The church is also “the fullness of the One Who fills all in all” (v. 23). This is hard to explain. Suppose we compare two brothers. One is much heavier than the other. The heavier one is fuller than the smaller one. The church is the fullness of Christ (4:13). Because this Christ is so vast that He fills all in all, He needs a great, universal Body. This Body is His fullness, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. Consider how great the Body of Christ is. It is spread throughout the earth. It can be found in Europe, in North America, in the Far East, in Australasia, in Africa, and in South America. How vast is this Body!
In 1958 I was staying in London, England. One day a brother there took me to a huge greenhouse to show me the queen’s grapevine. That vine filled the whole greenhouse. “Brother Lee,” the brother asked, “have you ever seen such a great grapevine?” He was proud of that vine belonging to the British queen.
“Yes,” I replied, “I have seen a far greater one than this!” I reminded him of the vine in John 15, where the Lord Jesus said He was the true vine and the believers were the branches.
Can you tell me how great this vine is? The queen’s vine is insignificant compared to it. The vine in John 15 is universally great. The whole universe is its greenhouse. What fullness!
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He was in only one place at a time. If He was in Samaria, He was not in Galilee. When He was in Bethlehem, He was not in Jerusalem. He was limited in time and in space. After His resurrection, however, all the limitations were done away. Now Christ is the vine which has spread to every corner of the earth. Even while He is here in Germany, He is also in Japan and Africa and everywhere else.
What is the fullness of Christ? It is the church. Sometimes someone will ask me, “Where is your church?” It is hard for me to answer! I want to say that my church is universally great. Does that sound like boasting? Do you realize how great the church is to us in the recovery? This church began in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost and is now spreading throughout the whole earth. This church is the fullness of the One who fills all things (Eph. 4:10).
The church is also the new man (Eph. 2:15; 4:24; Col. 3:10). There is a sense in which the whole human race is just one man. All the different peoples on earth comprise this one man, who in the Scripture is called the old man or Adam. God at the beginning did not create two men, but only Adam. This one man was mankind. In Genesis 1:26-27 the whole human race was created.
But on the cross, through Christ and in Him, God created another man, a new man! This man is also corporate; we are included in him. Adam was the old man; Christ with the church is the new man. This new man is not only Christ, but also the church. Christ is the Head of this universal man; the church is His Body.
As the body exists for the expression of the head, so the church as the Body of Christ is Christ’s expression. As man exists for the expression of God, so the church as the new man is God’s expression. The whole church is a corporate yet single man. There are many local churches all over Europe, yet altogether they are only one man. Throughout the earth today, this one universal man expresses God. As the Body, the church expresses Christ. As the new man, the church expresses God.
The modern conveniences available to us in the second half of the twentieth century have greatly facilitated the spread of the recovery. Saints from many nationalities can come together, correspond, and even converse by phone. Just recently in one afternoon I received phone calls from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Texas, all within the space of about twenty minutes. What a help these conveniences are for the new man! Even the messages given here are videotaped and can then be quickly sent out to all five continents; soon they will be seen in South America, Africa, Australasia, the Far East, and North America. Even one hundred years ago it took six months for a missionary to travel from the United States to China; some of them died soon after they arrived. Nowadays it is possible to be in Peking, China, within twenty-four hours and then to be back home within another twenty-four hours. How we praise the Lord for His sovereign rulership! He has arranged all these things for the good of the new man!
How wonderful that the church is a man and, at the same time, a bride (Eph. 5:23-27, 29-32)! Are we male or female?
For expressing God, we must be male. Sisters, I want to speak to you about your tears. As members of the new man, do not consider yourself female. Do not shed tears! They are a sign of the weaker vessel. In all these twenty or so years since I came to the western world for the ministry, I have never shed a tear. This is because I am a man. Sisters, you must no longer be characterized by tears! You are members of the new man. From now on, no more tears!
When it comes to loving Christ, however, the church is the bride. In this sense, all the brothers are also female and should not act as men. Day by day we are the bride, loving Christ.
Here, then, is our twofold role. As the man, we daily tell God, “Father, we are the man, expressing You on the earth.” As the bride, we then turn to the Lord Jesus and say, “Lord, we want You to know that we love You. We are Your bride.” The man’s position is a matter of expression. The woman’s is a matter of love.
If you consider the first couple, you will remember that God did not create Eve. Eve was made from a rib of Adam. God built a wife for Adam from that bone. She was part of him. The church is likewise part of Christ. The two are one in nature, in life, and in existence. The church is not independent. Eve came from Adam and went back to him; they two became one flesh (Gen. 2:21-24). The church and Christ are one spirit. The church came out from Christ and goes back to Him. This relationship is one of love. Love issues in genuine oneness. If two cannot be one, it is due to a lack of love. The church and Christ are genuinely one, one spirit. This oneness is the expression of their love. The church, then, is Christ’s loving bride.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship.” The Greek word for workmanship, poiema, can also be translated masterpiece or poem. It conveys the thought of a piece of work that expresses its maker or author. The church is a poem! In the whole universe the church stands out as an expression of God’s wisdom; its design cannot be improved upon. It is like pleasant music or a lovely poem. What a matchless display of divine wisdom! Who can improve on this supreme handiwork of God!
When it comes to the way a building is designed, there can always be changes and improvements made. An architect often modifies his designs, as he becomes aware of their shortcomings. But what God designs has no room for improvement. Man cannot imitate it. Any adjustment would be for the worse. Consider the way the human body was designed. What a work of art the facial pattern alone is! The placement of our two eyes, our two ears, our nose, and our lips makes a beautiful appearance. Our body with two shoulders, two lovely hands, and so forth, is worthy of admiration. The church is a far greater, more magnificent design than the human body! The church is a poem declaring and demonstrating God’s wisdom and design.
Through Paul’s writings we know that the church is the mystery of Christ, the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all, the new man expressing God, the bride of Christ loving Him and being one with Him, and a poem expressing God’s wisdom and God’s design. How rich is our understanding of the church because of Paul’s completing ministry!