14 - CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE CHURCH NAMES OF CHRIST

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock 1 will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat 16:18).

Several names of Christ focus upon His unique relationship to the church. The church is described with many metaphors - such as, the body, a flock of sheep, a bride, a temple or building, and a garden or vineyard. In this connection, Jesus is the Head of the Body, the Shepherd of the Sheep, the Bridegroom of the Bride, the Cornerstone and Master Builder of the Building, and the Vine which gives life to the branches. THE HEAD OF THE BODY

One of the common images of the church, particularly in the epistles of Paul, is the body of Christ. The word “body” is the key word in 1Co 12:1-31, where the apostle sought to resolve problems at Corinth concerning spiritual gifts. The theme of the Epistle to the Ephesians is the church as the body of Christ (Eph 5:23). In the Epistle to the Colossians, probably written at the same time as the Ephesian epistle, Paul’s theme is Christ as the Head of the Body (Col 1:18). The “body” is the best known and most used symbol of the church in Scripture. When Paul called Christ “the head of the body,” he emphasized the authority of Christ in and over His church. It was a reminder of the distinctiveness and supremacy of Jesus. To comprehend this name more fully, we must understand how the apostle used the word “body” to describe the church. The Greek word soma is used in several ways in the New Testament. On many occasions it refers to the physical body (cf. Rom 1:24; 1Co 5:3; Gal 6:17; 1Th 5:23), but Paul also uses this word to identify the total personality of a man, not just his physical being (cf. Rom 12:1; 1Co 13:3, 1Co 9:27; Php 1:20). It is interesting to note that Paul never uses this word to describe a dead body as is common in Classical Greek and the Septuagint.

Within this context, the church is a living organism, the body of Christ. She has a personality and identity which is intimately related to Christ her head. She is a living entity indwelt by Christ Himself. Although we must be careful not to make the church more authoritative than the Scriptures (as is common in Catholic traditions), it is important that we recognize the living reality of the church as the body of Christ.

If the church is the body, Christ Himself is the head (Col 1:18; Col 2:19; Eph 1:22-23; Eph 4:15; Eph 5:23). As the head is the determinative center of one’s physical being, so Christ is authoritative in the church. He does not build His church independent of His body but directs and controls the actions of every muscle, organ, and nerve so as to accomplish His will. Part of the mystery of this name is that Christ, who is in His nature and attributes omnipotent, should voluntarily choose to limit Himself to working through human beings who, although they are members of His body, retain an independent will by which they can and too often do refuse the directives of the head. That Christ is called “the head of the body” implies several truths concerning His relationship to the church. First, it means His purposes cannot be frustrated; He holds ultimate control. Even if one part of the body is rebellious and does not respond to His directives, another will respond. Secondly, it suggests that no individual member within that body can be the organic head of it. Attempts to do so will be frustrated, as in the case of Diotrephes, “who loveth to have the preeminence among them” (3Jn 1:9). The place of preeminence in the church belongs to Jesus alone. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Col 1:18). The practical implication of this title of Christ relates to our submission to Jesus as the head of the body. He demands our obedience to His will and reverential worship of His Person. Anything less falls short of a personal acknowledgment of Jesus as the Head of the Body. THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP

Scripture often refers to the church as the flock of God, and so it is not surprising that the Lord should bear the title “Shepherd.” When He sees the multitudes of people, He sees them “scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Mat 9:36). He was the Good Shepherd in His death (John 10:11; Psa 22:1-31), the Great Shepherd in His resurrection (Heb 13:20; Psa 23:1-6) and will be the Chief Shepherd in His return to this earth (1Pe 5:4; Psa 24:1-10). Unlike the hireling whose primary concern is himself, Jesus cares for His sheep. He has entrusted the care of parts of His flock to others called “pastors,” or more literally, “shepherds.” Jesus the shepherd is the model for pastors in caring for the flock. The title “shepherd” was also one of the Jehovistic names of Jesus in the Gospel of John. THE BRIDEGROOM OF THE BRIDE When John the Baptist became the first to call Jesus “the bridegroom” (John 3:29), the term was already rich in meaning. The Old Testament frequently portrayed Israel as the wife of the Lord (Isa 54:6; Jer 31:32; Hos 2:1-23). As John on that occasion noted, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29). This title was to have special significance in the New Testament, not for Israel as the wife of God but, rather, for the church, which is the bride of Christ. The relation between the bride and Bridegroom is most fully taught in a passage in which the Apostle Paul addresses several principles of family living (Eph 5:25-27). These verses emphasize that Christ loved the church, gave Himself for it, purposes to sanctify and cleanse it by the Word of God, and promises to take it to Himself as a perfected bride. This work of Christ began in eternity past when He determined to die for her because of his love for her and will be consummated in the new Jerusalem when we shall with John see “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2). The image of the bride and Bridegroom serves to emphasize the need for qualitative or spiritual church growth-that is, growth in our love for Christ. The church was “espoused” to Christ by the apostles (2Co 11:2) and should grow closer to Christ during the “engagement period” of this present age. Unfortunately, the history of the professing church suggests she has been as unfaithful to her Groom as Israel was to her Husband. THE CORNERSTONE AND FOUNDATION OF THE BUILDING

Jesus is called “a stone” or “rock” in three different senses in the Scripture. To Israel He is a “stumbling” stone or “a rock of offence” (Isa 8:14-15; Rom 9:32-33; 1Co 1:23; 1Pe 2:8). To the world He is the smiting stone, which will destroy the antichrist kingdoms of the world (Dan 2:34). But to the church, “the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner” (1Pe 2:7). Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, which He is presently building.

