Ephesians is a book on the church. It shows that the church is not only the Body of Christ but also the one new man. Ephesians 2:15 says, “Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.” When the Lord was crucified, He abolished the law of the commandments in ordinances in His flesh so that the Jews and the Gentiles might be created in Himself into one new man. The ordinances in the Old Testament created a separation between the Jews, who were to be holy unto the Lord, and the Gentiles, who were considered unclean like pigs and dogs. These ordinances created enmity between the Jews and Gentiles, but Christ abolished the ordinances, which created the enmity, on the cross. By breaking down this middle wall of partition, the enmity (v. 14), He created the two in Himself into one new man. This new man is not an individual man, such as you or me, but rather a great corporate man. This new man is a great corporate man created by the Lord out of two peoples—Jews and Gentiles. In Himself Christ created the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man.
According to verse 16, He created the two in Himself so that He “might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it.” This shows that the new man is the church as the one Body of Christ. This new man is not merely an assembly or a body; the church is a man. What is the difference between a man and a body? Being a man is related to one’s person and personality, whereas a body is merely an organ that serves as a vessel. On the one hand, the church is a vessel; on the other hand, the church is a person with a personality.
Beginning with the Reformation and especially for the last two hundred years, many Christians have spoken of the church as a vessel. The book of Revelation reveals that the church is a lampstand to contain the Holy Spirit as oil (1:12, 20). As a golden lampstand, the church is a vessel to contain God so that God may express Himself through the church. The truth concerning the church as a vessel has been expounded clearly and thoroughly. This is the grace of God, and we have received much help from this light. Others also have seen that the church is the Body; this is higher than seeing that the church is a vessel. The lampstand depicts how the church contains God and expresses God, but this depiction does not touch the matter of life. The church as the Body implies life; hence, it is more advanced than the church being a vessel. However, even this understanding of the church does not touch the central goal of God. In recent years the Lord has shown us in the Bible that the church is not only a vessel or merely the Body but also the one new man.
Before we were saved, our spirit was an organ, but when we were saved, the Lord entered us to be our life. Now our spirit is no longer only an organ but a man, the inner man. An organ by itself is not a person, because it has no personality, but a man is a person because he has a personality. When we experience the power of Christ, our spirit is an organ. However, our spirit is not merely an organ but a man. Hence, we must experience the person of Christ in our regenerated spirit. Concerning this matter, we may have some doctrine or knowledge, but we lack experience.
The Bible says that Christ is the Head. In particular, He is the Head of the church. However, as the Head of the church, Christ does not act as we would imagine a king or a lord would act. Consider the relationship between our head and our body. Our head does not dictate directions to our body as if it were a king or lord. Instead, our head mainly takes care of the body and expresses itself through the body. Ephesians 5:29 says clearly that Christ loves the church and nourishes and cherishes her. When a wife subjects herself to her husband, she should take her husband as her person and subject herself to him in love (v. 24).
When I was in Shanghai, I was invited to a home. In all my contact with this family, the wife took her husband as her person. When I commented that the colors of her walls matched very nicely with the furnishings of the house, she replied, “Thank you, these colors are my husband’s preference.” Later when I asked her about the time for breakfast, she replied, “My husband likes to have breakfast at seven-thirty.” Her response to every question, whether it concerned the meetings she attended, the food she served, or the things she bought, was always related to her husband’s consideration. As a wife, this sister fully took her husband as her person. This does not mean that her husband was like a king, sitting on the throne and wielding power. It meant that this sister took her husband as her person completely. I know this sister quite well. She is very smart, capable, and thoughtful. However, when she goes to buy things, she does not buy according to her preferences; rather, she always takes her husband’s taste into consideration. If she decorated their home by herself, I believe that she could do it very well; however, she decorated only according to her husband’s taste. Her speaking always referenced her husband. Even though it is not easy for a person to reflect the tastes, preferences, feelings, and inclinations of someone else, this sister was willing to take her husband as her person.
It is rare to find a wife who does not love her husband or care for her husband. Nevertheless, it is equally rare to find a wife who cares for her husband not according to her own taste. If a wife were to care for her husband according to her husband’s taste rather than her own, she would be the best wife in the world. Husbands are often bothered by the “care” they receive from their wife, because this “care” is according to their wife’s taste. Such wives may regard their care as “candy,” but to the husbands, it has the taste of “hot peppers.” This occurs when a wife cares for her husband according to her own person, not according to her husband’s person. If a sister takes her husband instead of herself as her person, she will be a wonderful wife. The sister I have spoken of regards her husband in this way in every detail of her living.
Taking Christ as our person means that we must put our person aside and take Him as our person. This is more than letting Him be our Lord or our Head in only a few matters. Ephesians 3:17-18 says, “That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be full of strength to apprehend with all the saints what the breadth and length and height and depth are.” When Christ is our person, we will know His immeasurableness and enter into the love of Christ completely.