Should Race Cease to Exist in the Body of Christ?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833.

The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez I am welcome to another at node of the entity. I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez, joined by Prof. Michael Horton were answering your questions about the faith.

In 1985 to 67% of Americans said clergy were honest and ethical because of the numbers for 2020 might want to hear. I don't hear well 40% so we've dropped significantly. It's been steadily declining but the percentage is actually up for the first time from last year which was 37%. So I guess that's a little bit of inquiry that in what happened between 2019 and 2020. That gave pastors and clergy a little bit of a boost.

But steadily declining over the last several years and so coming I'm discouraged by this. I'm a pass it's it's really sad that you think you know pastors of all people you would help the people would say oh yeah honest and ethical but no, the majority of Americans think dishonest and not ethical me, probably because of all of that, the stories that you see on the news of a pastor who's fallen here or there with some sort of infidelity or financial mismanagement in those kinds of things or you know some of the pastors of yesteryear who were champions of traditional morality, embracing and covering over gross immorality scandals. They participated update yeah or that they defend that others have participated in and as long as they favor that particular person you know that we've lost a lot of our credibility in the society today.

I just read report couple days ago that more Americans have confidence in the CDC's ability to conquer the coronavirus than in any of America's public institutions while so I think as it did not just the churches is an overall fatigue that American society has with its leaders in every field, the Atlantic, an uphill battle for us. I think especially in in trying to get the gospel out.

There's well just being faithful and regaining the trust of people through faithful service focus on Jesus focus on his word for the good of garbage and what's true, that's right, not me, not you. Now is the gospel. Amen.

Well, let's think a little bit more about the church right now with the call that we received from Amanda what implied by calling the church, the body of Christ that Christ's physical body has ascended. This is a really important question Amanda. What is it mean to say that Jesus is really gone, you know, he said that in what's called his his upper room discourse part of the sermon that Jesus gave in John 14 through 16.

Part of the same sermon that he gave when he instituted the Lord's supper and he washed his disciples feet and in that sermon he was preparing them for his departure by preaching about the Holy Spirit he was telling them he will send the Holy Spirit. He said I'm really leaving you this is not like aunt Martha being present at Thanksgiving. After she's died. It was spirit of grandma watching over us as reading turkey.

This is I'm really going I'm leaving bodily in the book of acts is launched by the story of Jesus bodily ascension into heaven. He's not returning bodily until the end of the age so why do we talk about the church is the body of Christ. You're right Amanda that raises an important question while we have to realize that in Scripture. Christ's body is referred to in three senses.

First of all, there's his natural body is literal physical body, in which she was born, walked the shores of Galilee was crucified and raised. Then there's also the ecclesial body that's Greek for church check Lycia everywhere in the New Testament where we read of the clay. See, it's the cold out.

Once the those called to belong to Jesus Christ. In John 15 Jesus as I am the vine, you are the branches.

There's this organic relationship between us and Jesus in Ephesians 530 Paul says Christ loves his church because we are members of his body in first Corinthians 12 in Romans 12 Paul talks about how we are part of Christ's body, many members but one body with Jesus as our head right so talking here about a corporate representative Jesus Christ being the head of his body, the church in a way that surpasses all earthly analogies you know you can have the head of a company. But you know that the head of PepsiCo isn't exactly the head of that company in the way that Christ is the head of the church is much more organic because it's a miracle. The church is a miracle. This relationship of head and members is a miracle with Jesus Christ as the head of his church and then thirdly, there's the sacramental body we call the sacramental body because associated with the Lord's supper where Jesus says in Matthew 2626 when he instituted it. This is my body given for you right so Jesus is about to give his body to sacrifice his natural body on the cross. And now, before that he's instituting Lord's supper where from then on we would celebrate this meal and say, in the words of institution holding the bread. This is my body broken for you know that doesn't mean it is natural body, it means it's the sign and seal of his natural body, but it's the sacramental body. It's bread, it remains bread, but it becomes attached to the thing signified the reality that it signifies. And so that's why Paul can say in first Corinthians 1017 because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread, they're all related. Actually it's because of the natural body of Christ, broken for us that we are one body with him in the first place. How does that happen. How do we become one body with Christ well by being part of his church, his ecclesial body will how does that happen. Well, it happens through the gospel that is proclaimed and ratified by the Lord's supper, which is his sacramental body.

So those are the three ways we find in the New Testament talk concerning the body is not three bodies, but the three senses in which body of Christ is referred to in the New Testament, and I think I think you touched on just the in the implication for us as believers. The fact that were referred to as the body of Christ just goes to show that organic intimate unity that we have with Jesus, the head of the body meaningful cause in the head of the body, the church in first grade. In chapter 12 is many demonstrates that the Lord is close to his people right and wants to be close. Absolutely no really is.

