Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The church is Christ's body and His fullness, and Christ is the one who fills all in all and fills all things in every way. He was raised by God's mighty power and set at His right hand far above every power and name in this world and that to come, with all things under His feet and given to be head over all things to the church. Those united to Him by living faith are members of His body with Christ as its glorified Head, receiving His life as branches receive nourishment from the vine, for outward profession and gifts without living connection to Him bear no spiritual fruit. Connection with Christ therefore involves connection with His church, which is organized for service and framed by God as His channel of light so that no one stands as a complete whole apart from it. With Christ directing its members, the church is to reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency found in Him by sharing what it receives from God and serving in the work of redemption with His unselfish love.
Verse Language and Context
The church is Christ's body, and it is His fullness, while Christ Himself is the one who fills all in all and fills all things in every way. He has been given to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, and the verse belongs to the account of His supreme power and authority with all things subject to Him. His living presence in the church is the foundation of faith and the source of guidance and strength, so that even those who seem strong will fail if they rely on themselves rather than on Him.
He was raised from the dead by the working of God's mighty power and set at His own right hand in the heavenly places. There He is far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, with all things put under His feet. So exalted, He was given to be the head over all things to the church, joined to His people while His rule extends above every power and authority in this age and the age to come. His victory and authority assure believers of help in every conflict with the powers of darkness. He is to be known by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, with enlightened understanding of the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and the exceeding greatness of His power to those who believe.
The verse sets forth part of the privileges of the Christian and shows God's purpose for believers. It holds assurance of acceptance in Christ and a divine promise to be claimed in all its depth and fullness by faith in the power of God. That claiming is by faith in God's power rather than by leaning on the arm of the law or trusting in worldly powers. God's will and methods in this are far above the ideas and methods of men and will no more blend with worldly plans than oil will mix with water.
The verse also shows the Lord's order for His work. Zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish must not lessen, yet all time and means must not be consumed in one line of work while God's vineyard as a whole is neglected. Spending deeply on projects that do not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth brings disproportion and sways the work into wrong lines.
Christ the Exalted Head
Christ is head over all things to the church, which is His body and His fullness as He fills all in all, and the verse belongs to the account of His supreme power and authority with all things subject to Him. As head He is joined to His people while His rule extends above every power and authority in this age and the age to come, with all things placed under His feet. His victory and authority assure believers of help in every conflict with the powers of darkness. The church is built on Christ and must obey Him, not depend on or be controlled by any human being, and no conference president or minister can take the responsibility that belongs to Him alone. His living presence in the church is the foundation of faith and the source of guidance and strength for all believers, and even those who seem strong will fail if they rely on themselves rather than on Him.
The work of the church depends on its members learning from and copying Christ, and when they fail to follow His life they cannot serve as heavenly agents to transform the world to His image. When they so fail, the Head is restrained from bestowing His blessings fully. His presence is not confined to one place, but He remains with His followers as they carry the gospel to every nation and to the farthest parts of the world.
As living head of His appointed messengers He directs them to work under Him in giving the message of light and warning to cities and villages alike without passing any by. As their living head He encouraged faith and hope, so preachers of the truth must encourage faith and hope in the same way, keeping humble and contrite with unwavering faith in the promises while angels work with their efforts against Satan's opposition. As living Head of dignity and authority He is present in all council meetings of His ministers, listening with deepest interest to every word and speaking with deliberation and perfect assurance. As Head He is the pattern of unwavering faith and hope that ministers must encourage and maintain, and before Him they must keep humble and contrite in heart while working the cities and villages against Satan's efforts to discourage them, with angels commissioned to cooperate with them.
Belonging to His Body
Believers united to Christ by living faith in the Son of God are members of His body, with Christ as its glorified and glorious Head. To be united to Him is to be one with Him as He is one with the Father, like branches of the living Vine attached to the parent stock and receiving nourishment from Him. Believers of differing talents and backgrounds are joined through faith in God's Word, depend on Christ, and each have work to do.
