Body of Christ

The body of Christ

There are a great deal of doctrines created by men based on little more than a few places that we see the term in the Bible:

Ro 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

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 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

We need to understand the phrase "body of Christ".

What makes a body a body?

The Greek term used to produce the word we see as body in the translation is 4983 σῶμα soma from the Greek verb σώζω~ sozo meaning "to save, keep safe and sound", and which is from the contraction for the obsolete saos, "safe"

It is consistently translated body 144 times, but appears as slaves in Revelation 18:13 "And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves<σῶμα soma>, and souls of men."

The book is listing off items owned by the merchants of the earth

While the Greek term soma σῶμα is defined as "the body both of men or animals" or even "the bodies of planets and of stars (heavenly bodies)" as a collective of independent bodies united in some invisible binding power or union such as gravity.

It is also used as a general term for a "number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body". It may be large or small, corporate or incorporate and evidently may even be mystical.

The term mystical can be defined as concerned with the soul or the spirit, rather than with material things.

When Paul loosely uses the term "body of Christ" is he talking about a specific "Body" with a legal nature or a general body of Christians with a mystical nature.

Is he talking about something with a corporate or spiritual body?

Corpus of God

When we talk about something like the "church" are we talking about a corporate body in the specific sense or in its most general sense?

The word “Corporation (Latin corpus, a body)" is defined as, "An artificial being created by law and composed of individuals who subsist as a body politic under a special denomination,”

In the case of the Church as the corpus of Christ the state was the King of the citizens of Judea, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Highest son of David.

He alone established the Church.

Is the Church already created by Jesus Christ, according to the legal definition of a church?

If to “Incorporate" is "To create a corporation; to confer a corporate franchise upon determinate persons.” Black’s Law Dictionary 3rd ed. Page 946.

And

If Jesus was King then He established His Church under that one form of government preached by Him and John and the apostles according to His doctrines and ordinances.

The question is where is His Church which is already incorporated as His corporate franchise upon the earth?

The Church established by Christ and appointed by Him to His little flock, was an actual corporate body, much like the Levites before them appointed by Moses.

They served the tents of the congregations of the people as a government that did not exercise authority one over the other but by Freewill offerings.

What was given to the Levites by the people, like the offerings of the people to the ministers of Christ, was both freely given and completely given.

The body of ministers amongst the Levites and the body of ministers amongst the early Church, both of whom became the Benefactors who did not exercise authority but rightly divided the bread of those Freewill offerings from house to house.

The body of the Family

A corporation can be defined as two or more people gathered together under a preexisting authority for a particular purpose as if they were one person.

By that definition a family is a corporation. But we do not generally use that term to describe a family, not because a "Corporation" is also defined as, "An artificial being created by law and composed of individuals who subsist as a body politic under a special denomination,” but because a “Corporation" is also defined as "An artificial person or legal entity created by or under the authority of the laws of a state. An association of persons created by statute as a legal entity.”

The family united under God is a corporation of God.

A family united under Holy Matrimony is united under God while a family united under the state may have a much different status. Under Holy Matrimony and the Canon of the Church the minister is not a party to the union, only the couple and God are parties to the union. In a marriage under the State, the State is clearly a party to the union. Rights under the natural union of Husband and Wife are merged with the power of the State.

The family created by the bonds of that union would be subject to the authority of the State. Since the Church under Christ and by the authority of Christ is not a party to the union in Holy Matrimony the family remains free under God. To maintain that liberty the congregants of the Church and the Ministers must seek to guard the rights and autonomy of every family as much as their own.

“Incorporate. To create a corporation; to confer a corporate franchise upon determinate persons.”

Isn’t the Church already created by Jesus Christ, according to the legal definition of a church?

“And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me;” Luke 22:29

Is God not the sovereign power of His Church?

“Establish …To found, to create, to regulate.”

If Jesus was a king and He established His Church under that one form of government with His doctrines and ordinances, then His Church is incorporated as His corporate franchise upon the earth.

But what of the congregation?

If the Church franchise by Christ was to the whole flock and not just the little flock the people would be under the authority of the Church. God forbid!

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Ro 12:4, 5)

The kingdom of God and the Church are also not a democracy where fifty one percent of the people can rule over the rest.

The Kingdom of God like the Church in general is a society or community bound by love rather than a contract between each other.

That is not to say that they are not bound under legal restraints.

“Legal… Created by law.”

The Church specific as appointed by Christ who was the highest Son of David and another King is legally separate from the congregation like the Levites were separate from the people of Israel.

The ministers of the Church belong to God through Christ and cannot belong to another master. If they did then the second master would have authority over the Church.

But spiritually they are one body because they have one Father of whom the Church is to be His servant and serve the people by His command.

“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. 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. For the body is not one member, but many.. But now [are they] many members, yet but one body.” (1 Co 2:12, 20)

A corporation is an entity of the state and its statutes as the Church is an entity of Christ and subject to His statutes but the congregation should remain free.

“Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7)

“Corporation. All corporation, of whatever kind, are molded and controlled, both as to what they may do and the manner in which they may do it, by their charters or acts of incorporation, which to them are the laws of their being, which they can neither dispense with nor alter.”

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus?” (Romans 9:20)

“Charter. An instrument emanating from the sovereign power, in the nature of a grant, either to the whole nation, or to a class or portion of the people, to a corporation, or to a colony or a dependency, assuring them of certain rights, liberties, or powers… is granted by the sovereign…” “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine (2 Tim 3:16). Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Romans 9:20, 21).

What is the act of incorporation for the Church established by Jesus Christ? Was it not the act of His sacrifice upon the cross and the shedding of His blood? Jesus, as Soter and Sovereign, incorporated the Church.

“And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me;” Luke 22:29

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20)

Gathering in His name is gathering in His character.

Congregations are not corporate.

Nor are Congregants‎ members of an unincorporated association.

The congregants are members of families for the kingdom of God is from generation to generation.

State Churches

Today, legal churches are not incorporated in the Body of Christ, but in the [ http://www.hisholychurch.org/study/gods/cog15bvb.php Body of the State]... in man made governments as corporations of the State. The few duties that the church still performs are done so by the authority vested in them by the State.

The are actually serving Caesar as his minister in the case of Marriage vs Holy Matrimony.

The serve the State by making the people feel good about their servitude.

They still claim their right to tithes, but have relinquished the obligation of the daily ministration to the state, having squandered the tithing of the people.

Also the people have incorporated themselves to the State by applying for its welfare.

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