The Body of Christ: A Reality - Watchman Nee

The Body of Christ: A Reality
Watchman Nee

Three Cardinal Principles on Living in the Body of Christ

We have been shown clearly in the previous chapters that in the body of Christ there are many members - and yet all these members are one, with each having its particular office or function; for God has not made all members the same but has made every member differently. This fact Paul has made plain in Romans 12: "For even as we have many members in one body, [yet] all the members have not the same office [function]" (Rom. 12:4). But how, then, can all these members with their various functions be fitly framed and knit together as one body? This is the question for our present consideration here. In answering this question, we must first realize that there are three cardinal principles which are indispensable to our living in the body of Christ - the first which governs the relationship between me and the Head; the second of which governs the relationship between me and the body; and the third, my place as a member.

My Relation to the Head (Christ) - Subjection
The meaning of my Christian consecration has to do with my desire to be obedient to the Lord. I do not want to be free, nor will I be rebellious to authority. The first principle on living in the body of Christ is to be in subjection to the authority of the Head, since the very existence of the body with its varied functions and activities depend on authority. Whenever authority loses its ground in us, the body is immediately paralyzed. Whichever part of the body is disobedient, that part experiences paralysis. It is only a paralyzed body which is not subject to the command of the head. Where life is, there is authority. It is inconceivable to reject authority and still receive life.

All who are full of life have been obedient to authority. How, for example, can my physical hand have life and yet resist the control of my head? My hand is living because it is manageable by my head. The very meaning of living for my hand signifies that my head is able to direct and use it. The same is true in the relationship between any member of the body of Christ and the Head. The very first principle for each member who lives in the body of Christ, therefore, is to obey the Lord who is the head. If you and I have not been dealt with until such time as we become obedient persons, then what we know about the body is merely doctrinal in nature, not a matter of life.

What a blessed thing it is to have God deal with our natural life, causing us to be in subjection to Christ the Head! We ought to seek for obedience daily. Not only should we look for opportunities by which to advance spiritually that we may be holy and righteous, we should also seek before God every opportunity to obey that we may likewise learn obedience.

My Relationship to the Body (Church) - Fellowship
Our relationship to the Head is subjection, while our relationship to the body is fellowship. Among God's children, fellowship is not only a fact but also a necessity. The life of the body of Christ relies on fellowship, for without it the body will die. What is fellowship? For me to receive help from other members - that is fellowship. For example, in the body of Christ, perhaps I am a mouth, and I can therefore speak forth. But I need the fellowship of that member who may be ears in order that I may also hear; I need the fellowship of him who may be eyes so that I may see; I require the fellowship of the one who may be hands in the body in order that I may take hold of things; and I also require the fellowship of the member who supplies feet to the body in order that I may walk. And hence it is by means of fellowship that I can receive the distinctive functions of other members and thus make all that they have mine.

Some Christians do not understand the principle of fellowship. They wish to seek the Lord by themselves and to pray by themselves. They themselves do all things. They want to be not only a mouth but also ears, to be hands as well as feet. Not so with those who know God, because they know they need fellowship. In fellowship they acknowledge that they themselves are limited and insufficient. Through fellowship they gladly receive as their own what the others have.

What is true of fellowship in the realm of teaching can be most real in fact. For can any of us honestly say that he has actually prayed three hundred sixty-five days in the year or that he has carefully read the Bible every day of the year? Experience tells us that due to physical weakness or some other cause we cannot avoid having a day or two in the year wherein we are unable to pray and read the Bible as we should. Is it because of such deficiency that I must therefore be defeated? that I must fall to the ground? No, not at all. For most surprisingly, within a given week, say on Monday of that week, I may feel rather near to God, and from Tuesday to Friday I continue to feel all right, but that on Saturday I neither pray nor read the Bible as I should - due probably to fatigue: yet I do not necessarily fall on Saturday, nor need I be worse than Friday; for strangely enough, a power seems to sustain me and bring me through the day. Now what is the cause for such support? Is it not due to the supply of the life of the body?

Many of God's children can testify to this kind of experience. And this happens not just once or twice, but numerous times. According to our own condition we are extremely weak, but god carries us through. How? By means of the mutual supply of the body of Christ. Unknown to others, some member in the body is praying, asking God to give grace to all His children. And hence life flows from another member to us, thus enabling us to stand. The life of the body is able to flow into us and carry us through.

My Place As a Member - Service
If we have now seen that the life of the body is communicative and mutually supplying, we should likewise begin to realize before God that we should not be simply those who consume life but even more so be those who supply life. If there are too few members to supply life in the body of Christ while at the same time there are too many member who wait to receive the life supply, the strength of the body will be exhausted. Accordingly, we ourselves need to pray for other people. God will use our prayer to supply life to other members. Whenever they have need, life will flow into them.