Through Christ's merits the divine love that rests in Christ and flows from the heart of God enters the believer's soul to give life to every part of the nature and to abide there as it abides in Christ, communicated to all who are united to Him. So believers are beloved by the infinite God with the same love bestowed upon the Son, loved by the Father as members of that body, including those who here share His sufferings and humiliation and endure for His name's sake. That divine love entering the soul inspires gratitude and frees it from spiritual feebleness and from pride, vanity, and selfishness and all that would deform the Christian character. Through grace His members can become one with Him, share His divine nature, and be refined, purified, and glorified, and those who follow and work as He did will share His joy and reign with Him.
Outward membership in that body is not enough, for a person may bear Christ's name, profess membership, and receive God's gifts, privileges, and watchful care yet have no living connection with Christ and the great heart of love. Without His life and character flowing through, there are no spiritual fruit, no sweet graces of the Spirit, and no blessing to others, while genuine connection is shown by fruitful living and allegiance to Him. Membership in that body is not produced by forms and ceremonies, by human learning, or by much study of books, but by belonging to Christ as elect sons of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people called out of darkness into marvelous light to show forth His praises. His love and the principles of Christianity unite believers in harmony and peace, and faith and love form a working character that works for the Lord and unites and harmonizes the members of His body.
Church Unity and Organization
The church on earth is Christ's body, a union framed by God that alone can stand. No person is a complete whole apart from it, and to bind up with those of one's own mind apart from the church is to make a confederacy that will be broken to pieces, for no other union can stand. The church is God's channel of light through which He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not give one servant an experience independent of and contrary to the experience of the church, nor give one man a knowledge of His will for the entire church while leaving the church in darkness. In His providence He places His servants in close connection with His church so that they have less confidence in themselves and greater confidence in others whom He is leading out to advance His work.
Connection with Christ therefore involves connection with His church, with Christ as its head in a close and sacred relationship. The church is organized for service, and faithfully carrying out its duties is part of a Christian's training, leading on to service for the world. Medical missionary workers and students and those educated in medical lines must respect the church, keep confidence in God's appointed ministers and not disparage them, and receive line upon line, precept upon precept, the Bible evidence of the truth as it is in Jesus in order to serve God acceptably. They must remain under church organization and discipline in connection with the gospel ministry, and educate those they instruct to work in connection with the church, rather than hearing or spreading insinuations against the church and the ministry. To stand aloof or apart for the sake of medical work puts the work on an unsound footing.
The different lines of God's work and all His servants with their different talents and capabilities are connected parts of one whole under the one great Head and must work together under His direction in harmony with strength united to strength rather than independently or alone. No worker can stand alone as an independent whole or use God's work to establish a business for individual profit, take advantage for himself, or undermine another worker or branch of the work. Each must put his whole being into God's work with faithfulness and unselfishness, connecting with fellow workers with all tact and ingenuity to make the work a success and advance and build up the cause. The church is the Lord's body with Christ as the great Head and divine shepherd, gospel ministers as under-shepherds under Him, and church members as His working agencies.
God is seeking to make His church the continued incarnation of Christ, standing out prominently, with all its working forces becoming one with the Head in unity of action. Its members escape the corruption in the world through lust by partaking of the divine nature and hold the doctrines of God's word in purity by following the Bible implicitly. Christ Himself is the head, the gospel ministry of truth for these last days in its sacred dignity is the body, and medical missionary work is the arm and hand and right hand to that body. It was given to serve the great work, to open doors and enable the church to carry out its work, and to prepare a people to stand in the day of God soon to be realized.
Mission to Reflect Christ
The church is Christ's body with Christ as its head directing its members, called to reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency found in Him by sharing outward the gifts and grace received from God and serving in the work of redemption with His unselfish love. That reflection is the result of spiritual change wrought by Christ Himself, for His true followers partake of His divine nature, mirror His unselfish love, and shine heaven's light into the world.
No Christian is left idle in this, for every believer is called to give self and possessions to God and to work for the conversion of souls, with divine sympathy and the help of angels joined to human workers on earth. The same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead will raise and glorify His church with Him, exalting it above every principality and power and every name named both in this world and in heaven.
