The church during Paul’s time was not yet an institution of common practices and beliefs, it was a living organism that communicated the Gospel through relationships. Paul’s metaphor for this concrete personification is the body of Christ.
The Spirit is itself the foundational energy of the universe. God is the unity, the very energy of all creation. We all participate in the embodiment of God. We witness this every time we see a flower bloom, a dog cuddle, a research scientist care, or the sun shining anew.
Paul’s communities were the evidence, giving credibility to his statements about a new life. As Jesus said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
For Jesus, teachings on forgiveness, healing, and justice are the evidence of a shared life. Peacemaking, forgiveness, and reconciliation are not some sort of ticket to heaven later. They are the embodiment of heaven—today!
Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”
