5.1Christ’s Body

Christ’s Body Congratulation for getting so far without deleting, burning or throwing away this material. However I can imagine that some might say at this point, “Well, there is no such thing as the perfect church, so why get hung up about a wrong teaching on tithing, leadership, church meetings and worship?” There is even a common joke made that if the perfect church exists, then you should not join it, or else it wouldn’t be perfect anymore. Remarks like these do give the impression that it would be an unrealistic ideology to find “the perfect church”, because of the inherent imperfection of the human beings that make up the church. And yet, there is something wrong with this mind-set. If we say that there is no such a thing as the perfect church, what then does it say about the words of Christ found in Matthew, chapter sixteen verse eighteen that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it? Is Christ not able to use rough, living stones like us and build a glorious and perfect church despite our imperfection? Might it not be that the reason why many believe that there is no such a thing as the perfect church is because they think of church as an institution of man and not a spiritual entity of Christ? What if we tell you that the perfect church does exist, even though it is being built with imperfect living stones like you and me! This church where Christ is central is the church that, in the core of our being, we long to be a part of. This is the Body of Christ. Here is something to consider: Even with all the sincere church activities, programs, revival meetings and spiritual experiences, there still seems to be a spiritual emptiness ruling our institutional church today. More and more saints are wondering if what they are busy with is actually real or just emotional hype. Why is that? Would you consider the possibility that what most people consider to be church might not be the church that Christ is building? You might then ask: well where is this perfect church? Why have we never heard of it or seen it? The good news is that you have always been part of that perfect church that Christ is building—since the day you were born of the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus. The church that Christ builds is the actual people who are part of Christ’s Body. In other words, the perfect church is not something you can join, but something you are already part of through the Spirit of God dwelling in you.

The perfect church is not the organisation that you attend every week, but is all the Disciples of Christ, irrespective of their institutional baggage. The question is therefore not where to find it, but how to function in it. In understanding the Body of Christ we can compare it to the makeup of a human being. Paul writes in: 1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV) There are many who debate the issue as to whether people consist of three parts, namely: body, soul and spirit, or whether we are only two parts: body and spirit-soul, where it is theorised that the spirit-soul are actually two sides of the same essence. Whatever your persuasion is, one cannot ignore the fact that Scripture does speak of three factors of the person, whether the spirit-soul are just two sides of the same essence or whether they are two different elements of a person that resides in a body. For instance we read in: Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV) For argument’s sake, one can think of the soul as the personality or conscience of the person. The soul steers the body through the organ called the brain. The soul also uses the brain to access the memories that helps the soul to make decisions. Some claim that the eyes of a person are the windows to the person’s soul. One could say that the soul is the actual person that dwells in the body. The spirit on the other hand is that which gives a person life. In creating Adam we read God doing the following in: Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV) The word “breath” in both Hebrew: “neshamah” and Greek: “pneuma”, actually 1. means “spirit”. So God breathing into Adam gave man life or what we understand as spirit. When the spirit of man separates from the body, the person dies. The body in other words cannot live without the spirit or breath of God. Without the spirit of man the body has no soul and is just a lifeless corpse. Keep in mind how life entered Adam, when God breathed breath or spirit into him, as we deal with the revelation of Christ’s Body. We read in:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (KJV) We are most probably not going to grasp the great magnitude of what actually happened at the cross of Jesus Christ till we see Christ face to face. Yet Scripture does make certain things clear to us. One of the things is that the cross of Christ brought about reconciliation to the Father. What is important to note is how the cross brought reconciliation. Paul teaches that Christ created in Himself ONE NEW MAN. That means whether we are Jews or Gentiles we are reconciled to God in ONE BODY. This body is a totally new creation. Paul speaks of the new creation like this in: 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (KJV) Those who are in Christ are a new creation. How are we in Christ? Well; as explained in the letter to the Ephesians through that NEW MAN in ONE BODY. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself through Christ’s body. That is why Paul would write in: Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (KJV) We also read in: Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (KJV) God has put everything under Christ’s feet through the church, which is His body. The Greek word for “body” is “soma” which means both the instrument of 2. life and the outer shell of a man. The church is therefore the “soma” or outer shell of Christ on earth. Through the Spirit we have become part of a new creation: one new body in Christ. In other words Christ embodies Himself through the church. Paul explains it like this in: 1Co 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. 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (KJV) Every person that is born of the Spirit has been created in the Body of Christ as a body-member. See how Jesus identifies Himself as being persecuted when Paul was actually persecuting the church in: Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (KJV) We then read some time later on, after Paul’s conversion, where he speaks of his own suffering as actually adding to the affliction of Christ through His Body in: Col 1:24 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: (KJV) This is a marvellous revelation that Paul had concerning the church as the Body of Christ. Yet the only way for us to grasp this, is if we can understand that the Body of Christ is not a religious institution but an organic being indwelt by the Spirit of God. After Christ went to the Father, He sent down the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the church. In that very moment the Body of Christ, that was created through the death and resurrection of Christ, received the breath of the Life of the Spirit of God, as Adam did when he was created.

