The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 35

that the body is subordinate to the head, though the subordin~tion 1s m its nature different in the threo cases mentioned. Christianity is not only Christ, but it is subjec- tion to him as Saviour, Lord, and Guide. III. THE CHUBOB AS THE BODY OF CHRIST. The Church thus rer1arded refers not to any one body of ChrisUans; for there is no denomination on earth that contains all the disciples of Christ, nor is there any denomination of which it can be said that all its members are disciples of Christ. It refers to the whole number of God's people, redeemed by the blood of Christ (eh. v. 25). The Ephesian Epistle sets forth the doc- trine of the Church in this sense. We never read in it of Churches, but of the Church. Th11 idea -is. that of one organic whole, represented under various images, borrowed at OJ:!e time from a temple, at another from a house, at another from the head with its different members, but it always signifies a union -of those united to Christ by faith, whether they belong to earth or heaven. The Church is here described as at once the body and the fulness of Christ. 1. The body of (Jhrist. The most impressive illustra- tion of the body is supplied by the same apostle in 1 Cor. xii. 12-27. He shows an analogy between the Church and the human body in important particulars. (1) As the.pody is one organic whole, because animated by one spirit, so the Church is one by virtue of the inaw!llling Spirit. It follows, therefore, that believers must be one in faith, love, and obedience.· But this union must have outward expression in the recog- nition of all Christians as such, ap._d in mutual helpfulness and harmony. (2) As the unity of the body admits ofa diversity of members and organs, the unity of the Church admits of a like diversity in gifts and offices. (3) As all the members of the body are mutually dependent, each existing for all, so members of the Church have beneficiary relations to each other for the purposes of edification or service. ( 4) It is God who has made the distinction among the members of the body; it is he who bestows spilitual gifts according to his good pleasure. Thus .the body exists with a community of con- ditio1;1, feeling, character; all the members bound up in one bundle of life, so united to Christ that all his relationships are theirs-his people their people, his Father their Father, his home. their- home. 2. The Church the /11,lness of Ghrist. As the body is not complete without the head, so the head is not complete without the body. The Lord Jesus Christ is not complete without his Church. How.can this be? He himself says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness;" but is his power not always perfect? It is declared to be perfect in our weakness. So the Uhurch serves as an empty vessel, into which the Saviour pours his me,d-iatorial fulness. Every fresh convert added to the Church adds to his fulness. His fulness is manifested by the variety of gifts and graces he bestows on his members, who are always growing up into him who is the Head (eh. iv. 16), growing to a stature, to a proportion, till we are filled with the fulness of God. This view of the Church suggests (1) that if we are vessels of mercy, we ..re empty vessels till the Lord fills us with his Spirit. (2) It suggests the high dignity of the Church. (3) It suggests the -rich love of God who gave Christ as the Head of the Church. (4) it suggests the absolute safety and ultimate triumph of all true believers.-T. C. Vem. 1, 2.-The sal14tation of the saints. In the present case Paul, without associat- ing any brethren with himself, proceeds to state his apostleship, aud to transmit his salutation to the saints at Ephesus. These saints had been gathered for the most part out of, paganism, and this will account for the introduction, as well ae many of the con- tents, of this magnificent Epistle .. · We note the following lessons as here suggested:- I. TBE APOSTLESHIP OF PA'O'L BAD BEEN BEOEIVED DIBEOTLY FBOH JESUS CHRIST. (Ver. 1.) The name" Paul" was the Roman counterpart of the Hebrew'' Saul," and its use in these superscriptions .to the Epistles was doubtless to .conciliate those Chris- tians who had once been heathe,11, 1 'l'his Paul, then, the man who had made the interests of the Gentile world a chief concern, declares that he had received his apostle- ship from Christ directly. He thus repudiated ony man-given or man-made apostleship. It is Jesus who alone could make an apostle, just as it is he alone who can make a minister. All that any Church ce.n do is to recognize a. God-given quali.fication. 1 I er. Ho.rleee; I Epheser-brief,' in loo.; also Monod's I Explication de l'Epltre ff Saint Paul o.ux Ephesians,' in loo. 1 er. homily on Gal. i. 1. S2 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [OH. I, 1-23,