The church is Christ's body and His fullness, and Christ is the one who fills all in all and fills all things in every way. He was raised by God's mighty power and set at His right hand far above every power and name in this world and that to come, with all things under His feet and given to be head over all things to the church. Those united to Him by living faith are members of His body with Christ as its glorified Head, receiving His life as branches receive nourishment from the vine, for outward profession and gifts without living connection to Him bear no spiritual fruit. Connection with Christ therefore involves connection with His church, which is organized for service and framed by God as His channel of light so that no one stands as a complete whole apart from it. With Christ directing its members, the church is to reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency found in Him by sharing what it receives from God and serving in the work of redemption with His unselfish love.
Verse Language and Context
The church is Christ's body, and it is His fullness, while Christ Himself is the one who fills all in all and fills all things in every way. He has been given to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, and the verse belongs to the account of His supreme power and authority with all things subject to Him. His living presence in the church is the foundation of faith and the source of guidance and strength, so that even those who seem strong will fail if they rely on themselves rather than on Him.
He was raised from the dead by the working of God's mighty power and set at His own right hand in the heavenly places. There He is far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, with all things put under His feet. So exalted, He was given to be the head over all things to the church, joined to His people while His rule extends above every power and authority in this age and the age to come. His victory and authority assure believers of help in every conflict with the powers of darkness. He is to be known by the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, with enlightened understanding of the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and the exceeding greatness of His power to those who believe.
The verse sets forth part of the privileges of the Christian and shows God's purpose for believers. It holds assurance of acceptance in Christ and a divine promise to be claimed in all its depth and fullness by faith in the power of God. That claiming is by faith in God's power rather than by leaning on the arm of the law or trusting in worldly powers. God's will and methods in this are far above the ideas and methods of men and will no more blend with worldly plans than oil will mix with water.
The verse also shows the Lord's order for His work. Zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish must not lessen, yet all time and means must not be consumed in one line of work while God's vineyard as a whole is neglected. Spending deeply on projects that do not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth brings disproportion and sways the work into wrong lines.
Christ the Exalted Head
Christ is head over all things to the church, which is His body and His fullness as He fills all in all, and the verse belongs to the account of His supreme power and authority with all things subject to Him. As head He is joined to His people while His rule extends above every power and authority in this age and the age to come, with all things placed under His feet. His victory and authority assure believers of help in every conflict with the powers of darkness. The church is built on Christ and must obey Him, not depend on or be controlled by any human being, and no conference president or minister can take the responsibility that belongs to Him alone. His living presence in the church is the foundation of faith and the source of guidance and strength for all believers, and even those who seem strong will fail if they rely on themselves rather than on Him.
The work of the church depends on its members learning from and copying Christ, and when they fail to follow His life they cannot serve as heavenly agents to transform the world to His image. When they so fail, the Head is restrained from bestowing His blessings fully. His presence is not confined to one place, but He remains with His followers as they carry the gospel to every nation and to the farthest parts of the world.
As living head of His appointed messengers He directs them to work under Him in giving the message of light and warning to cities and villages alike without passing any by. As their living head He encouraged faith and hope, so preachers of the truth must encourage faith and hope in the same way, keeping humble and contrite with unwavering faith in the promises while angels work with their efforts against Satan's opposition. As living Head of dignity and authority He is present in all council meetings of His ministers, listening with deepest interest to every word and speaking with deliberation and perfect assurance. As Head He is the pattern of unwavering faith and hope that ministers must encourage and maintain, and before Him they must keep humble and contrite in heart while working the cities and villages against Satan's efforts to discourage them, with angels commissioned to cooperate with them.
Belonging to His Body
Believers united to Christ by living faith in the Son of God are members of His body, with Christ as its glorified and glorious Head. To be united to Him is to be one with Him as He is one with the Father, like branches of the living Vine attached to the parent stock and receiving nourishment from Him. Believers of differing talents and backgrounds are joined through faith in God's Word, depend on Christ, and each have work to do.
