What is the one body?
Introduction. Our question alludes to Ephesians 4: 4. The verse says "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling." Paul enjoined unity in verse three. This unity is possible and required because there is one body, Spirit, hope of calling, Lord, faith, baptism, and Father (vss. 4-6).
The one body is the church, Jesus' spiritual body. If man would allow it, so much of the Bible explains itself. Hear Paul explain the one body: "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1: 22-23). See also Col. 1: 18. Jesus only established one church (Matt. 16: 18). The saved, the church, meet in geographic areas to form local churches (cf. 1 Cor. 1: 2; Col. 1: 2). Local churches, ideally and scripturally, believe and teach the same, the doctrine of Christ (1 Cor. 4: 17; 2 John 9-11).
The importance of the one body. Those in the universal church (singular, Matt. 16: 18) are placed in the one body by the Lord upon their initial obedience (see Acts 2: 47 KJV, 41). Salvation is in Christ or His spiritual body (2 Tim. 2: 10). In Christ there is redemption, forgiveness, and freedom of condemnation (Eph. 1: 3-7; Rom. 8: 1). Local churches of Christ (Rom. 16: 16) have the work of being the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3: 15). The saved join themselves to faithful local churches who are loyal to the doctrine of Christ (Acts 9: 26; 2 John 9-11).
Conclusion. There are few truths more perverted than the Bible's teaching relative to the one body. Denominationalism (many different churches teaching different doctrines all claiming to follow Christ) is a product of the selfishness of man and precludes the one body of the scriptures (Eph. 4: 1-6).
The one body is the church, Jesus' spiritual body. If man would allow it, so much of the Bible explains itself. Hear Paul explain the one body: "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1: 22-23). See also Col. 1: 18. Jesus only established one church (Matt. 16: 18). The saved, the church, meet in geographic areas to form local churches (cf. 1 Cor. 1: 2; Col. 1: 2). Local churches, ideally and scripturally, believe and teach the same, the doctrine of Christ (1 Cor. 4: 17; 2 John 9-11).
The importance of the one body. Those in the universal church (singular, Matt. 16: 18) are placed in the one body by the Lord upon their initial obedience (see Acts 2: 47 KJV, 41). Salvation is in Christ or His spiritual body (2 Tim. 2: 10). In Christ there is redemption, forgiveness, and freedom of condemnation (Eph. 1: 3-7; Rom. 8: 1). Local churches of Christ (Rom. 16: 16) have the work of being the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3: 15). The saved join themselves to faithful local churches who are loyal to the doctrine of Christ (Acts 9: 26; 2 John 9-11).
Conclusion. There are few truths more perverted than the Bible's teaching relative to the one body. Denominationalism (many different churches teaching different doctrines all claiming to follow Christ) is a product of the selfishness of man and precludes the one body of the scriptures (Eph. 4: 1-6).