The church is a dead corpse without the Holy Spirit. Through the life of the Holy Spirit the Soul of the church who is Christ controls the Body as the Head of the church. This means this NEW MAN, this new Creation, which is called the Body of Christ, is Body, Soul, and Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit – Christ the very Soul of the Church is present as Jesus promised in: Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (KJV) We need to understand that Christ does not enter the meeting when we welcome Him in prayer “in the name of Jesus”. As the Holy Spirit dwells within every one of us that is born of the Spirit of God, so, Christ dwells in our hearts. Therefore Soul of Christ is already in the midst of His Body through the indwelling Holy Spirit. This means that we have, in a sense, brought Christ to the gathering by being members of the body of Christ. As we are Christ’s body so He is in our midst.

1. Vine’ s New Testament and Old Testament “breath” e-Sword 13.0.0 2. Vine’ s New Testament “body” e-Sword 13.0.0

5.2Body Life

Body Life Christianity is not an individualistic religion, but a new creation as the Body of Christ reconciled to the Father. That means that if we want to be joined to Christ who is the Head, we would need to be attached to other Christians as well who are part of the Body of Christ. Think of it this way; what will happen if a finger is amputated from a human body? Well, the reality is that the amputated finger will wither away because it is separated from the life source of the body. Is it then possible that a member can only be a member of the head without having any relation to the rest of the body? No; he or she will wither away spiritually. Let us have a better look at how Paul describes the body of Christ in: 1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. 1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1Co 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 1Co 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 1Co 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (KJV)

In order for us to have a genuine relationship/fellowship with Christ, we have to have fellowship with the whole Person of Christ, which is Body, Soul and Spirit. John writes concerning Jesus, the Word of life, the following in: 1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (KJV) Is it not amazing that John would say that the reason they preached to them was that they may have fellowship with John and the other believers? It is as if John takes it as a matter of fact that fellowship with them is a natural consequence of their fellowship truly being with the Father and with the Son. Why would he depict that as the natural consequence? The answer is that John and the other disciples were the Body of Christ, and having fellowship with the Body is part of having fellowship with Christ. For that reason, while we are in the Body of Christ we also have fellowship with the Father. So then, having fellowship with Christ means we are to form biblical fellowship with the saints. Paul writes in: Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (KJV) This knitting and joining together goes much further than Bible study, prayer meetings and socializing. It is about sharing lives. For instance, would one think a husband and wife are in a good loving relationship with each other when they only see each other when they have meetings once or twice a week? It might happen occasionally that a husband and wife might not be with each other for a week or two, because one of them is off on some business trip, but if this happens frequently it could cause a serious strain on their marriage. Now it might be that the husband and wife may hold each other in their hearts while they are absent from each other physically. They might even say to each other that they are with each other in spirit. Yet should they only see each other once a week or even once a month, and then only as though they were in a meeting, that would not be considered a normal healthy relationship. The norm would be that the husband and wife be with each other daily and only rarely be apart from each other for a week or two.