Through Christ's merits the divine love that rests in Christ and flows from the heart of God enters the believer's soul to give life to every part of the nature and to abide there as it abides in Christ, communicated to all who are united to Him. So believers are beloved by the infinite God with the same love bestowed upon the Son, loved by the Father as members of that body, including those who here share His sufferings and humiliation and endure for His name's sake. That divine love entering the soul inspires gratitude and frees it from spiritual feebleness and from pride, vanity, and selfishness and all that would deform the Christian character. Through grace His members can become one with Him, share His divine nature, and be refined, purified, and glorified, and those who follow and work as He did will share His joy and reign with Him.
Outward membership in that body is not enough, for a person may bear Christ's name, profess membership, and receive God's gifts, privileges, and watchful care yet have no living connection with Christ and the great heart of love. Without His life and character flowing through, there are no spiritual fruit, no sweet graces of the Spirit, and no blessing to others, while genuine connection is shown by fruitful living and allegiance to Him. Membership in that body is not produced by forms and ceremonies, by human learning, or by much study of books, but by belonging to Christ as elect sons of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people called out of darkness into marvelous light to show forth His praises. His love and the principles of Christianity unite believers in harmony and peace, and faith and love form a working character that works for the Lord and unites and harmonizes the members of His body.
Church Unity and Organization
The church on earth is Christ's body, a union framed by God that alone can stand. No person is a complete whole apart from it, and to bind up with those of one's own mind apart from the church is to make a confederacy that will be broken to pieces, for no other union can stand. The church is God's channel of light through which He communicates His purposes and His will. He does not give one servant an experience independent of and contrary to the experience of the church, nor give one man a knowledge of His will for the entire church while leaving the church in darkness. In His providence He places His servants in close connection with His church so that they have less confidence in themselves and greater confidence in others whom He is leading out to advance His work.
Connection with Christ therefore involves connection with His church, with Christ as its head in a close and sacred relationship. The church is organized for service, and faithfully carrying out its duties is part of a Christian's training, leading on to service for the world. Medical missionary workers and students and those educated in medical lines must respect the church, keep confidence in God's appointed ministers and not disparage them, and receive line upon line, precept upon precept, the Bible evidence of the truth as it is in Jesus in order to serve God acceptably. They must remain under church organization and discipline in connection with the gospel ministry, and educate those they instruct to work in connection with the church, rather than hearing or spreading insinuations against the church and the ministry. To stand aloof or apart for the sake of medical work puts the work on an unsound footing.
The different lines of God's work and all His servants with their different talents and capabilities are connected parts of one whole under the one great Head and must work together under His direction in harmony with strength united to strength rather than independently or alone. No worker can stand alone as an independent whole or use God's work to establish a business for individual profit, take advantage for himself, or undermine another worker or branch of the work. Each must put his whole being into God's work with faithfulness and unselfishness, connecting with fellow workers with all tact and ingenuity to make the work a success and advance and build up the cause. The church is the Lord's body with Christ as the great Head and divine shepherd, gospel ministers as under-shepherds under Him, and church members as His working agencies.
God is seeking to make His church the continued incarnation of Christ, standing out prominently, with all its working forces becoming one with the Head in unity of action. Its members escape the corruption in the world through lust by partaking of the divine nature and hold the doctrines of God's word in purity by following the Bible implicitly. Christ Himself is the head, the gospel ministry of truth for these last days in its sacred dignity is the body, and medical missionary work is the arm and hand and right hand to that body. It was given to serve the great work, to open doors and enable the church to carry out its work, and to prepare a people to stand in the day of God soon to be realized.
Mission to Reflect Christ
The church is Christ's body with Christ as its head directing its members, called to reflect to the world the fullness and sufficiency found in Him by sharing outward the gifts and grace received from God and serving in the work of redemption with His unselfish love. That reflection is the result of spiritual change wrought by Christ Himself, for His true followers partake of His divine nature, mirror His unselfish love, and shine heaven's light into the world.
No Christian is left idle in this, for every believer is called to give self and possessions to God and to work for the conversion of souls, with divine sympathy and the help of angels joined to human workers on earth. The same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead will raise and glorify His church with Him, exalting it above every principality and power and every name named both in this world and in heaven.