Ephesians 1:22-23 ESV And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2:20-22 ESV built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Paul uses three different metaphors for the church in the book of Ephesians (the Body of Christ, the Building/temple of God, and the Bride of Christ). He uses two here in just the first few chapters. He is demonstrating who the church is and how it relates to the Lord.
In the first metaphor the church is the body of Christ. This understanding is fleshed out further some of Paul’s other writings. They key takeaway is that the head of the church/ body of Christ is Christ himself. The whole church answers to Jesus Christ as the head.
The second metaphor relates the church as a living building/temple. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. The cornerstone was the most important stone in the building. Every other stone would line up in relation to the cornerstone.
The point of both of these metaphors is that Jesus Christ is a big deal. The church exist by him and for him. We all line up together according to His purpose and will. We are united in our relationship to Him.
If we aren’t careful we’ll get off track. We’ll anticipate that the church is something else entirely. We need to be reminded that Jesus, not the pastor, not the deacons, not the Sunday school teachers, is the head of the church. It’s not my church or your church as much as we are His church.
Father, thank you for the grace of one another day. Thank you for your church and how you use us to minister to one another. Thank you that we don’t line up to each other, but that we all line up to you. Show us what You would have us to do today. May we all be humbly submitted before you this day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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