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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THE BODY OF CHRIST ARE THE SAME
I CORINTHIANS 10: 16-17

This message is a continuation of reasons why we believe in closed communion.

This text speaks of the one bread for the one body. Our last lesson showed that the church is a local body of baptized believers, not a universal body of all believers. Here we are going to show that the "church" of Christ and the "body" of Christ are one and the same. If this be true then the bread of the supper is not for all believers in joint assembly, but only for those who constitute the body of Christ which is His church, and is composed of a particular it group of baptized believers.

Now, let's consider the Bible's proofs that the body and church are the same:

I. Consider these Bible teachings regarding the church:

A. Members enter it by baptism:

1. It is said of the Jerusalem church in Acts 2:41 "then they that gladly receiued his word, were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls. "

2. This agrees with the commission of Mt. 28:19 "Teach all nations, baptizing them" and the order established by our Lord as seen in Jn. 4:1, "Jesus made and baptized .... disciples. "

3. It was by this means, according to I Cor. 12:28 that, "God set some in the church (at Jerusalem), first apostles. . . "

4. So, how did members get in the Bible churches?

a. I Cor. 12:28 says they were "set" in.

b. But, Acts 2:41, 47 points out that this was done when the saved were baptized.

B. Also, one church is composed of many members:

1. I Tim. 3:5, 12 says it has deacons.

2. By comparing I Cor. 5:13 and I Cor. 6:4 you will see that the plural "yourselves" is used to describe the church:

a. Note, that this was addressed directly to one specific church (Corinth), thus making clear that he is not suggesting all the saved people.

b. This one church had many members.

3. According to Acts 2:41, 3000 members were added to the Jerusalem church in one single day.

4. I Cor. 12:28 shows the one body has many members.

C. The church has many responsibilities:

1. Mt. 28:19 It is to get men converted, baptize, and teach them.

2. I Cor. 11:28 It is to observe communion.

3. I Cor. 6:4 and I Cor. 5:5 It is to purge its own ranks.

D. All references to the church speak of a specific group:

1. I Cor. 1:2 "unto the church of God which is at Corinth."

2. Acts 8:1-3 "The church which was at Jerusalem."

3. Acts 9:31 "Then had the churches rest...

4 Acts 13:1 "The church that was at Antioch."

E. Bear in mind that the above points speak of the church.

II. Now consider these Bible teachings regarding the body:

A. Members enter it by baptism:

1. I Cor. 12:13 says that those "in (eis translates "by" or "in") one Spirit are . . . all baptized into one body:"

a. Those who believe are then put into the position of being in the Spirit of God:

(1) Paul says in I Cor. 6:17 that "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
(2) Rom. 8:9 reads "Ye are... in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."

b. Those who receive the Spirit by faith (Gal. 3:2) are not already baptized, but are candidates or fit subjects for baptism.

C. Notice that the same is true for those who would enter the church.

2. By comparing Eph. 4:4-5 and I Cor. 12:13 you will note that there is but one baptism:

a. If believers are automatically baptized by the Spirit at faith, thus placing them in a universal body, what can you do with water baptism and the local body in view of the "one baptism" and "one body" of Eph. 4:4-5?

b. The fact is that the "one faith" places one in the "one Spirit", and these by obedience to the "one baptism" are placed into the "one body."

B. Also, the one body is composed of many members:

1. I Cor. 12:12, 14 says so.

2. Eph. 4:16 the whole body is of many parts which are bonded together by joints.

C. The body has many responsibilities:

1. I John 5:3 To obey the commandments.

2. I Cor. 10:17 and I Cor. 11:24-25 To observe communion.

3. I Cor. 11:31 and I Cor. 12:25 To purge its own ranks.

D. All references to the body speak of a specific group:

1. I Cor. 10:17 "For we being many are one bread and one body," speaks only of Corinthians.

2. The "one body" of I Cor. 12:20 speaks specifically of the Corinthians. To them I Cor. 12:27 says, "ye are the body of Christ."

3. in Eph. 4:16 Paul is addressing specifically the Ephesians.

E. Note well that all these references have been about the body.

III. Now compare "the church" and "the body":

A. By comparison:

1. I Cor. 12:18 "God set the members, every one of them in the body."

2. I Cor. 12:28 "God set some in the church."

3. To the church at Corinth He said, "Ye are the body of Christ," I Cor. 12:27. Therefore, the whole church was the body of Christ at Corinth and both were made up of members set in and this was done by baptism.

B. Thus, we say that the two terms "body" and "church" are identical:

1. Those who are not water baptized are no more the members of the body of Christ than they are of the church of God. He who is added to one (Acts 2:47) has been set in the other, (I Cor. 12:18) and this is done at baptism.

2. If the church is local, and the body is the same as the church, then the body too is local.

3. If the body is local, then each body is the body of Christ, as was the one in Corinth (I Cor. 12:27); not just a part of it.

4. One baptism according to the one faith in the name of the one Lord puts those who are in the one Spirit into the one body, and only those in the one body can eat the one bread in the one place and still maintain the symbolism of the one faith.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"