| | | The Body of Christ is a term used by Christians to describe believers in Christ. Jesus Christ is seen as the head of the body, which is seen as the church. The "members" of the body are seen as members of the Christian Church.In the Roman Catholic tradition, the term "Body of Christ" refers most specifically to the "bread" received at the Eucharist, while the "wine" is referred to as the "Blood of Christ." It is, however, doctrinally incorrect to refer to these elements as "bread" and "wine" after the Consecration; according to Catholic doctrine, at the moment of Consecration, the elements (or "gifts" as they are termed for liturgical purposes) are transformed (literally transubstantiated) into the actual Body and Blood of Christ. Catholic doctrine holds that the elements are not only spiritually transformed, but rather are actually (substantially) transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The elements retain the appearance or "accidents" of bread and wine, but are indeed the actual Body and Blood of Christ. This is what is meant by Real Presence; the actual, physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. |  Million man march, Wasington, D.C.
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Other traditions accept this doctrine in various forms, often utilizing the term “consubstantiation” to refer to a spiritual change into the Body and Blood, without changing the substance of the elements. For this reason, what remains of the sacrament after the Communion procession is reserved in the Tabernacle, where it can be utilized for later Masses, for private devotion and prayer, as well as for public Eucharistic adoration.The term is also used by the Roman Catholic Church to refer to the entire community of baptized individuals.In the context of the local churches it is a metaphor used to describe the synchronicity between different localities and God. In this, God is the head and the people who make up the Church in each locality are termed "members of the body". The "members of the body" may look different and/or may perform different functions, but they all work as one under the will of the head (God). For example, a person who is a gifted orator is encouraged to use his or her talents to act as a mouthpiece for God. Other such personal strengths would be similarly applied towards the "expression of Christ". In this way people can be functioning and active members of the "Body of Christ".The Body of Christ, meaning the entire community of Christians, is also called the Bride of Christ, for whom Christ will return.The Bride of Christ is a metaphor for the Church, Ecclesia. The image originates from the Old Testament prophets, who described Israel as God's bride, for example in Isaiah 54:5. In the New Testament, this image of God's people is transferred to the relationship between Christ and his church, for example Revelations 21.Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology denotes both a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful. Latin ecclesia, from Greek ekklesia had an original meaning of "assembly, congregation, council", literally "convocation."The ecclesia or ekklesia (Greek ἐκκλησία) (ancient Athens) was the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens. It was the popular assembly, opened to all male citizens over the age of 18 by Solon in 594 BC meaning that all classes of citizens in Athens were able to participate, even the thetes. The ecclesia opened the doors for all citizens, regardless of class, to nominate and vote for magistrates - indirectly voting for the Areopagus - have the final decision on legislation, war and peace, and have the right to call magistrates to account after their year of office. In the 5th century BC their numbers amounted to about 43,000 people. However, only those wealthy enough to spend much of their time away from home would have been able to participate until Pericles' reforms in early 451-2 BCE allowing payment for jurors. The assembly was responsible for declaring war, military strategy, and electing strategoi and other officials. It originally met once every month, but later it met three or four times per month. The agenda for the ekklesia was established by the Boule, the popular council. Votes were taken by a show of hands.A gang of slaves, called Scythians, carrying ropes dipped in red ochre (miltos, hence Miltiades, i.e. the Red-Haired) would travel through the city on the days the Ecclesia was to meet, and would lash those citizens not in attendance with their ropes. With garments thus stained, shamed citizens could legally carry out no business until they visited the meeting grounds of the Ecclesia on the hill called the Pnyx.Christian understanding of 'church'According to Saint Gregory (P. L., LXXVII, 740), the church was composed of "Sancti ante legem, sancti sub lege, sancti sub gratia ("The saints before the Law, the saints under the Law, and the saints under grace"). This is the basic definition of the church which underpins much of John Calvin's writings.More narrowly, it may signify the whole body of Christian faithful, including not merely the members of the church who are alive on earth but those, too, who have fallen asleep in Christ, and as such form part of the communion of saints, considered the Body of Christ. Some churches therefore describe the church as being composed of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant (Being those Christians on Earth and in Heaven respectively.) In Catholic theology, there is also the Church Suffering comprising those in purgatory.The Christian family, the most basic unit of church life, is sometimes called the domestic church.Finally, 'The Church' may sometimes be used, especially in Catholic theology, to designate those who exercise the office of teaching and ruling the faithful, the Ecclesia Docens, or again (more rarely) the governed as distinguished from their pastors, the Ecclesia Discens.Some theologians (e.g. Baptists, Congregationalists) accept the local sense as the only valid application of the term 'church', in so doing rejecting wholesale the notion of a universal ('catholic') church. These people argue that all uses of the Greek word 'ekklesia' in the New Testament are speaking of either a particular local group, or of the notion of 'church' in the abstract, and never of a single, worldwide church. [verification needed]Ecclesia, the Bride of ChristIn some protestant movements, doctrine uses the image of the church as the "bride of Christ" to explain the relation between Christ and the members of the Body."The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom." [John 3:29] The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. [Revelation 22:17] 'Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her'" [Ephesians 5:26] He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body." Similarly, the Evangelical church emphasizes the progression of the people of God towards becoming this perfect bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-8). Biblical usage of the wordThe disciples of a single locality are often referred to in the New Testament as a church (Revelation 2:18, Romans 16:4, Acts 9:31), and arguably Saint Paul even applies the term to disciples belonging to a single household (Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2. Colossians 1:18 says that Christ "is the Head of the Body which is the Church". Ephesians 5:21-32, as previously noted, presents Christ as the bridegroom of the church.Christian scriptures use a wide range of metaphors to describe the Church. These include: |
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