e
proclaim )im, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may
present every man complete in -hrist: 0>'7B4. If we are serious about 9speaing the truth in love: to
one another, we will all have to learn the truth from &ods word at a much deeper level than most
-hristians in 'merica have so far, as we will see in chapter 3?. 'ny church that taes this piece
seriously is going to have to devote much more energy and resources to the pro!ect of e/uipping
people with the truth than todays typical church.
Ministry
$hy should &ods people be e/uipped( ;or 9the wor of service: 0>'7B4 or 9the wor of
ministry: 0I7F4. The last word in the phrase, diakonia, is translated both service and ministry in our
*nglish Bibles. Thats because ministry is serving people in love.@2HA 7erving others is the business of
the people of &od, and properly understood, ministry is the active component in biblical love. Love in
the Bible is not selfish love, but serving love, or sacrificial love. ,inistry comes in different forms "
word ministries, service ministries, and prayer6related ministries. ' full understanding of the >ew
Testament concept of ministry taes some time, so we will devote a later chapter to it.
,ost ministries in the local church involve relationship building.
The fruit of ministry
Ceoples characters need to be transformed before they can be what &od wants those who
serve him to be. Caul tells us where the tra!ectory of building up the body leads:
@$e are to growA...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the nowledge of the 7on
of &od, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of -hrist
0*phesians 1:2B4.
If this is what &od envisions as the result of ministry, it gives us an idea of what will be needed
in the way of e/uipping.
;irst, notice the words, 9we all: 0hoi pantes4. $hat this passage describes is not for the few or
the elite. &od calls each and every one of us in the body of -hrist attain to the level of maturity
described. This is also important because as the passage continues, Caul repeatedly uses the word
9we: as the sub!ect. In other words, every one of us is to be a recipient as well as a powerful minister
in the process of koinonia.@2EA
>e+t, he mentions that we are to attain to 9the unity of the faith, and the nowledge of the
7on of &od.: ;or this reason alone, e/uipping &ods people will be an enormous tas in modern
'merica, where most new -hristians begin in almost complete biblical illiteracy. 'ttaining to the
9nowledge of the 7on of &od: 0v. 2B4 probably means a lengthy time of study and personal
discipleship. *ven those raised in the church usually have only a Bible6story nowledge that is
practically unusable in ministry situations.
Our characters also need formation. Caul envisions people reaching the level of 9a mature
man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of -hrist: 0v. 2B4. Only those who
have been significantly transformed by the Lord themselves can foster such character change. Those
lacing the ability to build lasting love relationships are not ready to play their parts as ministers in the
body of -hrist. Love6taers are not ready to give out in ministry. 7elf6absorbed or materialistic people
are not ready. 'ddicts of all types are not ready. Immoral people are not ready.
,embers in the church have to see character transformation in each others lives, if they are
to effectively give out in ministry. If we have a church full of passive listeners who arent growing
spiritually, this whole picture breas down# Koinonia becomes an unreal concept. ;or this reason
alone, we see that much more will be needed than what we see in many modern churches. )ow
would the leadership of any si%eable church even now whether or not people in the church are
growing( )ow are leaders supposed to match counseling, admonition, training, and help to peoples
needs( Fast swaths of our modern understanding of the church will have to be massively revised if the
>ew Testament picture of the church is to be more than a perple+ing mystery to our people.
Truth in love
's people become e/uipped in the truth and see substantial character change, new
possibilities open. 7uch people are in position to do what Caul calls, 9speaing the truth in love: in
verse 2H:
...but speaing the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into )im who is the head.
But what does 9speaing the truth in love: mean( 5oes it mean that we tell people true things
in a 9lovey: tone of voice( 5oes it mean that we try to pro!ect loving feelings and a friendly demeanor
when we tell people the truth( >o.
In the conte+t of >ew Testament teaching, only one understanding of this phrase maes sense:
Caul is teaching that we should spea &ods truth 0based on his word4 to each other in the conte+t of
love relationships. This is what transforms lives, according to this and other passages.
In the >ew Testament, love is not a smiling face or tone of voice we show people in the lobby
at church. >either is it !ust a feeling or demeanor we pro!ect toward someone. <esus call to love
others is far more costly than many modern understandings. 7uch superficial understandings of love "
that it is nothing more than a friendly demeanor " come from the world, not from the Bible.
