Are all believers baptized into one body, or only a chosen few?
Every believer is baptized into one body, not merely a chosen few. The body is the body of Christ, and every believer is connected to the Head. This union gives each believer their position in Christ, making them intrinsic members of His body rather than sheep under a shepherd.
Les explains that the next word is all, meaning not just the chosen few but every believer. All are baptized into one body, and that body is the body of Christ, which is like the human body. Every believer is connected to the Head, and this gives each believer their position in Christ. Les points out that Paul never uses the sheep-and-shepherd image for church-age believers. Being an intrinsic member of the body connected to the Head is far greater than being a sheep under a shepherd. Believers are part and parcel of the Head and the body, a truth Paul especially develops in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians as a higher plane of Christian experience.
Does 'all' in the verse about being baptized into one body mean every believer or only a chosen few?
In this context, “all” means every believer, not a chosen few. The text states all are baptized into one body, the body of Christ, and every believer is connected to the Head. So the term is inclusive of all church-age believers, not limited to an elite group.
What is the 'one body' that believers are baptized into?
Believers are baptized into the body of Christ. This body is pictured like the human body, with every believer connected to the Head, and it gives them their position in Christ. All believers, not just a chosen few, share this union; it is an intrinsic membership, not merely sheep under a shepherd.
More Questions
What is the 'one body' into which believers are baptized?
The 'one body' into which believers are baptized is the body of Christ, which is like the human body.