"And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:26). It does not say here that if one member suffers, all the members ought to suffer with it; nor does it say if one member is honored, all the members ought to rejoice with it. The word of God does not say whether we ought to or not. On the contrary, God's word declares quite plainly that if one member suffers, all the other members do in fact suffer with it - and that if one member is honored, all the other members do in actual fact rejoice with it. This statement will therefore explain why frequently you and I may experience odd sensations. Often we do not understand why on a given occasion we feel so heavy and yet after two days the heaviness disappears. May I say that is due to no other reason that the relationship which exists in the body of Christ among the various members.

Such a phenomenon can be illustrated by an occurrence which took place during the time of the great Welsh Revival. In one remote area a sister was prying one day with two or three other Christians. Oddly, on that day she felt the sweeping power of the Holy Spirit upon her. She had never had such an experience before. Such a condition continued on for four to five months, during which period she found it quite easy to touch God without the slightest effort - as though heaven itself had drawn very close to her. And this went on until one day, as she read the paper, she was shown by God that she had been wonderfully supplied by the Revival. This is exactly what the Scripture means by saying that if one member is honored all the other members rejoice with it. Let us realize this very thing, that the body of Christ is a living entity: it is an organic life. Said Paul: "I...fill up on my part that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake which is the church" (Col. 1:24). Because we are in the one body, we can therefore fill up that which is lacking in the other members.

Hence this is not just a matter of suffering and rejoicing, it is a matter of life. Some people are able to supply life to the church; other people are able to receive life through the church. We must have this life flow in both directions. On the one side, we receive the supply of the body through fellowship;. on the other side, we as members of the body supply life to others. Let us not apprehend the body merely as a teaching or a way of explanation. Let us see that the body of Christ is an absolute reality and that all the children of God being members one of another is likewise an irrefutable fact. And in view of these certainties, we should gladly receive help from others as well as earnestly seek to help other brothers and sisters.

Brother Mike,

I very much appreciate the opportunity to read this, from brother Nee, it blesses me and in turn blesses the body of Christ:)

In light of the recent amicable discussion on the "sin” thread, this writing has even more applicable meaning as the participants in that thread illustrate (in part) the life of the body as seen by brother Nee.

At the initiation of that thread by sister Jade, I felt a stirring in my spirit that was confirmed later by a post from sister Diane. Though instinctively I responded, I did not understand the implication or means of the revelation being somehow transferred or imparted to me, however now it can be seen that it is simply the function of the body of Christ as outlined here.

It’s quite remarkable really!
To understand we are literally part of the living body of Christ carries with it a significant responsibility. Though I’m still processing it all, many scriptures come to mind reinforcing the understanding brother Nee puts forth. In fact it actually brings the whole of the NT into a sharper focus, giving new light to shaded areas of understanding by better defining the body, it’s relation and functionality.

In fact many instances are coming to mind whereby, wether here on SI or in my local assembly, a saint will receive revelatory light on the things of the Lord and share/impart them to others and thereby grow/mature the body, which in turn spurs evermore growth:)
It is occurring to me that this is not just in "factual” revelations but also in practical application or example of attitudes and dispositions.... each in turn influencing the other.

A very interesting phenomenon indeed!

In any case I am grateful you shared this writing. I’ve studied and read a far amount by brother Nee but this was fresh for me:) so thank you dear brother and blessings be upon you.

Amen Brother Fletcher!

After I was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit in the early 70’s, Jesus was so real to me that I would often say "all I need is Jesus. I would spend hours in the woods in God’s presence with the Word of God.

Praise God that He has opened my eyes to see the Body of Christ, and how we need each member of the Body to be a functioning member. We have become so use to a Pastor Ministering to us that we have neglected Body Ministry. Every member of the Body has a Ministry, and gifts
for the building up of the Body of Christ.

Sent from my iPhone

This is sooo good!!! I just keep reading it, and sharing it with others hoping the Lord opens it up to them too:)

And yes I can now see there has been a neglecting of the "Body Ministry” as you put it... it’s as if "small groups” have replaced it under the pastor ministering.
It’s interesting that this issue keeps coming up, but I’d like your thoughts on wether we are Christ’s body or bride?
I’ll be very upfront in saying I believe this is a MAJOR problem in western Christian life,... it’s like we’re spiritually schizophrenic, vacillating between group (and personal) identities that have different roles. Allot like the "transgender” dysphoria secular cultures are experiencing.
I could be misunderstanding and therefore totally off base but it seems to me that the scripture is unassailably clear in its reference to us (the church) as the body of Christ in very simple and direct language. Also the prescribed functionality of the church in scripture is in direct correlation to its role (identity) as the body.
Whereas the bride is a whole different thing... firstly I can find zero direct reference in scripture that we (the church) is the bride- every mention is in a figurative sense and I have to infer or read into the text something that’s simply not there.
Secondly the roles are totally different- the body is under the authority of its Head/Christ and is in subjection to it and therefore must obey ... but a bride is not under the authority of her fiancé, rather she is under her fathers authority and therefore doesn’t obey her fiancé but her father... also the scriptures reference the "bride making herself ready” which is in no way corollary to the role or functionings of the body?