From this perspective, how often should we have fellowship with Christ; once a month, or perhaps once a week? Most Christians would say that they speak with Christ every day, yet hardly have any contact with the members of Christ’s body except for the Sunday worship service. Yet fellowshipping with Christ everyday should incorporate fellowshipping with the members of the Body EVERY DAY. We read in: Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, (KJV) Reading this passage from an institutional mind-set one would think that the early church had daily meetings. However Scripture says only that they were together in the temple with one accord. We need to understand that the first converts in the church were Jews. As Jews they expressed their faith by going to the temple that was seen as “the house of the Lord”. This was not a church service, but a testimony to their Jewish brethren who were not converted to Christ yet. Daily fellowship is not daily “meetings”. More church meetings have nothing to do with biblical fellowship. One may schedule daily meetings with your spouse yet still be out of touch with what is happening in his or her life. Even in a traditional context, if one only has weekly meetings, without fellowship with the Body of Christ every day, the meetings will be just empty shells, empty of the true fellowship of Christ. The writer of Hebrews writes: Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (KJV) How many times a week are we to exhort one another? The reason that so many Christians are being deceived by sin is because they spend more time in front of that glowing idol that is called a television, than they do exhorting one another. Many Christians might see no problem watching TV every day, even for hours, but exhorting one another daily seems too radical. Saints of God, we need to reevaluate our priorities in these last days.

Christians go from one so-called church institution to another because they don’t want to connect with other saints. They want to have their private lives free from interference from others in the family of God. They would even go to a so-called church in another city, town, or suburb so they don’t have to deal with Christians intruding into their personal space. How can we call this being the Body of Christ? Is it not ironic that we find so many in the institutional church that go to weekly worship services, but their homes are dysfunctional, with no life of Christ in them? There are as many families that go through divorces and teen pregnancies in our church today as there are in the world. Christians are living with all kinds of addictions such as alcohol, drugs and pornography with no power to be set free. Surely this is not the church that Christ was talking about that He would build, where the gates of hell would not be able to prevail against it? So what is the answer? The answer lies in “DAILY EXHORTATION so that we will not be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness”. We are to live as though we are an actual organic body that needs each member. Where no one can say to another I have no need of you. Discipleship does not happen through sermons and Bible study. That might produce encouragement and we might gain knowledge, but very little discipleship is accomplished through it. Jesus might have preached to the crowds, but those who lived with Him and shared day to day living and struggles with Him He called His disciples. There are many Christians who are sincerely seeking to be part of the Body of Christ in true fellowship, but then are left frustrated, by the busy-ness of empty church programs and the pretence of Christian fellowship. Be encouraged to know that you are not strange nor are you alone. What you are feeling is the Holy Spirit, in you, aching to express the very life of Christ through the Body of Christ.

5.3The Family of God

The Family of God The concept of the Body of Christ might still seem very strange to you, so let us have a look at another way Scripture explains the life in Christ. It is called being part of the family of God. After Jesus spoke to His disciples about the difficulty rich people have in entering the kingdom of God the following was said between Him and His disciples: Mar 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. Mar 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (KJV) It is clear from Christ’s words that He was not only dealing with giving up our riches. Jesus was dealing with everything that we might deem precious in our lives. If we have truly forsaken all, we would as a direct result receive a hundredfold in the household of God. In other words, our true family becomes those who are also following Christ; our possessions are no longer just for us but for the needs of our family in Christ and theirs for us. In essence, we have traded in self and family when we became Christ’s disciples. With the trade-in we have a new family of brothers, sister, mothers and fathers that has DAILY interaction. The question one is faced with is whether we truly could take Jesus’ words that literally? Well it seems that the early church did, as seen in: Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; Act 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of

