1. “Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. And Jehovah God built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman and brought her to the man” (Gen. 2:21-22).
Ephesians 5 shows that Eve being produced from Adam is a type of the church being produced from Christ. Adam is a type of Christ, and Eve is a type of the church. Just as it was not good for Adam to be alone, it is not good for Christ to be without the church. Just as Adam could not find a counterpart from among all the birds, beasts, and animals, Christ could not find a counterpart among all creation. Just as God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs to build Eve as his counterpart, God caused Christ to die and pierced His side to release His resurrection life to build the church as His counterpart (John 19:34). Just as Eve was presented to Adam when he awoke from his sleep, the church was presented to Christ when He resurrected from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3). Just as Adam considered Eve to be bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, being a part of himself and being joined to her as one flesh, Christ considers the church as bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh, being a part of Himself and being joined to her as one Body. The church is produced through Christ’s death and resurrection, which released His resurrection life. The church comes out from Christ as a part of Christ so that she can match Him and be one with Him.
2. A “pearl” (Matt. 13:46).
In the Lord’s eyes the church is a pearl. Pearls are produced when an oyster is wounded by sand in the sea. The church was produced when Christ was wounded by sinners in the world. Thus, the church was produced by Christ being wounded and by Christ releasing His resurrection life through His resurrection from the dead. Following His death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit brings people to touch the death wounds Christ received on the cross and then imparts Christ’s resurrection life so that they will be regenerated to become the pearl, the church, that Christ treasures and loves.
1. “I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18).
The first time that the Lord referred directly to the church is in Matthew 16:18. Although this is the beginning of His speaking concerning the church, it is not the beginning of the church. In verse 18 the Lord said that He would build His church, not that He had started to build it. Thus, He was prophesying concerning the future building of the church.
In Matthew 18:17 the Lord spoke of the church for the second and last time in the Gospels. His word shows that the prophecy concerning the church in chapter 16 would shortly become a reality, because He told the disciples that they would be able to bring matters to the church.
2. “The Lord added together day by day those who were being saved”; “Great fear came upon the whole church” (Acts 2:47; 5:11).
These verses refer to the time of Pentecost. When Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit descended and the church was established. Then the Lord added together day by day those who were being saved. The Holy Spirit later called all those who believed in the Lord and were saved “the whole church” in a collective sense (v. 11). This proves that the church began when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost.
Even though Christ was on the earth, He had to pass through death, resurrection, and ascension, and then descend as the Spirit in order to produce the church. Without Christ’s incarnation, there could be no church. Without His death on the cross, there could be no church. And without the descension of the Holy Spirit, there could be no church. The church was produced in reality by Christ’s passing through death and resurrection to become the Spirit, and the church began in practicality when the Spirit descended on Pentecost. Today the principle is still the same; that is, the reality and practicality of the church depend upon Christ, the cross, and the Spirit. These three elements are essential to the existence of the church. If we want to know the church, we must know Christ, the cross, and the Spirit.
1. “I will build” (Matt. 16:18).
This verse shows that the church is established by the Lord Himself. On the surface it appears as if the believers establish the church, but actually the Lord is building the church in and through the believers. The church is built and established by the Lord as the Spirit moves in people. If the Lord does not move within believers to cause them to build, whatever comes out of their work will not be the church.
The Lord spoke of the church in Matthew 16 and showed that the church is not only out of Him and built upon Him but also built and established by Him. He is the source and foundation of the church. He is also the Builder of the church. The church is built by Himself upon Himself. Man cannot build the church. Anything man can build is not the church. Man can build a house, and man can establish a club, but man cannot build and establish the church. Only Christ is the source and foundation of the church, and only Christ can build and establish the church. Christ must initiate and move within man to cause him to build and establish the church. In the matter of building and establishing the church, man can only “second” the Lord’s motion, agree with the Lord, and follow the Lord. Man cannot initiate or take the lead in building. Initiating something and taking the lead are matters for the Head, Christ. He is the Director of the building; we are only His servants and co-laborers.
2. “The Lord added together day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
The church is built with those who are saved, but the One who adds those who are being saved to the church is the Lord, not man. Outwardly, it appears as if we are testifying for the Lord and preaching the gospel to cause people to be saved, but the actual work of salvation can be done only by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Only the Lord Himself can save people. Therefore, He is the One who adds those who are being saved to the church. He builds the church with those He saves.
3. “God has blended” (1 Cor. 12:24).
First Corinthians 12:12-13 speaks of the church as the one Body, and verses 14 through 23 illustrate this in the context of the human body. Then verse 24 speaks of God blending the body. Just as our bodies have been blended by God, so also the church, the Body, has been blended by God. Today a person can build a machine, but no one can build a human body. Similarly, no one can build the church, the Body. This work belongs to God exclusively; no one can take His place. The most that we can build is a community, not the church. Only God can produce the church, and only God can blend the church together.
4. “God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9; see also Eph. 2:22; 1 Pet. 2:5).
Christ’s building of the church is God’s building of the church. The church is a living house built with living stones, just as a body is a living organism composed of living members. No man can do this building work. Even the apostles were merely workers used by God. The building of the church is accomplished by God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Triune God alone is the Builder of the church. The church is built and established by Him. If we would know the church, we must know that only God can build and establish it. With respect to this matter, we must be dealt with and give God His full rightful position.