Believers are unified in the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit's baptism into one spiritual body, according to Paul's teaching.
Believers are not unified by geography, nationality, or denominational affiliation. According to Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into one Body, the Body of Christ. Les Feldick emphasizes that this oneness makes believers feel at home with other believers anywhere in the world, and that every believer is connected to the Head.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 — Paul directly answers the question by comparing the Body of Christ to a human body with many members, then explaining that by one Spirit all believers are baptized into that one body.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the human body to explain the unity of believers in Christ. Verse 12 says, "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." The human body is one, yet it has many members, and all those members belong to one body. Verse 13 explains how believers enter that one body: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." This shows that every believer, regardless of background, is placed into the same Body by the same Spirit. The church is not a local or national institution; it is one spiritual Body made up of many members.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Body of Christ is a distinctly Pauline revelation. He points out that neither Jesus nor the Twelve used the term, and that it appears only as Paul begins to proclaim the Gospel of Grace after Israel rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom (Clip 0, Clip 2, Clip 6). Through that Gospel of Grace, God is not calling out a covenant people such as Israel but is calling out the Body of Christ (Clip 0). Les teaches that this Body is made up of every believer, not just an elite or spiritual few. By one Spirit, all believers—regardless of color, denominational handle, or location—are placed into one Body (Clips 2, 3, 4, 5). He uses Paul's human body illustration: fingers, toes, eyes, and ears are all different members, but they form one Body. In the same way, believers from Timbuktu, Haiti, China, and all around the world are one in Christ (Clips 1, 2, 7). Wherever a believer goes, the oneness in Christ means they are never a stranger (Clip 1). Les also highlights that this unity does not erase the distinctness of the members. The human body has many different organs and functions, yet they all operate under one center of operation; every believer is connected to the Head (Clips 4, 6, 7). He stresses that the Spirit's work of placing someone into the Body is an act of God that the believer never felt; it is known only because the Book says it happened (Clip 5).
Paul's illustration in 1 Corinthians 12 compares the human body—with its fingers, toes, eyes, ears, arms, and legs—to Christ's Body. These are all different members, but they do not make up twenty bodies; they are all part and parcel of one Body (Clip 2). The human body functions as one unit even though it has many members; so also is Christ (Clips 3, 6, 7). This means believers are many, yet they all belong to the one Body (Clips 1, 2).
Les Feldick explains that the Body of Christ is a Pauline term. Jesus and the Twelve never used it. After Israel rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom and the King was crucified, God turned to Saul of Tarsus to proclaim the Gospel of Grace. Through that message, God is calling out the Body of Christ instead of calling out a covenant people such as Israel (Clip 0). Paul alone develops this teaching; it is not found in the Gospels (Clips 2, 6).
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that by one Spirit all believers are baptized into one body. Les Feldick stresses that this includes every believer, not just a chosen few or the most spiritual (Clips 3, 4, 5). This is an act of God without outward manifestation; a believer did not feel it happen, but knows it happened because the Book says so (Clip 5). Being placed into the Body connects every believer to the Head, just as the human body's members operate under one center of operation (Clips 4, 7).
Paul's Unique Ministry and the Body of Christ
Les shows that after Israel rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom, God turned to Paul with the Gospel of Grace; through that message God calls out the Body of Christ rather than a covenant people like Israel, and neither Jesus nor the Twelve used the term.
Oneness of Believers Across the World
Les explains that the Body is a compilation of many into one whole; believers visiting fellowships anywhere in the world—Timbuktu, Haiti, China—are never strangers because of oneness in Christ.
Pauline Revelation and the Human Body Illustration
Les contrasts Paul's Body of Christ teaching with the Gospels and uses the human body—fingers, toes, eyes, ears—to show that many members belong to one body.
All Believers Placed into One Body
Les reads 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and emphasizes that all believers, not a spiritual elite, are baptized by one Spirit into the body of Christ.
Every Believer Connected to the Head
Les shows that every believer is connected to the Head just as the human body's members are controlled by the mind; the body of Christ is one body under that head.
The Unseen Spirit Baptism
Les explains that being placed into the body is an act of God that believers never felt and had no outside manifestation; we know it only because Scripture says so.
Diversity Within the One Body
Les emphasizes that the Body of Christ includes rich and poor, black and white, from all over the world, all operating as one body with many members; only Paul used this term.
Human Body as a Type of the Body
Les uses the human body's many organs operating under one center in the mind as a type of the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12: 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.
This verse introduces Paul's comparison of the human body to Christ, establishing that many members make one Body.
1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
This verse explains how believers are unified: by one Spirit, all are placed into the one Body.
No. Les Feldick points out that neither Jesus nor the Twelve used the term. It is a Pauline revelation that appears after God turned to Paul with the Gospel of Grace.
All believers are part of it. Les emphasizes that 1 Corinthians 12:13 says by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, and he clarifies that this means every believer, not just the most spiritual or a chosen few.
No. Les teaches that believers from Timbuktu, Haiti, China, and wherever they meet are one in Christ. Whether rich or poor, black or white, from all around the world, they are all part of the same body.
Paul uses the human body as an illustration: it has many members—fingers, toes, eyes, ears—but it is one body. In the same way, the Body of Christ has many members, yet it is one body, with every believer connected to the Head.
Watch the Teaching: Why Only Paul Uses the Term 'Body of Christ' — Bible Study