heart, Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (KJV) What type of lifestyle must the early Christians have had that had such favour with all the people? Most times the term “out of fellowship” is used to refer to people who don’t “go to church”. However when looking at the word fellowship from Scripture one realise that it has but only a small part to do with going to church. The word fellowship comes from the Greek word “koinonia”, which has to do with sharing. It comes from the same word “koinos” used to describe how 1. the believers “had all things in common”. The words koinos originates from Greek word “oikia” which means household, which has to do with a closely 2. knitted family. In other words having fellowship is about the family or household of God sharing their lives with each other as though they are of the same household of brothers and sisters. Most Christians, whether they are pastors, elders, worship leaders, deacons, cell group leaders might attend their weekly church meetings but are as much “out of fellowship” as those who don’t attend church meetings. Biblical fellowship is not about attending church services, having Bible studies, or prayer meetings. Biblical fellowship is about sharing their lives as a close family of brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers would. This is a family that exhort each other DAILY whether they are going to the temple or sharing a meal at each other’s homes, whether they go and do shopping or play sport together; whether they share their joys or their sorrows with each other; whether they help each other with the care of their children or the struggles in their marriages, whether they help each other to face the struggles at work, or when someone lost his or her job, correcting each other when they love the world more than loving the Lord … in order that they may not be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness,. A family where they love and care for each other so much that they would feel safe to confess their sins to one another. This is a family where they place each other’s needs above their own riches, desires and comforts, because they love each other as Christ loves them. We read Paul write the following for instance: 1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. [well3. being] (KJV) Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things

of others. Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (KJV) John writes: 1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (KJV) Loving brothers and sisters would share with their siblings who are in need. Mothers and fathers would take action in guiding their children who would make foolish decisions. Good parents would not leave their children to their own devices so as to be popular and accepted by their children. Good parents would teach their children that to love the world is to be an enemy of God. James writes in: Jas 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (KJV) Most of us have never allowed this type of faith to take hold of our lives, where we allow mere brothers and sisters in the Lord to correct us when we fall back into loving the world and its passions. Now there are those of us, that don’t want their space, to be invaded, and who would quote Jesus’ words in: Luk 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye. (KJV) However, if you read carefully you will see that Jesus did not say that you should not help your brother to take the speck out of his eye. He said that before you do, you should first take the plank out your own eye so that you would see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. The issue was not that we should not take the speck out of someone’s eye, but that we should see clearly before we do. A plank prevents us to see objectively. A mother or a

father is someone who has overcome in certain areas of their lives and so are qualified to help others to overcome in those areas. It might be that, at another time, the other brother or sister might be the mother or father in a different aspect of life. Jesus is saying though, that we have no place in trying to help others overcome sin in areas of their lives where we have not yet overcome similar problems, or able to see objectively. This type of Body or family life is not for people who just practice a Christianity religion. John writes: 1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (KJV) What does John mean by hating ones brother? Hate simply means that we can’t stand our brother. If we are not able to have a heart for our brothers and sisters in the Lord then we don’t abide in the love of God. No amount of philosophising about the Love of God or priding ourselves on how we obey the Law of God, can substitute for loving each other as Christ loves us. Jesus did not talk about being mere distant relatives, such as uncles, nephews, great grandparents, but about being actual brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. In this is the test of whether or not we belong to the household of God: Luk 8:20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. Luk 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. (KJV) 1.Vine’ s New Testament “fellowship”, e-Sword 13.0.0 2.Vine’ s New Testament “fellowship”, e-Sword 13.0.0 3. Insertions is mine for clarification.

5.4The Bread of Life

The Bread of Life Jesus said some strange things in the three years He ministered to the people before His crucifixion. Yet often we found it is these strange and sometimes “illogical” things that can have the deepest impact on our lives. For instance, look at this passage, found in: Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Joh 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Joh 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. Joh 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Joh 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (KJV) Of all Jesus’ statements, this may be one of the most peculiar to understand. These words have even caused one of the mainstream church denominations, which we won’t name now, to hold onto very strange and superstitious beliefs. But what is Jesus actually saying here? His audience definitely did not understand His words and were quite offended by it. Then Jesus responded to their confusion with the following words further on in the passage: Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (KJV) So what spiritual illustration was Jesus giving when He said we have to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life? Near the time of Christ’s death, Jesus ate

the Passover meal with His disciples. Look what happened while Jesus had the Passover feast with His disciples, in: Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (KJV) So why would eating the bread and drinking the cup, help us to spiritually eat His body and drink His blood? How would this help us to partake of Christ’s life? Well, Paul gives us some more insight into this, in: 1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. (KJV) Paul explains that as the cup identifies with our union with Christ’s death, so the bread identifies us with the union of Christ’s Body, the church. In other words, the breaking of bread would declare that our life is in that one body of believers. So, through Christ, salvation is brought about in two ways, namely the shedding of His blood and secondly the breaking of His body. The Body and the Blood of Christ is the basis of communion in celebrating the Lord’s Supper. It is on this basis that the Christians came together to break bread, as seen in: Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (KJV) It is especially noticeable when the Body of Christ was first filled with the Holy Spirit, that they continued with the fellowship in the breaking of bread as seen in: Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (KJV)

