What Is the Body of Christ?

What Is the Body of Christ according to Paul?

The Body of Christ is a spiritual reality. Jesus sent us the Paraclete to dwell in us. Every believer who has the Paraclete is a member of this Body of Christ. This is not a fleshly reality but a spiritual one. It is not the visible physical church. The Body of Christ is the church existing in the spiritual realm but manifesting in the physical realm.

1 Corinthians 12:

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ...

27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

Christ is the head of this church, Colossians 1:

18a he is the head of the body, the church

Ephesians 1:

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

Love is the distinguishing mark of the Body of Christ, John 13:

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Body of Christ is united by love and works together for love.