The Assembly as The Body of Christ

Henry Allan Ironside

Sailing with Paul

At the time of his conversion on the Damascus road, the germ of a great truth was revealed to Paul, which later became the chiefest in the galaxy of doctrines which it was his mission, as an apostle, to make known “for the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26). It was involved in the challenge of the Lord of glory, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4). For the first time it was then declared that Christ and His saints of this age of grace are one. To touch the feeblest of them is to touch Him: for they are all members of one body of which He is the glorified Head in heaven. This doctrine of the one body is never referred to by any other apostle than Paul. He calls it “the fellowship [or, dispensation] of the mystery” (Galatians 3:9) which he had especially been entrusted with. It was the characteristic truth of his large and varied ministry. It is this that he is speaking of in Romans 16:25-27: “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets [or, by prophetic writings; that is, his own], according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.” The nature of this mystery is unfolded in Ephesians 3:1-12. There he writes of the dispensation of the grace of God given him toward the Gentiles, and he adds: “How that by revelation [not through studying the Bible] He made known unto me the mystery ... which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel ... to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”

It is a passage of wondrous scope and blessedness, and I cannot attempt to expound it here, but what I would have the believer note is that the truth of Jew and Gentile being formed by the Spirit into one body, upon being born of God, and by that same Spirit linked up to Christ as Head in heaven, was a truth never before made known. The Old Testament will be searched in vain for it. It is not there, because it was “hid in God.” It was the secret purpose of His heart only to be revealed after the rejection of His Son. It actually became a fact when the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost. To this Paul refers when he writes: “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 [the] 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” (1 Corinthians 12:12,13). To  this  one  body  every  believer  in  the  Lord  Jesus Christ belongs. The gift of the Holy Spirit, who indwells all saved people, makes us one with every other Christian on the face of the earth. This is the only true “Catholic and Apostolic Church.” At the beginning there was none other. “The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). There was no thought of any other membership, though until the special revelation given to Paul, it was not seen that this involved membership in the body of Christ. The fact existed prior to the knowledge of it. Now, every saint should have clear light as to it, because
it is everywhere declared, or taken for granted, in Paul’s epistles.

Ephesians  is  largely  occupied  with  it;  setting  forth the purpose of God to head up all things in Christ, and, preparatory to this, the formation of the one body. Then Colossians gives us the other side, magnifying Christ as Head, and pressing upon Christians their responsibility to own no other head, but to be in all things subject to Him. First Corinthians takes all this up in a practical way, showing what the outcome should be in our daily walk as members one of another and members of Christ. Now, in what sense is this great truth “made known ... for the obedience of faith”? Manifestly it can only mean that it is a truth each believer is expected to hold in a practical way. And this surely involves the recognition of but one body and one Head, which necessarily leaves one outside of all human systems and apart from all recognition of human heads. “The Church must have a head!” was the Romanist’s challenge to Luther, as he began to set forth the claims of the Papacy. “Yes,” replied the mighty champion of the reformation, “and that Head is Christ!”

Never allow yourself in any association, dear believer, where you will have to give this up. Hold the Head at all costs. And if you hold the Head, you can consistently own but one body; for one head with many bodies is unthinkable. “To  which  of  the  various  bodies  of  Christ  do  you belong?” I was once asked by a clergyman. I replied, “There is one body, and I know no other.”  This  should  not  result  in  unkind  feelings  or  hard, critical thoughts concerning others, equally dear to Christ, who may not be enlightened upon this great mystery. The very fact that we are all members one of another should hinder this. All may not see alike, and will not until the Lord Jesus comes; but that need not prevent fervent love going out to every member of Christ’s body on earth. “What church do you belong to?” an evangelist was once asked by a well-meaning lady. “I am a Christian,” was the reply, “I belong to the body of Christ.” “Oh, of course,” was the retort, “I know that. So am I, and I am also a member of a church.” “Ah, my sister,” he answered, “that is just the difference between us. You are a Christian and. I am only a Christian. Once I too was a Christian and , but when I learned that ‘there is one body and one Spirit’ I ceased to be a Christian and; I have ever since been simply a Christian.”  “But,” she exclaimed in evident astonishment, “in that case I do not see how you distinguish yourself from other Christians.” “Why, you see,” was the quiet reply, “I have no desire to distinguish myself from fellow-Christians. I am one with them all; and I desire them all to see in me a fellow-member of Christ’s body.” This  is  what  I  would  commend  to  you.  When  God saved you He put you in the body of Christ. What other membership do you need or desire? You are a member of the Church of God, the Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

What more would you have? Before the confusion of sectarianism came in, “all that believed were together” (Acts 2:44), and it was said of them on an ever-memorable occasion that those who “received His Word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them [that is, unto those already baptized by the Spirit into the one body] about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:41,42). Nothing  else  is  needed  for  faith  today.  God’s  Word remains and it is for each believer to act upon it, regardless of the ever-increasing apostasy. If only two or three do so, there is fellowship and Christ will be enjoyed as He cannot be when His place as Head is forgotten and the truth is
ignored that “there is one body” (Ephesians 4:4).