In reading this passage there is actually something very important that one needs to give attention to. The passage does not read: “… fellowship, AND the breaking of bread…”; but actually reads “… fellowship, IN the breaking of bread…”. The New King James is one of the few translations that actually capture this idea. In the McReynolds Tyndale Greek text one finds that the Greek word for “and” which is “kai” is absent between fellowship and the 1. breaking of bread. The word “kai” is used between the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship and between bread and prayers but not between fellowship and the breaking of bread. Grammatically, in biblical Greek, this absence of the word “kai” would render the meaning to be one function as opposed to two different functions. Therefore the text according to this Greek text should read as it is written in the New King James, that is, that they had fellowship IN the breaking of bread. As said before the Greek word for fellowship: “koinonia” has to do with “sharing” which is derived from the Greek word “koinos” which is translated 2. “having all things in common”. It is from this understanding that the phrase “Holy Communion” is derived. The breaking of bread was, however, practiced as a full meal that was shared with each other, as seen in: Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, (KJV) In Biblical times bread was generally the main source of nutrition as it contained most of the oils and minerals that the body needed and was therefore the main course of the meal. Bread was sometimes supplemented with herbs to soak the bread in, or bread was eaten with fish, and occasionally with other meats and vegetables. For this reason when people in Bible times would invite each other 3. to have a meal with them they would simply say: “Come break bread”. As one can expect; the quality of bread in Bible times cannot be compared to today’s bread that lacks these valuable nutrients and minerals. This gives a whole new meaning to Jesus saying that He is the “Bread of Life”. Yet if the breaking of bread was a full meal, where does the practice of a ceremonial “nip and sip” come from as it is practised in the traditional church? To understand how it came about we need to look at some historical events that led to this. At the beginning of the second century many Christians that were converted were previous worshipers of the “sun-god”. Heathen sun worshipers

had the practice of praying before dawn to the “sun-god” to reappear. The new converts found it difficult to break the habit of praying before dawn for the sun to appear. Their whole life revolved around whether the sun would reappear or not, so this superstition kept them bound to this practice. So the elders of the church thought they would help these new converts by directing their focus away from the sun and towards Christ. The elders kept to the tradition of Morning Prayer before dawn about three times a week. This was easily justified from Scripture as Christ also used to pray in the early mornings. From this point on daily exhortation and spontaneous prayer gatherings started to give way to 4. religious church meetings. From that point on we started to see two distinct meetings namely the evening breaking of bread and the Morning Prayer meetings. This can be verified by some early historical documents for instance, from the younger Pliny, a Roman Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor, (111 – 113 AD), wrote about the Christian practices, They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, … after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food – 5. but food of an ordinary and innocent kind” Justin Martyr (110 – 165AD), wrote “and in the remembrance effected by their solid and liquid food, whereby the suffering of the Son of God which He endured 6. is brought to mind…”. Near the end of the second century some members of the church introduced the use of bread and wine or just plain water into the morning-prayer meetings to partake of, as they would call it, “the sacraments”. The partaking of the bread and water or wine was not nearly as substantial as the evening agape feasts, due to the time constraints in the mornings. As a result, taking the sacraments easily became a more ritualistic, practice as opposed to a full meal. In the middle of the third century, Cyprian distinguished between the two meetings that had developed predominantly on Sundays. First of all, the Sunday morning prayer 7. meeting with the “sacraments” and secondly, the Sunday evening agape meal. A sad fact was that Cyprian went so far as to say that the morning meeting had greater value, because at this point more people attended the morning meeting than the evening communal meetings. It is evident that at the time of Cyprian the Christians were starting to drift away from the communal meal and the 8. importance of having genuine fellowship. By the third century daily encouragement was almost completely replaced by religious “meetings”. So it was of no surprise that when Constantine, in about