$hen <esus calls his followers to love one another as he loved them, he e+plains that this
means laying down our lives for them 0<ohn 2H:2362B4. )e means we should build friendships with
others and love them sacrificially as he did. Then, in that conte+t, we need to teach, admonish, and
encourage each other, based on the truth as taught in &ods word.
)ere comes the time commitment. )ere comes the interference with worldly goals and values.
This means getting outside of my interests, my family, my aspirations, and getting into other peoples
lives. >o wonder the early church devoted e+tensive time to fellowship. They were taing the concept
of speaing the truth in love seriously=
%oinonia and church values
)ave you ever wondered why some groups seem to assume that people in the body of -hrist
should invest deeply into relationships and develop closeness, while other groups assume that you go
to church and go home afterward and thats it( This is a perfect e+ample of an area where our
theology and our values intersect to form a different ethos. Dnder some patterns of teaching, people
never even try to e+perience real koinonia " they dont even now what it is. But if we e+pound this
concept regularly and deeply, people may begin to aspire to a new level of body life never nown
before.
7imply nowing what the Bible teaches on oinonia wont be ade/uate# much more will be
needed, as we shall see. On the other hand, failure to teach this area strongly will almost certainly
short6circuit any hopes for a >ew Testament6style church. 's yourself: $hy would people in a church
assume they should pursue in6depth e/uipping( $hy would they thin they wont be complete until
they develop a meaningful ministry( Only deeply held biblical convictions that ministry is the
birthright of every -hristian, combined with the encouragement of the community will liely result in
this outcome. Muality community re/uires that people understanding and believe at a deep level what
the >ew Testament teaches on koinonia.
#hapter 3$
&elationships: 4o 5eep)
)ow do we now what the >ew Testament means when it calls on &ods people to love
oneanother( Is our modern understanding necessarily deficient or superficial( )ow could we ever
now what the inner lives of people in the >ew Testament church were lie( ,aybe their e+perience
in church wasnt much different from ours.
)ere is where ob!ective teaching meets interpretation and application to form a groups ethos.
$e could tae the call to spea the truth in love in a number of ways, some of them /uite superficial.
But >ew Testament teaching wont let us do that if we face it honestly.
The 6oneanother7 passages
One of the clearest ways to loo at this /uestion involves the so6called 9oneanother: passages
in the >ew Testament. These passages, found scattered all over the >ew Testament form a baseline
for what we should e+pect when it comes to relationship building and koinonia.@2GA Because the
apostles repeat these calls in do%ens of diverse conte+ts, they must be universal imperatives. Loo at
these selected e+amples and consider, in each case, what would be necessary before that passage
could be any more than a dead letter.
/assages and 8eeded conditions
"alatians 9:!0 :or you ere called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into
an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another$
7erving is the concept of ministry. This passage is a plain call for serving love in the body of
-hrist. )ow could we possibly accomplish this if our only conte+t for nowing people is a large worship
service on a 7unday morning( Those who thin the Bible never calls on -hristians to become involved
in smaller group fellowship are mistaen. ;ulfilling these commands is inconceivable apart from some
ind of small group involvement.
! Thessalonians 9:!! Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, <ust as you
also are doing$
To encourage others effectively, you need to now whats going on in their lives. 8ou would
have to be aware of their progress in various areas in order to now what to encourage. Liewise with
the notion of building others up " how are we to do this unless we now each others needs and
progress( Dnless we have a reasonably good idea of where others are in different areas of their lives,
any attempt to build them up would be pure guesswor. Those who have wored to help people grow
spiritually now that the transforming power of love and truth doesnt wor at arms length. This
imperative assumes people have built good relationships with each other.
#olossians 0:!= .et the ord of #hrist richly dell ithin you, ith all isdom teaching and
admonishing one another
If we are to spea the truth in a life6giving way, we first have to let that word 9richly dwell
within: us. This suggests e+tensive learning " way more than the average western -hristian today. But
we would also have to now each others lives well in order to not only teach doctrine, but to
9admonish: 0nutheteo4 " a term related to our concept of counseling. This passage envisions
-hristians who are nowledgeable in &ods word, wise in its application, and engaged enough with
each other to counsel one anothers lives. 5oing this with relative strangers or ac/uaintances is
unrealistic. $ould you accept admonition from someone who didnt now you or understand your life
situation(
-ames 9:!= Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that
you may be healed$
7ome churches have arranged to have people confess their sins through a screen to priests
who barely now them. But this can hardly be what <ames has in mind. In the conte+t of the >ew
Testament church, this verse refers to something normal -hristians do with each other. ,ost of us
would find it difficult to open up about our sin problems with anyone unless we felt significant trust.
