The Baptist Examiner Forum: pt. 4
April 22, 1978
Question:
"How do you explain 'one body' in Ephesians 4:4, if it is not a universal body?"
Answer:
There is a consensus among students of ecclesiology regarding the metaphorical term "body" used in this text. All agree it is a reference to the Lord's church. The parting of the way comes when the question is posed, what kind of church does the term refer to? The Romanist answers with great pride, "The universal Catholic Church is the church referred to by the term 'body' in this text." Catholics believe the church is a world-wide organism under the human headship of the pope at Rome. This concept of the church is refuted simply by the Greek word "ekklesia" which in original usage meant, a called out assembly. It is this designation (Ekklesia) the Lord used in reference to His church (Matthew 16:18;18:17). The term "Universal Church" is a misnomer, for such a church can never assemble, Therefore, the Roman Catholic concept of the church is erroneous.
The Universal Invisible Church theorist is not long in answering the question, what kind of a church does the term "body" in Ephesians 4:4 refer too? With a feeling of certitude, he replies, "It refers to the true church, the Universal Invisible church." To be consistent with this answer the proponent must deny the existence of the local church, for whatever Paul refers to with the term "body" we know it is "one".
Adherents of the Universal Invisible church theory have two kinds of churches: One which they call the true church, the universal invisible church which includes all believers, and a local visible church which is constituted of a fragment of the believing aggregate. When one of two things is referred too as true, by inference the other is denied genuineness thus it is, the universal invisible church theorist, by his doctrine which calls for two kinds of churches places himself outside of the Lord's church. The Lord's body, in the ecclesiastical sense is not anything, more or less than a local visible true church. The Lord's churches are chaste and virtuous " (II Corinthians 11:2), and shall enter glory in "fine linen clean and white" (Revelation 19:8).
If the one "body" of the text can be dualized, then the other six elements which constitute the foundation of church unity may also be dualized. The impossibility of which is seen when one considers such an interpretation has Paul saying, "There are two bodies, two Spirits, two hopes, two Lords, two faiths, two baptisms, and two Gods." Such an interpretation would be ludicrous, if not so ridiculous.
The one "body" in the text does not mean one in number but one in kind, the same as one "baptism" means one in kind. Paul, in writing to the church at Corinth, says, "Now ye are the body of Christ ..." (I Corinthians 12:27). Now we know every saved person on the earth at the time was not in the church at Corinth. Yet Paul says to the Corinthian church "Ye are the body of Christ." In admonishing the church at Corinth Paul says, "There should be no schism in the body ..." (I Corinthians 12:25). They are not only an infinite number of schisms and divisions in the so called universal Invisible church, but many of their differences are of such nature that they are irreconcilable apart from the abandonment of all reasoning.
It is the devil's delight to take those who are wise in their own conceit, having turned their ears from the truth and are feasting on fables and use them in building his ecumenical church. They are victims of that vain philosophy which says, "Nothing is either black or white, everything is a beautiful shade of gray." So they conclude that their dissimilarities are only imaginary, and the ecumenical architect realizes his diabolical designs. The last word or the bottom line concerning the ecumenical harlot is; "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will" (Revelation 17:16-17).
