The Body of Christ

God Calls You the Body of Christ

Metaphor: Body of Christ (part one)
Concept: If you say to someone who is not a Christian that as a believer you area apart of the body of Christ You may receive a strange look. If you say it to another Christian they also may give you a look that says ”sure ok”  but they still may not have a clue or a real understanding of what you are talking about.
This metaphor or name for believers in Christ has many Biblical references and requires more than a casual study. So we are going to make this a two day study with one half of the scriptures today and the rest tomorrow.                

Rom 12:4-6 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Cor 6:15-17 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."  17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
1 Cor 10:16-17 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.    
1 Cor 11:29-30 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Let me ask you several questions and then we will make comments in our next study.

1.      When you read these verses how do your relationships with or actions toward another Christian seem to be defined here?

2.      In the Romans passage there are two key concepts, what are they.

3.      We are said to be members of Christ himself in I Cor 6:15-17. Are we one in the flesh or spirit with Him?

4.      I Cor 10:16-17 uses the imagery of the blood and body of Christ. Match these with the Cup of wine and the loaf of bread. Other than any theological images what natural purpose do these picture?

5.      I Cor 11:29-30 is often seen as having deep and even mystical understanding, but what simple explanation or thruth might there be for this imagery?