We've been talking about is we got a question here from Luke about first Corinthians chapter 11 right in line with this whole discussion about the ecclesial body. Let me read this email from Luke, thank you so much for this show. Have a question about Paul's comments in first Corinthians 1129, when Paul tells his readers they need to discern the body when they take the Lord's supper.

I've heard some say this means before I can take communion, I first have to be able to understand the nature of Christ's presence in the bread and the wine but it doesn't seem like Paul is talking about that much in this chapter's primary concern seems to be how we discern the community of the church as his unified body. He's upset about divisiveness in the church, fueled by selfishness and because the Corinthians are failing to do this as they sit at the Lord's table. They are eating and drinking judgment on themselves. What do you think it means to discern the Lord's body Luke that you touch on it.

I think that there are at least three primary interpretations on that phrase. In particular, there's the one that discerning the body means the bread and the wine. In other words, the nature, as you said of Jesus's presence there in those elements, and Christians have debated about that for a very long time to it means discerning the church body going back to Amanda's question, what is it mean that we as this church this community. This gathering of people are the one body of Christ who's in the church and who isn't in the church and three there are some interpreters that what's it's both could be that Paul is referring to discerning both the communion elements and the church body that I don't want to speak right my personal favorite of those three views is the last one because I feel like it's innocent all of the above. You guys see you know but let me tell you why it's clear from the context of first grade is that the people in Corinth were as you said having a hard time with divisions and Paul brings us out earlier in the book of first Corinthians they were splitting up the church and it also seems based on first rantings 11 that there were even divisions are around socioeconomic lines. The rich coming in taking communion first and the poor were being neglected although they were in the one body, one church, they weren't functioning as one church. And so Paul rebukes them, he says discern the body rightly. But it's also really important to recognize that Jesus is present in a special way with his church in the Lord's supper. This is a unique meal Paul earlier said that in the Lord's supper.

We have coin in the fellowship for strength in chapter 10 fellowship with the body and blood of Jesus to the warning later in first rantings 11 makes it clear that this is a sacred meal not to be taken lightly.

And that's precisely what the Corinthians were doing taking it lightly using it and that's why Paul rebukes them, and so I think you might get a little bit of both right distance.

If you're willing to take this meal CMA something special, something sacred that's happening here and you're failing to recognize who's in the body. Yet, we were talking last question about these three bodies of Christ and boy do they come together here. This is a perfect example what Paul really focuses on in first Corinthians, especially these chapters is that they are abusing the Lord's supper, to the point where some of them are even dying and their abusing the body of the church. Yeah, by their divisions. St. Paul tells us what the meaning is it's both.

Just as you say Israel go back to what he says again in first Corinthians 1017 because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. He's not just saying there that just as we partake of the bread, so it's also true were made one body.

There's kind of a causal relationship here because we eat one bread we are made one body you so if that's true, if you're if you're having the Lord's supper, which is a sign and seal of the unity of the body of Christ and you are full of divisions in your abusing the Lord's supper when you so-called celebrated then you're not really understanding at all what either body represents you're not understanding the body of the church in its unity with Christ the head.

And you're not understanding the unity of the bread with the true body of Christ so important you're listening to core Christianity and were answering your questions about the faith.

Give us a call with your question at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and speaking of core Christianity. Our special offer for you today is that book yes will thank you that was a wonderful segue federal and over the years. A lot of Christians have told me about their struggle to understand how the Bible is relevant for life today and how the doctrines of the Bible fit together in one of the most important doctrines. How do we know what's primary and secondary all that what I wrote core Christianity a focus not on all of the beliefs that I hold for my particular church background but the truth is that we all hold in common as Christians in a very simple straightforward way with biblical terms and making it entry-level so you is a book you can give to non-Christians or to new Christians or you can read it as a mature Christian and sort of get a a review so I'd encourage people to take advantage of this offer by heading over to core Christianity.com/offers or you can give us a call at 833 the core and on behalf of the whole team here at core Christianity. Thanks so much for listening. Hope you go get your copy of core Christianity today, again, that number is 833-843-2673 is an Instagram question from Kim where are heaven and hell in your understanding, because of science. We know that hell isn't under our feet in heaven above our heads, so I'm not sure how to understand heaven and hell in the Bible yeah Kim.

Well first of all, we know that hell is under our feet in heaven above our heads from the Bible, we cannot just science Scripture speaks in the terms and categories that were known familiar to the average person in the day. The Bible is not a book of cosmology.

The Bible is a revelation written to people farmers and every day common folk, and the purpose is to communicate to us, the reality of a place that transcends what we can ever even think or imagine will how do you picture that will usually above and below really good above really bad below so we gotta be really careful here. We've inherited a lot of stuff from medieval war and in modern preaching in a from Dante and Milton to preachers with a lot of imagination but little scriptural support heaven cam is wherever God rules in perfect righteousness and love. So happens about God.