To be as vulnerable as this verse suggests would tae lengthy personal investment to build trusting
relationships where people feel safe opening up to one another.
1phesians 3:0, And be (ind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, <ust as "od
in #hrist also has forgiven you$
1phesians 3:, $$$ith all humility and gentleness, ith patience, shoing forbearance to one
another in love
-onflict and alienation are constant threats, preventing us from building a community of trust
and grace. ,any people come to -hrist with obstinate habits such as hostility, insensitivity, suspicion,
and !udging others. ,any lac the ability to forgive offenses and need e+tensive training in grace.
*very local church would love to see their people acting lie these verses describe. But any group that
has tried, nows how difficult it is to get a group to move from fleshly selfishness to forgiving love.
-lose6in modeling, counseling, and admonition are essential to such a transformation. Teaching
people how to practice grace with each other must happen in community, !ust as surely as teaching
people to swim needs to happen in water. Too often, modern churches arent sure whether they have
a problem here for one simple reason: their people are so disengaged and distant they rarely interact
enough to tae offense at each other " not e+actly what Caul had in mind.
&omans !9:> Therefore, accept each other <ust as #hrist has accepted you so that "od ill be
given glory$
&omans !,:!= Be of the same mind toard one another; do not be haughty in mind, but
associate ith the loly$
These verses arent !ust telling us to accept people we lie. In the body of -hrist, all are
welcome. This is a tall order for any si%eable group of people. It doesnt mean we cant admonish
unruly people, but it does mean we must learn to love them. *very healthy church has significant
numbers of hard6to6love people, people with serious problems, including annoying relational
dysfunctions. Obeying these passages will test the maturity and graciousness of everyone in the
group, especially when people spend time and build close community. In healthy churches, difficult
people are not only included, but often become unrecogni%able compared to their former selves, and
stand as powerful e+amples of &ods life6changing grace. Croper understanding of these passages
rules out merely saying, 9I have a friend I love and try to build up.: Thats not good enough. This
passage is referring to the body of -hrist, not to someone we already love. Two people who love each
other is a nice start, but we are called to form -hristian community with everyone.
"alatians =:, Bear one another?s burdens, and thus fulfill the la of #hrist$
To bear other peoples burdens, you have to now what those burdens are and how to help.
>either of these is easy, and neither will happen in relationally disengaged groups. 5iscernment,
wisdom, initiative in love giving, and perseverance " all are implied in this statement. 'nyone who
thins its easy to practice this imperative in community probably never seriously tried it.
&omans !,:!@ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love
! /eter !:,, Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of
the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart$
The language of these verses and others lie them simply cannot be understood as a superficial
definition of love too often accepted in western churches. To 9fervently love one another from the
heart: has to mean deeply committed and involved relationships. This is not describing simply a
friendly demeanor toward others we see at church. Love lie this is going to tae time. Love lie this
will mean sacrifice.
Before deciding what you thin these passages mean for the church today, remember:
. These passages are all moral imperatives direct from &od to us, and are not optional for
serious -hristians.
. These commands are not lined to any particular cultural setting, lie the first century &reco6
Ioman world 0unlie, for e+ample, women wearing veils, or greeting one another with a holy iss4.
They apply directly to twenty6first century 'merica.
. The content of these imperatives applies to all -hristians e+cept perhaps those who are
severely impaired. The 9oneanother: language maes it clear that carrying out these actions is not the
responsibility of leaders or an elite group, but of all ordinary -hristians. The leadership is responsible
only to e/uip members so they can succeed.
. These passages, in conte+t, are not describing how we should relate to our families. 'lthough
we should certainly love our families, these passages are about the much more difficult setting of the
church. 7witching the intended venue from the church to our families would be another e+ample of
radical reinterpretation intended to reduce &ods call to something we are already doing 0,atthew
H:1E4.
