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NASB | Matthew 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:18 "And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. [Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col 1:18] |
Bible Question:
Dear Lifer1J511, I agree that each of us, individually, is in Christ. We are each members of His body, the church. However, I was asking if we, corporately, are the 'built' church? Jesus said 2000 years ago that He would build His church, and I fail to see an organism, only many may cellular organizations, each with their own agenda. I desire to witness an organism, an entity that portrays the body of Christ. Are 'we' there, yet? In Jesus' name, charis |
Bible Answer: Dear Charis, In my younger days, I, too, saw so many different different denominations and 'cellular organization' and wondered which one was the 'TRUE' church. I also desired to witness an organism, an entity that portrays the body of Christ. But, my friend, I have never found one. But I have found, in my travels, many people that I could see Christ living through. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure that it is God's design to 'witness an organism' as such. That would not require any faith. We are the body of Christ. Collectively, we make up His body here on earth. But you can't look to any one group or organization and say, "Ahah! There He is!" Why? Because being part of the body of Christ is an INDIVIDUAL choice. It is not done through organizational membership. Permit me to give you an illustration from scripture. On the night in which Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples that He (physically) was going to go away. And He said that it was a good thing. He gave them a great illustration of what would happen to His body. He took a loaf of bread (which, obviously, they could see) and said, (paraphrased) "This represents My body. It is whole right now. Visibly one loaf." Then He broke it, symbolizing the crucifixion. Then He distributed His 'broken body' to the disciples and told them to eat it. After they had done so, where was His 'body?' Well, the broken bread was in each of the disciples. The loaf (His body as a visible whole) was no longer visible. It was now no longer an external, visible entity. It was now an invisible 'bread of life' inside His disciples. And this event happened at Pentecost. Christ then came to indwell His followers. Though we may desire to witness a whole, visible manifestation of Christ body, I don't believe that that is what God has ordained. If we could 'see' it, then it would be limited to time and space. Instead, His body has been 'being built' down through time since creation (old testament saints have become part of it, too) from all parts of the world. And it will be numerically complete at some point in the future when Christ returns and the remnant recognize Him as Messiah. I know that this is not the answer you are looking for. This forum has a wealth of scriptural knowledge available to it. But this is my answer. Would anyone else care to comment? In Him, Lifer |