Jesus is the One True Church

[Dave...]

Jesus is the One True Church

The Church always existed, because Jesus is the Church, and He always existed. It's a spiritual body, the Body of Christ. Pentecost marked what we call the the birth of the church because that's when believers were first "placed into", or 'baptized into' Christ by the baptism/placing into with/by the Holy Spirit. It's a spiritual immersion by faith into Christ Jesus, the spiritual Body of Christ, the Church. This indwelling Holy Spirit places us "in Christ", the Church.

This is why in Ephesians four, it's said that He ascended, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Those gifts come from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 4:8-12 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

 

[Dave...]

Colossians 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.


Jesus isn't just the head of the Church, He is the Church. It's not built with stones, it's a spiritual body. .

John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

 

[Brightfame52]

Jesus is the One True Church

The Church always existed, because Jesus is the Church, and He always existed. It's a spiritual body, the Body of Christ. Pentecost marked what we call the the birth of the church because that's when believers were first "placed into", or 'baptized into' Christ by the baptism/placing into with/by the Holy Spirit. It's a spiritual immersion by faith into Christ Jesus, the spiritual Body of Christ, the Church. This indwelling Holy Spirit places us "in Christ", the Church.

This is why in Ephesians four, it's said that He ascended, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Those gifts come from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 4:8-12 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Does scripture teach Jesus is the Church or the Head of the Church His Body, Read Eph 1:22-23 again for the exact answer See also Eph 5:23;Col 1:18

 

[David Lamb]

Jesus is the One True Church

The Church always existed, because Jesus is the Church, and He always existed. It's a spiritual body, the Body of Christ. Pentecost marked what we call the the birth of the church because that's when believers were first "placed into", or 'baptized into' Christ by the baptism/placing into with/by the Holy Spirit. It's a spiritual immersion by faith into Christ Jesus, the spiritual Body of Christ, the Church. This indwelling Holy Spirit places us "in Christ", the Church.

This is why in Ephesians four, it's said that He ascended, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Those gifts come from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 4:8-12 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

I can see from the Bible that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, but not that He is the church. This verse (and there are probably others) shows that Jesus Christ is not the church:

NKJV Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

He didn't give Himself for Himself.

 

[Brightfame52]

I can see from the Bible that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, but not that He is the church. This verse (and there are probably others) shows that Jesus Christ is not the church:

NKJV Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

He didn't give Himself for Himself.

Now maybe we can make a strong case for it if we consider that Jesus is called Israel Isa 49:3 and we know Isreal is a type/picture of the Church. Jesus is the last Adam and Adam and Eve were called Adam Gen 5/2

2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

It seems Paul Identified Christ and Church as Christ here 1 Cor 12:12

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.

But Im not sure the poster meant it like that.

 

[Alan Dale Gross]

This is why in Ephesians four, it's said that He ascended, leading captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. Those gifts come from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It is interesting that you bring up Ephesians 4. Also in the beginning of that chapter, we read in Ephesians 4:4;
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one Hope when you were called;"

When it says there that there is "one body", the Bible describes that "body" he is talking about as being a local assembly of the particular members that he calls by name "the body of Christ", I Corinthians 12:27: "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

Paul was saying that those particular members of that church at Corinth were "the body of Christ".

That's it.

"members in particular" = "the body of Christ", according to the Book.

Apart from the fact that "Jesus is the One True Church" can't mean that those particular members in that church in Corinth were "Jesus", but then adding "Jesus is the One True Church" to "ye are the body of Christ and members in particular" would amount to there being TWO DIFFERENT bodies and not "one body", (where it means that there is "one" kind of "body" in the same way it says there in Ephesians 4:5; "One Lord, one faith, one baptism", where we have "one" kind of "baptism".)

So, we would surpass the limited number of "one body", were we to admit that there is such a thing as a local "body" of believers that make up churches as we know them, if we tried to add Jesus is being another church, or body of believers.

I understand what teaching you've had a what might make you think like this regarding what the Bible teaches, but you bring of several different things at once about the Holy Sprit and what He does and any one of those could be taken as another problem in addition to thinking there are "two bodies".

I'm not picking on you. I'm just aiming at anyone or thing where they may be wanting to jumble up these teachings for a more nefarious reason, like knowing they are opposing God.

I'd tell them, "do the math".

 

[Dave...]

@Alan Dale Gross @Brightfame52 @David Lamb

Who are we placed into when we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. We're placed "In Christ" right?

Romans 12:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Colossians 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:9

BTW, physical Israel is a type of spiritual Israel, the Church. Physical Israel was saved from physical death by the Lambs blood on the door. Spiritual Israel, the Church, is saved by the anti type, Jesus' blood on the cross. (John 3:6). Jesus didn't replace, He fulfilled.