THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ONE BODY

By Gary McDade

While few dispute Bible teaching about their being one body presented in the pages of holy Scripture, many stumble when Bible teaching that the body is the church comes to light. Please examine the following verse of Scripture:

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 fulness of Him that filleth all in all. 

Continue to investigate this subject by studying this next Scripture:

And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.

…Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church.

The powerful truth now established by the Bible is the body is the church. “The truth about the one body” is there can only be one church acceptable to God and that is confirmed by the fact that there is only one body that is acceptable to God and recognized by God. Simply put: there is one church and only one church.

We have ten times in nine verses in the New Testament where the truth that there is one body and therefore one church is affirmed. They are listed here for your inspection, investigation, and proclamation: Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12, 13, 20; Ephesians 2:16; 4:4; Colossians 3:15. One of these many verses will be emphasized in closing: “But now are they many members, yet but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:20). Beyond question or doubt the New Testament teaches there is only one body, and consequently only one church. “The churches of Christ salute you!” (Romans 16:16). May we proudly proclaim this soul-saving truth.