The church
He put all things under his feet,
and gave him as supreme head to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
(Ephesians 1, 22 to 23).
The apostle Paul used several images to explain what the church is.
In our passage,
Ephesians chapter 1,
he speaks of the body of Christ (see also 1 Corinthians 12),
and in the same epistle chapter 3, 19 to 22,
he uses the image of a people,
a family and a house.
What is the church,
the body of Christ?
Christ is the head.
The head is the most important part of the body.
It's in the head that the brain is located,
where all information,
thoughts and decisions are concentrated.
It's where intelligence,
willpower and memory are stored.
All the organs and limbs of our body are under the control of our brain.
If we say that Christ is the head of the Church,
we understand that all its members depend on HIM.
The image of the body also underlines the unity of the church,
the complementarity of its members and the solidarity that must reign between them.
What is the church,
God's family?
When we become Christians,
we also become members of a new family.
With this image,
the apostle Paul drew inspiration from the Jewish family,
where each member had a fixed place with tasks and obligations.
It's the same in the church,
where each member has a role to play according to his or her gifts.
Two other important characteristics of the Jewish family were fruitfulness and solidarity.
Fruitfulness in the church means enlarging it by winning new converts!
Solidarity means helping each other in times of need.
What is the church,
a house,
a building?
This image underlines the importance of the foundation (Jesus Christ) and the fact that the church is "under construction",
not yet finished.
Actions to make the church an asset in your life:
- Prayer:
Thank God for his church in your country,
with all its weaknesses and shortcomings.
- Bible reading:
Read Ephesians 2, 13 to 22 and meditate on these verses.
- personal reflection:
Compare your local church with these 3 images.
Are the characteristics highlighted by Paul present?
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you can do to make your church truly a body and a family!
- towards others:
Examine your heart to see if your brothers and sisters at church have truly become your parents,
as in your natural family.