A.There is much confusion in the world regarding the church.The teachings and beliefs about the church are widely varied among those who claim to be followers of Christ.Consider a few:
1.Ecumenicalism is the doctrine that teaches that the universal church is the collectivity of all denominations and sects that claim to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.The idea of ecumenicalism is to create unity between denominations, but the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3) requires for all churches of Christ to be of the same mind and judgment (1Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:4-6).
2.Premillennialism is the doctrine that teaches that the church was no more than an afterthought by God, a substitute for the true kingdom of Christ.According to this doctrine, Christ did not establish His kingdom because of the Jews’ rejection, and therefore He set up the church until He returns to establish His kingdom.This view is the result of a faulty application of figurative language from Revelation 20 and a neglect of other passages.
3.Without any particular term to describe them, many people believe that membership and participation in the church is optional for Christians.They see no connection between the church and their souls’ salvation.By this thinking, one may initially do something to obtain salvation, then never participate in the worship or fellowship of the church, and still expect to see heaven.
B.None of this confusion comes from God, but rather it all comes from men.
1.Men would have us to believe that the universal church is an indistinct collection of denominations with little in common, or that it is an inferior substitute to a failed kingdom, or that it is an unnecessary nuisance to Christians, or many other contradictory and inglorious ideas.
2.However, God has given us His word, the Bible, and it is very clear about Christ’s church.There is no good reason why anyone should be ignorant about it.
3.In fact, one can read Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians alone and have an excellent fundamental understanding of the Lord’s church.
C.Let us consider the simple figures that are presented to explain the Lord’s church in Ephesians.In doing this, we shall see that the church is a glorious collection of all saved persons in Christ who believe and practice the same things, just as God intended from eternity.
II.THE BODY OF CHRIST
A.There is a noticeable emphasis in the Ephesian epistle on the blessings that Christians have in Christ.
1.Phrases such as “in Christ Jesus,” “in Christ,” “in the Beloved,” “through His blood,” etc. occur some forty times throughout the epistle.
a.Each time, these phrases are used to declare the rich blessings that believers have because of their association with Christ.Some of these blessings are:
i.Election as God’s chosen (1:4)
ii.Adoption as God’s children (1:5)
iii.Redemption from sin (1:7)
iv.Forgiveness of sin (1:7)
v.An inheritance from God (1:11, 14)
vi.A seal of the Holy Spirit (1:13; 4:30)
vii.A spiritual resurrection (2:6)
viii.Nearness to God (2:13)
ix.Reconciliation to God (2:16)
x.Citizenship in God’s kingdom (2:19)
xi.Membership in God’s family (2:19)
xii.Bold access to God (3:12)
b.Because they are “in Him,” they are blessed.Outside of Christ, they would have none of these blessings.God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
2.Each individual Christian is in Christ, and all Christians are in Christ together.They all have the same relationship with Christ, and they all share the same spiritual blessings with one another.
B.All individual persons who are blessed in Christ form a collective body for which Christ is the head.This body is the church.
1.The figure of the head and the body are often used in the New Testament (see 1Cor. 12:12-27; Col. 1:18, 24) to explain the church because we can easily understand the similar relationships between members of the body with one another and with the head.
2.Ephesians 1:22-23 declares this figure plainly: “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
a.Christ is called the head of the church because He has authority over the church.All guidance and direction for the church come from the Lord.
b.The church is called the body of Christ because it is collection of all persons who are in Christ.They all work together like parts of a body so that the entire church functions as one body for the building up of itself (Eph. 4:11-16).
C.Therefore, it is impossible to enjoy the blessings that are in Christ without being in His church.
1.The logic is simple.To have the blessings of Christ, one must be in Christ.To be in Christ is to be in His body, which is the church.Therefore, to have the blessings of Christ, one must be in the church.
2.Compare Ephesians 5:30 – “…because we are members of His body” - with Ephesians 4:25 – “…for we are members of one another.”A relationship with the head (Christ) requires a relationship with the body (church).No one can have Christ as His head without being in His body, and no one can be the body of Christ by himself.
3.Ephesians 5:23 states plainly that Christ is “the Savior of the body.”If one would have Christ as Savior, then he must be in Christ’s body, the church.
4.Moreover, Christ has only one body (Eph. 4:4), which means that there is only one church that is comprised of individual persons who are in Christ.This is the only church that has Christ for its head.
III.THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
A.Another figure used to describe the church in Ephesians is that of the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-33).
1.In this passage, the relationship between Christ and the church is presented as a model for marriage.However, we may also study it to better understand Christ and the church.
2.The figure of marriage is also presented in the book of Revelation where the church is explicitly called the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2, 9).
B.Consider the truth about Christ and the church taught in Ephesians 5:22-33.
1.Regarding Christ’s part in the relationship, the passage states the following:
a.Christ is the head of the church (v. 23).
b.Christ is the Savior of the church (v. 23).
c.Christ loves the church (v. 25).
d.Christ gave Himself for the church (v. 25).
e.Christ sanctifies the church (v. 26).
f.Christ cleanses the church by the washing of water with the word (v.26).
g.Christ presents to Himself a glorious, holy, and blameless church for His own bride (v. 27).
h.Christ nourishes and cherishes the church as His own flesh (v. 29).
2.Regarding the church’s part in the relationship, the passage simply states that the church is subject to Christ (v. 24).
3.Therefore, the balance is tilted far in favor of the church, for being subject to Christ is a small burden to bear in exchange for the rich blessings that come from being the bride of Christ.
C.Notice some parallel lessons that we learned by considering the church as Christ’s body.
1.Just as a man has one wife and as a head has one body, so also Christ has one church.
2.The one bride of Christ, which is also the one body of Christ and the one church of Christ, is the recipient of all of the blessings that are afforded by Christ.
3.Therefore, if one desires to possess all the blessings that are in Christ, he must be in the one body of Christ, which is the one bride of Christ, the church.
***This lesson will be continued in “Figures of the Church in Ephesians – Part 2.”***