Some of the significance of this title has been lost to the average Christian today because of changes in architectural design in the centuries since this title was first applied to Christ. The Greek word lithos was used of ordinary field stones that were found on the ground. It was common in the construction of first-century buildings to lean the building into itself. This meant that one part of the structure would have a greater amount of pressure on it than the rest of the structure. Over the years, the materials used in this area would wear faster. To compensate for this, builders sought for a hard field stone upon which the structure would rest. It became known as the cornerstone and was the one part of the building on which the rest of the structure depended absolutely. When the apostles called Jesus “the cornerstone,” they were not thinking of the decorative marble slab affixed to a completed building but, rather, to the foundational rock upon which the building would depend for its stability and strength. In the “temple of God,” the church, Jesus is the “head of the corner,” which gives both strength and stability to the spiritual temple of believers who are also likened to the stones with which the rest of building is constructed (1Pe 2:5). THE TRUE VINE AND THE BRANCHES In the Old Testament, God often used the image of a vine or vineyard to describe the nation Israel (Psa 80:8; Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21; Eze 15:1-8; Eze 19:10; Hos 10:1), but always the image was that of an unkempt vineyard which had gone wild. Jesus called Himself, in contrast, the true vine and identified His disciples as the branches of that vine (John 15:1-8). This is perhaps the most intimate of images used in Scripture to describe the oneness of Christ and believers. Jesus is not the stem from which the branches grow but the vine, which is the total life of the branches. The image of a vine is better suited than that of a tree, for the vine and branches grow into one another so that it is difficult to distinguish the vine from the branches. That ought also to be true of the relationship of the believer to His Lord. This title, “the Vine,” is the seventh of the Jehovistic titles of Jesus in the Gospel of John, and further aspects of this title are discussed elsewhere in this book. The practical application of this title to the church relates to our oneness with Christ, the nature of spiritual growth, our responsibility to bear fruit consistently, and the need for occasional pruning.

Because Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, we can accomplish nothing apart from Him. He is the supplier and sustainer of the very life of the believer, and the Christian life is lived by faith in Christ (cf. Gal 2:20). As He lives His life through us, we will bear fruit. This fruit will consist of both converts to Christ, whom we will be instrumental in reaching; and the character of Christ, which the Apostle Paul describes as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Our primary responsibility relevant to this name of Christ is that of abiding in Him. From time to time in our Christian lives, we encounter difficult and trying circumstances. Many times they are of the sort which cause us to seek spiritual reasons as to the cause. Many Christians mistakenly conclude at such times that problems in the Christian life are always caused by sin, and even though they may be right with God, they are convinced they have committed some sin which they must have forgotten about. What they fail to realize, however, is that some troubles in the Christian life are the result of our faithfulness. One of the forgotten promises of Christ is that He will reward fruitfulness with pruning that we “may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:2). By using a different metaphor, Job expressed this same hope in the midst of his trial: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

CONCLUSION The above titles of the Lord are significant, for they reveal who He is in relation to His people. This emphasis is so common in Scripture as to be taken for granted too often by Christians. In most religious systems, the deity of that religion is to be feared, served, and sacrificed to. But the Lord delights not in keeping His distance from but in developing a greater intimacy with His people.

Although Jesus does relate individually to His disciples, it is interesting that many of His names should relate to the church. During the sixties, the mood of America was largely anti- institutional, and many Christians were infected with this spirit and rejected the church. Things have changed to some degree since then, but many Christians are still somewhat anti-church. Remember that Jesus loves the church and gave Himself for her and has great plans for her in the days to come. Christians who voluntarily divorce themselves from the church and fail to belong to, support, and pray for their local, Bible-believing church are placing themselves in a position in which they can hardly experience the rich reality of the church names of Jesus. For Discussion:

1. Discuss the five titles for Christ mentioned in this chapter. What unique ministry is highlighted in each title?

2. How may we express our submission to Christ as the Head of the Body?

3. Discuss how Jesus the Shepherd is the model for pastors in caring for the flock.

4. As a Bridegroom, what does Christ do for those who are His bride?

5. List several contributions that a foundation makes to a building. How do these relate to the believer’s life and his cornerstone, Christ?

6. Why does Jesus add the qualifying term “true” when He calls Himself a vine? How does Christ the vine relate to believers as branches?