. 5isregarding any of these instructions would be sin " !ust as serious, and even more serious,
than stealing, swearing, getting drun, or watching pornography. 'fter all, <esus put loving others at
the very top level of importance, second only to loving &od. 's <ames says, 9Iemember, it is sin to
now what you ought to do and then not do it: 0<ames 1:2G4
7ome western -hristians become unhappy when studying the oneanother passages because
they already have set priorities in their lives that mae obeying these impractical. $hile following
these instructions from &od may be difficult, and may be different from what we are used to, we must
accept that this is biblical Christianity. $e cannot claim -hristianity is a livable teaching unless we
substantially carry out these oft6repeated instructions.
Thin about it: deleting from the >ew Testament every call for -hristians to pray would fatally
distort the -hristian message, and it would leave -hristians in an unspiritual, miserable state. 7o too,
deleting the 9one another: passages from the >ew Testament would destroy the spiritual vitality of
the church and everyone in it. $hile we can always find churches that e+cuse us from following these
instructions, we would only be fooling ourselves about true -hristianity.
4onesty
's a Bible teacher, Im aware every time I teach this area that some people in my audience
begin to bristle in anger or uncomfortable resistance. ;acing &ods word is often uncomfortable, and it
should be. 7trangely, even some -hristians who tae a hard line on a wide range of moral issues ignore
and disobey these very important moral instructions.
The first step in reforming our situation in the church today is to admit where we stand. 're we
doing what &od tells us to do( )ave we developed the ind of dynamic, health6giving community of
love described in these passages, where everyone is being e/uipped, is loving, is ministering to each
other( Or have we accepted a version of the church where most people !ust watch and listen# a
picture that comes nowhere near what &od describes in the >ew Testament(
'gain, if we have a problem, the best thing to do is admit it. $e can rely on the grace of &od to
forgive and to help us change. But nothing will happen if we choose to !ustify a western version of
church life that safeguards our right to be individualistic consumer -hristians.
The "roth of the Body
Ieturning to Cauls thought in *phesians 1, he continues, 9speaing the truth in love, we are to
grow up in all aspects into )im who is the head, even -hrist.: 0v. 2H4. )ealthy, living organisms grow.
)ere Caul is teaching that the body of -hrist will grow in all aspects if we spea the truth in love.
$hat are these aspects(
One has already been mentioned in verse 21: 9's a result, we are no longer to be children,
tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the tricery of men,
by craftiness in deceitful scheming.: 7o maturity in &ods word and a well considered -hristian
worldview is one ind of growth -hristians should e+perience in a healthy body. In place of gullibility
and naivetN, the people of &od should become more sophisticated in their understanding of him.
7everal of the most embarrassing aberrations in the church during recent decades never would have
happened if -hristians had matured in the truth enough to recogni%e false teaching when they heard
it.
'nother aspect of growth would be the ability to spea the truth in love to one another, as we
argued earlier.
;inally, a local church isnt healthy unless it grows in new people won to faith. $e remember
reading in 'cts 3 that 9the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved:
0v. 1G4. $hen a local body is living out real koinonia, people in the area should find it highly attractive.
;riends, neighbors, and relatives will marvel at the life change they see in people who !oin the group.
'nd of course, healthy, growing -hristians care enough about those outside the group to share their
faith regularly. Ieal, >ew Testament style churches grow, and they grow by reaching new people for
-hrist.
There could be e+ceptions to this rule of thumb. -hurches in some countries face such difficult
ministry fields that growth by conversion has become very difficult and slow. &od could also call a halt
to growth in some groups for a time in order to let them catch up in other areas of growth. $e also
live in a situation different from that in the >ew Testament, because people can /uicly decide to go
to other nearby churches if they hear something they dont lie, so even if we win significant numbers
of new people, the church may not get larger.
The &esult
Caul finishes his thought in *phesians 1:
...we are to grow up in all aspects into )im who is the head, even -hrist, from whom the whole
body, being fitted and held together by what every !oint supplies, according to the proper woring of
each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love 0v. 2H, 2E4.
)ere is the goal, the outcome. Lets carefully consider this passage.
;irst, who is to grow up in all aspects( 9$e.: This is the same 9we: that has been the sub!ect
throughout the passage " namely, 9we all: 0v. 2B4. 'gain, this passage applies to every one of us.
>e+t, we notice that the power for growth comes from the head, <esus. This is a supernatural
outcome that no amount of fussing, ca!oling, and pressure could ever attain. >othing less than the
raw power of &od will change lives at the level suggested here.
