Where is the doctrine of the Body of Christ brought to its fullest?
The doctrine of the Body of Christ is brought to its fullest forte in the present epistles. Paul develops it especially in Ephesians and his other present epistles, while 1 Corinthians introduces it. The gifts listed in Corinthians are left in the background as the greater gifts are brought out.
Les explains that even though the Body of Christ as a doctrine is brought to its fullest forte in the present epistles, Paul was not ignorant of it, because he introduces it in 1 Corinthians 12. There, Scripture gives the description of the Body of Christ: every true believer is a member. Les notes that Jesus never once mentioned the Body of Christ. He also contrasts the gifts in Corinthians with Ephesians, saying the earlier gifts are left in the background like a 3rd and 4th grade arithmetic book when one has moved on to higher mathematics.