DHK, do you agree with the statement that one must be a member of the Body of Christ in order to be saved? The Bible tells us that “The church” is the Body of Christ { Col 1:24}. So, when we say that one must be a member of “The church” in order to be saved, what we are really saying is that one must be a member of the Body of Christ in order to be saved.
So, I think there should be agreement between the two of us on “The church” as identified as the “Body of Christ.” The real definition of “The church,” which is generally along the lines of: All those who have accepted Jesus into their hearts as their personal Lord and Savior regardless of what denomination they belong to, would you say that is the correct definition of church?
My belief is completely different than yours. I get it from my Greek understanding of the words used in the Bible, my own study of the Scriptures, and having expounded week by week, if not day by day as I have both taught it and preached it throughout these many years.
I will take you through many of the verses of 1Cor.12 where Paul relates spiritual gifts to the church at Corinth. All his comments are directed to that local church. They are corrective. Whatever we can derive for ourselves we must do by application, for Paul's letter was to them, the church at Corinth.
From verse 4 to 11 he lists the spiritual gifts that God had given them.
Then in verse 12 he says:
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
The body, that is the body of Christ, is that local church at Corinth. Every biblical local assembly is a body in and of itself. There is no such thing as "The Church," or a universal church. The only kind of church is a local church, and that is what is being described here.
They were one body, and that one body had many members. Each member had unique gifts. They were to use the gifts that God had given them. If they would do that then they would be unified and would go forward together.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
In the Greek the word "Spirit" is not captitalized.
In one spirit (that is a spirit of unity) we have all been baptized (by immersion) whether Jew or Gentile...and have made to drink of the into one spirit or been nourished by the Spirit of God. The emphasis is on unity in the local church, as you will see--it is the emphasis all the way through.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
--There is only one body (at Corinth), but they did have many members.
IOW, they could not be divisive splitting up into different factions. They had to come together and form one unified body in Corinth.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
--This is where it becomes very evident that this is speaking of a local church and only a local church. If there were a "universal church," or "The Church" these verses would be irrelevant and meaningless.
--Not everyone can be a hand. Not everyone can be an eye. There are some that need to be a foot or an ear, or perhaps some of the lesser known parts of the body. The church was divisive. Many wanted some of the more "showy gifts" like speaking in tongues. People could see them and think they were "spiritual" when in fact they would be carnal.
Paul is telling them to keep and use the gifts you have for the glory of the Lord that the local church might be unified and go forward
as one unified body.
Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
--An obvious truth for the local church.
1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
--This verse also is only true and practical in a local church setting. It also is impossible to put into practice within the monstrosity of the RCC. It just doesn't make any sense unless it is in a local church.
--"When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it."
I just came back from visiting some friends. One of them told me: "You won't see me here as often as I have been here lately. The doctors have found a rare form of cancer in my wife. She has been admitted to the hospital. I expect that is going to take up much of my time."
When one member suffers all members suffer." Our local church can share in his sufferings and pray for him and his wife and help them any way we can.
But you can't. Your church can't. Neither can any other church in America, South America, Asia, Australia, Europe, etc. They are not part of "this body of Christ." They are totally ignorant of the members of this body of Christ. They don't suffer with the members of this body of Christ. This only can apply to local churches.
And then Paul immediately says
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
The church at Corinth was "the body of Christ," and each member made up a part of it. Every local church is a body of Christ.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
--The the Lord tells us how the local church was set up.
The foundation was made up of the Apostles, and prophets. Those two offices have ceased.
We still have teachers. All of these are in order of importance.
Then everything after teachers, that is, from miracles afterward are spiritual gifts that were operative in the first century but since the completion of the canon in the first century have ceased.
Every time the word church is used in the Bible it is used in the sense of "local church." That is what "ekklesia," means: assembly. It is impossible to have an "unassembled assembly.