God is it about heaven heaven is about God.

Heaven is wherever God is raining and ruling in perfect peace and righteousness. That's our expecting when Jesus returns right that this whole earth will become full of the glory of God that this earth here will be made completely new, and Christ will reign wherever the sun rises and sets presented to be a beautiful hope that you will, that means that heaven will be on earth, heaven is his kingdom and its present wherever the king is hell is where God will send Satan's demons and unbelievers.

It's called the book of Revelation, the lake of fire. It's where the wrath of God abides on a person forever is not just separation from God, but God's presence in wrath and judgment so horrible thought but it's justice.

It's what justice requires. Scripture speaks of the glories of heaven, where Christ is seated at the father's right hand, but we this isn't a literal chair somewhere above us. God is invisible and omnipresent.

She's not sitting in it chair somewhere. He doesn't have a body. Jesus, of course, does the eternal son since he became flesh 2000 years ago is somewhere, he certainly in a place and yet he is God right so we don't want to try to imagine heaven as a place somewhere above Mercury somewhere beyond the Milky Way somewhere in another galaxy. Heaven transcends all of the stars and planets and galaxies that we could possibly imagine.

We read in first Corinthian's to nine but as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. What a wonderful promise that we who trust in Christ have that heaven will be far more glorious than we could possibly imagine. And hell no, Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Yup, sometimes it's in parables. We don't base doctrine on parables but he also described it in literal terms, non-parabolic language and we put all those together who man whatever hell is it is so horrible that Jesus can use the image of the city dump outside of Jerusalem that burns without ever ending.

He can use the image of of being a place where the worm never dies of being a place where someone is cast where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth where there is no bridge.

No one ever crosses from their into the presence of God. Whatever hell is Kim it is inconceivably terrible and whatever heaven is its inconceivably glorious. Thank you so much for that question you're listening to the corn were answering the questions you have about the Bible. If you have a question give us a call at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core or email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

A great place where you can get short videos of some of the questions that we answer here on core, Christianity and Israel juggling you and juggling so make sure you check out our YouTube channel and subscribe, let's go to a phone call now from Stephanie.

Nine but you are right, a royal priesthood, owing a sale of people for his own progression. What does that mean our own race and nationality is now.

I race an offense and not only should be identified. Interesting yet it is an interesting question. Well, I don't think that it it means that we don't have our own race now you know is is really important is sometimes we talk about the unity that we now have in Christ one in Christ is no longer Jew or Gentile slave nor free will does that mean that I'm no longer Mexican. I don't think so. Actually, it's pretty obvious in fact absolutely have to be careful that we don't try to erase culture affect one of the things that that the early church really wrestled with was this question one of earliest debates means describing places like the book of Galatians was how do people from different cultures exist peacefully in the church you had Jews and Gentiles coming together and one of the problems was you had Jews who were essentially trying to impose their culture on the new Gentile converts. They were sale if you really want to be justify me is great that you've accepted Jesus by faith in all that you really want to be justified, will you have to basically become Jewish unity of your man unit go have to get circumcised enough to start following our holidays and the valuables. Yes, Moses, Jesus plus Moses yet � which is actually bad news and Paul in the book of Galatians says that very clearly. And so even just from that debate.

It's clear that when Peter talks about the fact that we are a chosen nation, a royal priesthood right of racism if you will that that does any race our own cultures and races, and one of the big challenges I think in the church for the very beginning. Even today is how to exist in love around the gospel as a diverse community it's created by the Gahanna heat when he says there's neither June or Gentile. He's not. He's not saying any more than he is when he says there's no slave, Aryan or male nor female � that these distinctions don't actually exist. What he saying is before God, there's no longer a ranking of Jew above Gentile of free above slave of male above female that's what he saying before God.

We are all made brothers and sisters together with Jesus Christ as her elder brother so beautiful then you also think of that grand picture that vision that John gives us in the book of Revelation. In Revelation chapter 7 verse nine after this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands while he or she thing the Lord cured. He said that in Revelation 59 is something that he emphasizes I think for a reason, from every tribe. In kindred, and tongue and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom of priests to our God one kingdom made up of people who still even in glory are from every tribe. In kindred, and tongue and people and nations that were not. I think we would go to be careful about a melting pot view of the church, typically in American history. The melting pot means basically that non-majority people are going to be like us. That's how it is in the church, often to now the churches is made up of people of all different races and backgrounds and so forth.

But where the majority culture in a church and so that means everybody can be like us notice on a melting pot were real all get kind of blended in together. It's a unity just like the union, not just slight but analogous to the union of male and female. Paul says that in Ephesians 5, the mystery of the church hasn't been analogy in marriage. The two will become one flesh. Well does the man become the woman in the room becomes the man now is precisely in their difference that there brought together, not in a fusion, but in the union and that's what it is for all of us.

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