BIBLE LESSONS
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LESSON NINE -- “THE BODY OF CHRIST”

The purpose of this lesson is to aid the student in being able to identify the church which is the true body of Christ.
In the maze of conflicting creeds, contradictory doctrines, and human denominations, many people find themselves bewildered in searching for the true church. Yet the cardinal principle in regard to the search is simply this: FIND IT IN GOD'S WORD.
The only place the truth-seeker can find the New Testament church is in the New Testament. The trouble today is that most people are not looking for the church where it can be found.
The pattern for the church in organization, doctrine, and worship is in God's Word, where we have the Divine blue-print for the church. If we will speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent, we can have this Divine relationship exactly as the Lord designed it and brought it into being. It was not a denomination when He built it, and if it follows His blue-print it is not a denomination now. It would be impossible for a denomination to exist if people did not believe something, or become something, or teach something, or do something, or have something which is not in the Word of God.

1. THE CHURCH IS CALLED THE BODY OF CHRIST (FILL IN THE FOLLOWING BLANKS):

A. Ephesians 1:22-23 (begin reading with verse 17, and see that this is telling us what
The Father did for Christ), “And hath put all things under His feet• and gave Him to be the __________________ over ____________ things to the ______________________, which is His _________________ , the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.”

B. Colossians 1:18, “And He is the head of the _______________ , the ___________________ .”

2. MAN SAYS THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES -- THE BIBLE TEACHES THERE IS ONE:

A. Romans 12:4-5 (comparing the physical body of a human being to the spiritual body of
Christ), “For as we have ________________ members in __________ ______________ , and all members have not the same office: So we, being ________________ , are _____________ __________________ in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

B. 1 Corinthians 12:20, “But now are they many members, yet ___________ __________ body."

C. Ephesians 2:16, “And that He might _________________________ both unto ____________ in ____________ ________________ by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

D. Ephesians 4:4, “There is _____________ _________________ , and one spirit . . . ”

3. CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF HIS SPIRITUAL BODY, THE CHURCH:

A. His dominion over the church is COMPLETE --- ABSOLUTE. Ephesians 1:22-23, “And hath put _____________ things under _____________ feet, and gave _____________to be the ____________ over __________things to the ________________ , which is His ___________.”

B. Ephesians 5:24, The ______________________ is ________________________ unto Christ.
Directions for the body (the church) to move MUST come from the HEAD (Christ).

4. CHRISTIANS ARE MEMBERS OF THE BODY (THE CHURCH) OF CHRIST:

A. Acts 2:47, “And the ________________ added to the ____________________ daily such as should be __________________ .”

B. Romans 12:5, “So ________ , being _______________ , are one _____________ in Christ.”

C. Ephesians 5:23, “ . . . . even as _____________________ is the _______________ of the ________________ ; and __________ is the ____________________ of the _____________ .”

FROM THOSE PASSAGES AND OTHERS WE WILL SEE, WE CAN DRAW SOME VALID CONCLUSIONS --- STUDY THE STATEMENTS BELOW, AND GIVE THE BIBLE ANSWER:

MULTIPLE CHOICE (UNDERLINE THE CORRECT ANSWER)

1. The most important consideration in our searching for the New Testament church is to: (a) Study the New Testament; (b) Look for the church with the largest membership; (c) Accept our parents' religion without any question.

2. The complete and exact pattern for the church (the body) of Christ is: (a) Found in the creed-books of men; (b) Of little consequence since we can build the church to suit ourselves; (c) In the Word of God and must be followed precisely.

3. The body (the church) of the Lord is made up of: (a) All saved people in the world; (b) Rich people only; (c) Buddhists, Hindus and Moslems. (Ephesians 5:23; Acts 2:47)

4. According to Ephesians 2:16, a person: (a) Will go to Heaven whether or not that one is a Christian; (b) Can be reconciled to God in a man-made denomination; (c) Must be a member of the one church (body) of Christ to be reconciled to God.

TRUE OR FALSE (CIRCLE ONE)

True / False 1. If we follow the Divine blue-print we will be in a human denomination.

True / False 2. The one body of 1 Corinthians 12:20 is made up of members who are the individual Christians in the church (see verse 27).

True / False 3. The one body of 1 Corinthians 12:20 is made up of members who are the different religious denominations.

True / False 4. What the Head (Christ) authorizes, the body (church) can do.

True / False 5. What the Head does not authorize, the body cannot do with His approval.

True / False 6. I consider being a member of the body of Christ all-important in my life.

True / False 7. We can have peace with God in the “church of our choice” (Colossians 3:15).

True / False 8. Since the church is the FULNESS of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and since all spiritual blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3); Then a person must be in the one church in order to be saved (that is, to have the spiritual blessings).

How simple and precious is God's Truth when we throw away all of man's doctrines and take the obvious facts as they are made clear in the Bible! We hope you are glad you are taking this course. No doubt you have friends who would enjoy it also -- Tell them to send us their names and addresses, and we will be glad to mail Lesson One to them with no obligation. Thanks very much!

** LESSON TEN Will Be “The Organization Of The Church”

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