't the same time, <esus e+erts his power through human agency. The wording is very e+plicit:
9by what every !oint supplies,: and 9the proper woring of each individual part.: Both of these phrases
mean that our goal is to see each and every member of the body of -hrist giving out to build up the
church. 8es, the power comes from &od, but the proper woring of every part is also important. &od
wants to use each one of us to build up his people.
7o many church leaders in the west today have abandoned this concept. They believe the ey
to a successful church is hiring the most charismatic preacher, or having the most inspiring music
ministry. Others thin a special array of programs or a better building is the answer. >one of these
appears in this passage, and none of these would occur to Caul or other >ew Testament authors. If we
suggested such things to those in the >ew Testament church, we would only see /ui%%ical stares "
9$hat are you taling about(,: the loo on their faces would say.
Barriers to body life
In *phesians 1 we have a stirring and e+citing picture of what church life is and how it wors.
$hy dont we see more of this in our own day( If the >ew Testament is so clear about what &od calls
us to in the church, shouldnt we be seeing more credible e+amples of communities practicing what
we read there( Ieporting on the massive flow of people leaving the evangelical church today, <ulia
5uin says,
One of the top reasons people give for their leaving church is loneliness: the feeling "
especially in large congregations " that no one nows or cares whether they are there.
,any churches have become lie supermarets or gas stations: totally depersonali%ed arenas
where most people no longer feel a responsibility to be hospitable to the person standing ne+t to
them... 's for those who drop out, no one notices.@2JA
$hat an astonishing claim= But if youre in touch with the state of the church in 'merica, you
now its true all too often. 7omething that should never happen goes on all the time. 't the same
time, she found that people love and desire real community:
The people I tal with who have found true community and then must leave it, due to family or
!ob reasons, pine for it for the rest of their lives.@2KA
Ive seen this as well. Once people actually e+perience real fellowship and community, they are
haunted by that e+perience even many years later. 8et even when those same people spend time with
the people of &od seeing to recapture their earlier e+perience, they cant find what theyre looing
for. )ow could the church miss this opportunity( Why would we miss it(
The answers to these /uestions have pu%%led observers of the western church for decades,
partly because there are multiple factors. The modern church is being constrained from living out a
biblical vision by multiple problems. The leading illers of /uality community, in my opinion, are
accommodation to western time priorities, to a -hristian 9consumer: mentality, and to postmodern
e+pectations that churches never discipline anyone.@3?A Other groups fail because of legalism " an
instant iller of closeness and authenticity. 'lthough we could dissect this problem for many pages,
the result would be depressing and of /uestionable value. Instead, we need to consider how to turn
the situation around, and its never too late to turn a church around.
The big picture
*phesians 1 and the oneanother passages powerfully challenge our modern preoccupation
with individualism and materialism. In a spiritually healthy church, people would read this chapter
nodding their heads all the way: 9Of course= )ow else would the church be(: 't the same time,
people from pathological groups would feel inward resentment and anger toward the whole concept,
and most in the group would agree that these ideas are outdated, hopeless, and in fact ridiculous.
9$eve got lives to live, things to do,: would be the plea of many preoccupied, modern -hristians. Lie
the rich young ruler, these would have to turn away from <esus in sorrow.
Aour neBt move
7uppose you read this chapter, and recogni%e one or even several of these barriers in your own
local church: $hats your move(
The starting place should be clear: the heart of one -hristian " you. $hat the church needs
today is not complainers or finger6waggers, but e+amples. 're you ready to model what you thin the
rest of the church needs to be( )ave you had dealings with &od on each of these issues and heard
from him that youre in the clear( )ave you at least formed the intention to change(
Once we have brought our own issues honestly before &od, we are in a position to begin to
share. But for &ods sae, communicate your convictions in a spirit of grace and sensitivity. Ive so
often seen situations where those who believed most passionately in the values of the early church
were the biggest gadflies and accusers in their churches. Thats not the way to win people over to a
more biblical view. Instead, read the rest of this boo and learn to argue the case for organic principles
biblically and lovingly.

$hat are some areas that our group a strong ethos in( 'ny areas that could improve(
$hat areas are especially hard for you to cultivate( $hat might be some steps to tae action on(