Ephesians Lesson 28 of 39 part 6

1Corinthians 12:13b-14

"...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."

We will not take time to read the rest of the verses, but we would like you to come on down to verse 27. This is the capstone of it all. 

1Corinthians 12:27

"Now ye (as he writes to us) are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

In other words, the Body of Christ is a big Body we have been baptized into "IT" by the Holy Spirit, but, does God lose sight of when that happens. No way! God is aware of each and every one of us as an individual. For we maintain our individual personalities. He knows us by name, even though we are in the composite whole, and this is the beauty of it all. We are to function as one, we all have the same salvation, there is but one way for entry for us all, not many as some preach and teach falsely. We all have the same hope of glory, we all have all these blessings that are "spiritual". And yet we do not lose our individuality as we are still a distinct person.

It might be pointed out here that as one Body we as individuals do not have special Sabbaths or Religious Holidays, feast or festivals as God did not assign any to us in this current economy. He is about building the Body of Christ, His Family unite from each tribe and nation. As He divided them based on the number of Hebrews in Deuteronomy 32:8, as He divided the nations in Genesis 10:5. So it is that in shadowy type and image, metaphor, and symbolism He is restoring His Adam nation to Himself, as promised Adam in Genesis 3:15. Here is our point in all this, "IF" any one, say a Hebrew who is indeed a Hebrew practices any of the now dead Hebrewisms, as a Religious Holiday, that person remains an enemy of God and is anathema, a Christ hater. This is seen in 1Corinthians 16:22 and Galatians 1:8-9 and as cursed in Romans 9:3 and 1Corinthians 12:3. Today there is a teaching called, "replacement theology", this is false and a hoax and is to be stayed away from, as is all things Israel, as the referenced Scriptures point out. Why would anyone cling to any thing Hebrew or of Israel's traditions? To imagine themselves acquiring Israel's blessing of materialism, health, wealth and prosperity, the worlds treasures which are but a lie as they pass away with there use.

Let’s also look at the Body of Christ in Ephesians chapter 1. Remember the book of Ephesians is a positional Book, God placed us in the Body and being a member of the Body of Christ is a positional thing.

Ephesians 1:22-23a

"And hath put all things under his (Christ) feet, and gave him, to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body,..."

See that’s the way we have to read that to complete the thought. Do not stop with just verse 22, which says that He gave all things to the Church. No, He gave it to the Church which is His Body, and that makes a big difference. Because normally people think of the Church as any old stone or metal and wood building on the corner, regardless what the handle may be on it, it’s still a Church, but that is not the Church that Paul’s talking about. He is talking about the Church which is His Body, God's very own Family unite, which hopefully most of these Churches sitting on the corner will have some of their people in the Body, at least. But and this is a big “but” if they hear Him say come out from among them they'd better take head. For we are not to assemble as is the habit of some and indeed most. Yes, God sees mans assembly as a habit and not as He intended or as He intends. Then look at another one over in chapter 2 of this same book. Let’s begin at verse 14.

Ephesians 2:14

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one,..."

Who are the both? Jew and Gentile in the One Body of Christ. Now hold your hand here as another verse just comes to mind in the book of Romans. This is what got Paul in trouble with his own Jewish people.