Where is Christ now in relation to his body, the church?
Christ is now the head of the body, the church, positioned in heaven, while believers remain His body on the earth. Scripture teaches that He is the head of this body composed of many members, and the Holy Spirit places each believer into it upon believing the gospel.
Les explains that Paul uses the human body as an example in 1 Corinthians 12. Just as the human body is one yet has many members, all members form one body. So also is Christ: He is the head of the body, composed of many members. Les notes that some ridicule the idea of an invisible body of Christ, but Scripture teaches it, especially in Paul's writing. Believers become members of the body of Christ, of which He is the head in heaven, while we are the body still here on the earth. How did we become members? Not by signing up or being baptized by a preacher, but first by believing the gospel, and the Holy Spirit automatically places us into that organism the moment we believe, as verse 13 says: "For by one Spirit."
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 Christ.
More Questions
Is the invisible body of Christ something to ridicule, or is it a scriptural teaching?
The body of Christ is not a merely invisible entity to be ridiculed; Scripture, especially Paul's writings, teaches that believers become members of the body of Christ.
How is the Body of Christ like a human body?
In the body analogy, a human body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ, referring to the Body of Christ.
Where is the control of the members of the body, and how does that picture the Body of Christ?
Control of all the members of the physical body (fingers, toes, eyes, ears) is located in the head, and so also in the Body of Christ the members are under the Head.
What is the Body of Christ and who makes it up?
The Body of Christ is invisible from the human element and is made up of all the believers who have been baptized into that Body of Christ.