325 AD, institutionalised the church, he adopted many practices from the heathen/Egyptian worship of the “sun-god”, to try to make Christianity acceptable as a state religion to the masses and to his generals who still held to the pagan worship of the sun. One of the things he did as a compromise was naming the first day of the week Sunday in honour of the “sun-god”. The events that led to placing the importance of certain days above others will be further 4. explored in the teaching to follow. Due to the effort the institutional church made to reconcile the worship of the sun with the Christian faith, the sacrament of the bread and the wine, shortly after Constantine, took on the shape of the heathen practice of the Egyptians who believed they ate their god “Osiris” by eating a wafer administered by a priest. Osiris was the mythical god of “regeneration and rebirth”. Osiris was also considered the god of the underworld that held the power of people’s souls after they died, because he was seen as holding the power of death and rebirth in nature. The Egyptians interpreted the sun going down as if it was dying and coming up again at dawn as if it was being reborn. So it was in Osiris’s hands as 9. to whether the “sun- god” “Rah” would be reborn or not. The sun-worshipers also believed that to insure their own eternal life after death they had to consume Osiris in the form of a round little wafer administered by the priest. For this reason we will still find the ritualistic sacramental little wafer or cracker followed by a small glass of grape juice administered by the priestly figure, called the clergy, up in the front of many institutional churches today. Even some main denominations don’t even use the wine/grape juice except for special occasions. 1. Paul R. McReynolds, Word Study Greek-English New Testament, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, (Wheaton, Illinois 1990), 432. 2. Vine’ s New Testament “fellowship”, e-Sword 13.0.0 3. Los Angelis Times: https://www.latimes.com/style/la-xpm-2011-feb-19-la-he-ancient-grains-20110220-story.html, 20 May 2021 4. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity, 20 May 2021 5. Pliny, Letters, transl. by William Melmoth, rev. by W.M.L. Hutchinson (Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1935), vol. II, X:96, cited in Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 199. internet source https://www.bethinking.org/jesus/ancient-evidence-for-jesusfrom-non-christian-sources#_edn10, 20 May 2021 6. Justin Martyr – Dialoque with Tryph, trans. Rev. M. Dods, M.A., 117.1.0 (ANT: 1.0), e-Sword 13.0.0 7. Cyprian – Treatises of Cyprian, trans. Rev. Ernest Willis, Ph.D. , 4.35.0, (ANT: 5.0), e-Sword 13.0.0, 8. Cyprian – Ceacilius, on the Sacrament of the Cup of the Lord, trans. Rev. Ernest Willis, Ph.D. , 62.16.0, (ANT: 5.0), e-Sword 13.0.0, 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osiris, 20 May 2021

5.5Discerning the Body

Discerning the Body In dealing with the issue of the communion as a full meal, we need to have a look at an important passage that many try to interpret in such a way as to justify an unbiblical snack ritual without fellowship. It is found in Paul’s reprimand of the Corinthian church in: 1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 1Co 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. (KJV) From this passage what was the initial reason why the Corinthian church was to come together, which they failed to do? They were to eat the Lord’s Supper when they come together in one place. Why is it that Paul said that they were not eating the Lord’s Supper? Well, each person was eating their own supper before the others arrived. In other words they just brought their own supper for themselves instead of the communal Supper of the Lord’s that was meant to be shared. Remember the word “communal” comes from having all things in common. So was Paul then suggesting by his reprimand that we should not eat an actual supper when eating the Lord’s Supper? No, not at all; he was just saying that the food that was brought was meant to be shared, not like some who came and ate their own supper. The Lord’s Supper is about the communion of the body. Communion with the body means sharing food with the body. That is why Paul speaks of the love/charity feast in: Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (KJV) The Greek word for “feast” in this passage is “deipnon”. The Greek word “deipnon” is the same word for “supper” in reference to the Lord’s Supper, depicting the chief meal of the day, taken towards evening or the end of the 1. day. The word love in this passage is the Greek word “agape” and is also

2.

