The Body of Christ: How to Mine the Metaphor for All Its Wealth

Today, we’re going to look at the metaphor of the “Body of Christ” that is used many times in the New Testament. We’ll talk about:

• The different ways this metaphor gets used.
• What it means most frequently.
• Examples of how / when it’s used – and by whom.
• What we can learn by considering “The body of Christ” in various contexts as we study. And more!

Eliminating Meaningless Lingo One Christian at a Time

In Christianity, there can be a lot of “lingo.” Some of it is social, but a lot of it has Biblical roots. Digging deeper into these origins can help us make sure that 1) we don’t misuse them and 2) we really are able to connect in a deeper way with what it is that’s being communicated.

At the end, I’ll walk you through some simple questions you can ask yourself when you come across “the body of Christ” metaphor both in the scriptures and in conversation or other reading. You’ll be able to make sure you’re honoring and digesting its full Biblical meaning whenever you encounter it.

So, let’s jump in!

The Big Ideas and Helpful Highlights

Four Different Uses for The Body of Christ

There are four main ways this metaphor gets used in the Bible. They’re all in the New Testament (which makes sense if you give it a second), and all but one (noted below) are attributed to Paul.

• The physical body of Christ, as in the human person, Jesus
• The bread at the Lord’s supper
• The temple of God (one reference in John 2:21)
• The community of Christian believers

Being aware of these different uses is important when you encounter this phrase. That said, “the body of Christ” is most frequently used as a metaphor for the community of Christian believers. For that reason, most of the discussion in today’s teaching centers around that concept.

A Common Contemporary Concept

Paul did not come up with this metaphor on his own. In fact, there are many instances of philosophical writers of his day using the metaphor of the body to represent a group or gathered collection of people. Seneca, Philo, Aurelias, and other contemporaries of both Paul and Jesus used this metaphor.

For the rest of this article, including examples from scripture, check out the full post on my website. Some things are too long for show-notes! 

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