CHAPTER TWO

THE GOD-MEN AND THE BODY OF CHRIST

Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:2-6, 11-16

OUTLINE

1. The God-men:
   1. The God-men as the children of God are the members of the Body of Christ-Rom. 12:5.
   2. The God-men as the new man are for the building up of the Body of Christ-Eph. 4:12.
   3. The God-men as the stewards (Luke 12:42; Col. 1:25) struggle for the growth and maturity of the Body of Christ-Col. 1:28-29:
      1. Until it becomes a full-grown man with the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ-Eph. 4:13.
      2. No longer any of its members remain as little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of divisive teaching-Eph. 4:14.
   4. The God-men as the myriads of the multiplied reproduction of the Triune God consummate the Body of Christ as His increase (John 3:30) and fullness (Eph. 1:23) to be the corporate enlargement and fullness as the expression of the processed and consummated Triune God (Eph. 3:19).
2. The Body of Christ:
   1. The church of God (1 Cor. 10:32) as the manifestation of God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:15-16) is organically the Body of Christ-Eph. 1:22-23.
   2. A divine and human constitution constituted with:
      1. The regenerated and transformed believers as its outward, visible frame-its members-Eph. 5:30.
      2. The processed and consummated Triune God as its inward, invisible content:
         1. God the Father, who is over all, through all, and in all, triune in Himself, as the source of all.
         2. God the Son, who is the Lord, as its element.
         3. God the Spirit as its essence-Eph. 4:4-6.
   3. A mystical and spiritual Body built up by:
      1. Its particularly gifted members as apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers, the joints of the rich supply-Eph. 4:11-12, 16.
      2. Its each one part operating according to its measure-Eph. 4:16.
   4. The organism of the Triune God consummated by:
      1. The growing in the divine life of all the members of the Body of Christ into Christ, the Head-Eph. 4:15.
      2. Its building up of itself in love-Eph. 4:16.
   5. The keeping of the oneness of such a Body-Eph. 4:2-3:
      1. The unique oneness of the Spirit.
      2. Kept diligently:
         1. With all lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering.
         2. Bearing one another in love.
         3. In the uniting bond of peace.