translated as “charity”. The reason why they called it the “charity feast”, was because saints shared their food with each other, even with those who had nothing to give. Can you imagine the Lord’s Supper celebrated as a feast where the agape love is being shared among saints that function as a family? The problem with the Corinthian church was that the more fortunate in the church brought their own supper and ate it before the less fortunate arrived. The less fortunate, who could have been day labourers, would have only arrived later as was the norm with day labourers at that time. The breaking of bread ought to have been a time to show charity to the less fortunate in the fellowship, demonstrating unity and love; instead the Corinthian church dishonoured the body of Christ through their individualistic attitude. The church was divided into social classes and therefore some were drunk and others were left hungry. That is why Paul wrote just earlier on in: 1Co 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. 1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 1Co 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. (KJV) However if the Lord’s Supper was to be a full meal, what would Paul have meant by writing in? 1Co 11:34a And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. (KJV) Paul only suggested that those who got hungry and were not able to wait for the rest of the church to arrive for the communal supper, should first eat something at home. It was a purely practical suggestion from Paul how to keep unity in the breaking of bread and not a command from him that the Lord’s Supper should be reduced to a snack. Think about it; the very notion that some were left hungry indicated that they ate the Lord’s Supper as a substantial meal. We read further in: 1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (KJV) When did Jesus take the cup and share with His disciples according to Paul? Jesus broke the bread while they were eating their Passover feast. After they had their SUPPER Jesus took the cup. Pure logic should dictate to us that we are to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a SUPPER and not as the Lord’s snack. A supper is a full meal and during the meal a loaf was broken among them and eaten with the rest of the meal. Paul’s instruction referring to the breaking of bread as the Lord’s Table is also an indication of a full meal as we read in: 1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. (KJV) Right through Scripture the reference to preparing a table always was in conjunction with a full meal or even a feast. Paul continues his instruction to the Corinthian church in: 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (KJV) In discerning the Lord’s body, was Paul trying to get us to consider our sins, when we break bread? No; that was not the Paul’s focus. Paul was talking of in the manner in which they ate the Lord’s Supper. The “unworthily” refers to the way they ate the Lord’s Supper and not their spiritual standing with the Lord. They were being socially divisive, not discerning or considering the poor who were going hungry. When Paul spoke of “discerning the Lord’s body” he was speaking of the church who is Christ’s body. “Discerning the Lord’s body” did not do with how well we perform before God, but whether we are in proper fellowship with the church, the body of Christ. Let us look at an example of Peter himself NOT discerning the body of Christ, by dividing the body according to race and culture, in:

Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. (KJV) What was so offensive about Peter and the other Jews, who suddenly did not eat with the Gentiles when some Jews from James came to visit? Sharing a meal was the expression of fellowship, communion and unity. Peter with his friends, withdrawing from eating with the Gentiles, was acting in direct contrast to communion and unity. This is what Paul was getting at when he wrote this passage that we have quoted often: Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (KJV) In our westernised culture the main purpose of food is generally only for nourishment. With our rushed lives it is a normal practice to eat on the move; grabbing fast-food and eating take-aways. Even supper at home has become TV dinners with no fellowship or connecting with each other. Yet in Bible times eating together meant that they were in COMMUNION with each other. That is why when a brother and sister were unrepentant over certain practices in their lives, the church was taught not to even eat with such a person, as we read in: 1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. (KJV) Some would ask whether the Lord’s Supper was not supposed to be just a New Testament replacement of the Passover meal. The breaking of bread as a covenant meal has its basis in the Passover Seder , because the Passover lamb points to Christ, the Lamb of God, the unleavened bread points to us the unleavened body of Christ. However with all of this symbolism, the Lord’s

Supper is not the Passover meal in itself and therefore practiced differently. We will deal with the Passover Lamb practice more thoroughly in another series called “Understanding what we Preach”. Let me conclude this third part of the series by saying that it is in the proper sharing of our lives in the breaking of bread as the body of Christ, that Jesus our Saviour is really made known to us: Luk 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Luk 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. Luk 24:35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. (KJV) However not all of Christ’s disciples are able to forsake their lives and eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood as required as we read in: Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. (KJV)

1. Vine’ s New Testament “feast”, e-Sword 13.0.0 2. Vine’ s New Testament “love”, e-Sword 13.0.0

Chapter 6: Church Unity