It’s not my intention to predispose your reply, rather to be clear about my current understanding yet open to being taught and growing, hence the question?

Body of Christ...earthly...present....fulfilling Christ's earthly mission?

Bride of Christ...heavenly....future....being prepared?

Blessings,

Just to add.

Something I overlooked.

The other concurrent description of the "church”, is a building.

Chief corner stone / living stones / true foundation / temple of God

Eph 2:21 - In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Brother Fletcher,

I don't see any contradiction in the fact that we are both the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ and many scriptures confirm this. Here are a couple of scriptures:
"For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin." (2 Corinthians 11:2)

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb '" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." (Revelation 19:7-9).

Thank you Brothers for your responses-

For some reason this has been a sticking point for me for quite awhile now... perhaps it’s my English literature teachers fault for pushing the distinction of similes and analogies so many years ago;)

It just seems very strange that Israel in the OT is referenced as the "bride or wife” and in the NT (rev) the Lambs bride is Jerusalem...whereas the church is clearly and repeatedly called His body and the only scriptures that reference a "bride” are similes... in the same way one could say of a young female that "she looks like a doll” or "she’s as an angel” - now neither of these statements are meant to be literal in that the young girl is surely not being accused of being hollow, vacant and made from plastic or thread anymore than she be credited with being a divine creature exempted from human sufferings... so too (in my understanding) is the same "simile” being employed by Paul to illustrate and compare but not to equate with or exchange for- And just how could a body member/bride make itself ready for its head/bridegroom to arrive??? That just seems nonsensical, no?

Perhaps brother William’s answer is correct in that the "bride” is formed from that which is taken from the "body” (eve from adam) ie: remnant but there again how exactly does the "chosen remnant” make itself ready ? Hasn’t Christ already done that?

Saints I apologize for redirecting this thread to a different issue that I’ve been wrestling with.
This teaching on the Body of Christ is too valuable to be overlooked due to my misgivings so again I apologize.

The teachings brother Nee puts forth are readily observable even in our earthly families where if one member is experiencing grave dysfunction, the whole family is affected just as if one member is prospering the whole family is likewise affected. The closer knit the family unit, the greater the effects.

I hope this can restart the input pertaining to the original posting as it would be fruitful for us all:)

(Going forward I’ll try to better stay on topic)

More on the Body of Christ
by Watchman Nee;

The vessel through which the Lord Jesus can reveal Himself in this generation is not the individual but the Body. " God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith " ( 12. 3), but alone in isolation man can never fulfil God's purpose. It requires a complete Body to attain to the stature of Christ and to display His glory. Oh that we might really see this!

So Romans 12. 3 - 6 draws from the figure of the human body the lesson of our inter- dependence. Individual Christians are not the Body but are members of the Body, and in a human body " all the members have not the same office ". The ear must not imagine itself to be an eye. No amount of prayer will give sight to the ear but the whole body can see through the eye. So (speaking figuratively) I may have only the gift of hearing, but I can see through others who have the gift of sight; or, perhaps I can walk but cannot work, so I receive help from the hands. An all-too-common attitude to the things of the Lord is that, 'What I know, I know; and what I don't know, I don't know, and can do quite well without.' But in Christ, the things we do not know others do, and we may know them and enter into the enjoyment of them through others. Let me stress that this is not just a comfortable thought. It is a vital factor in the life of God's people. We cannot get along without one another. That is why fellowship in prayer is so important. Prayer together brings in the help of the Body, as must be clear from Matthew 18. 19,20. Trusting the Lord by myself may not be enough. I must trust Him with others. I must learn to pray " Our Father . . ." on the basis of oneness with the Body, for without the help of the Body I cannot get through. In the sphere of service this is even more apparent. Alone I cannot serve the Lord effectively, and He will spare no pains to teach me this. He will bring things to an end, allowing doors to close and leaving me ineffectively knocking my head against a blank wall until I realise that I need the help of the Body as well as of the Lord. For the life of Christ is the life of the Body, and His gifts are given to us for work that builds up the Body.

The Body is not an illustration but a fact. The Bible does not just say that the Church is like a body, but that it is the Body of Christ. " We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another." All the members together are one Body, for all share His life-as though He were Himself distributed among His members. I was once with a group of Chinese believers who found it very hard to understand how the Body could be one when they were all separate individual men and women who made it up. One Sunday I was about to break the bread at the Lord's table and I asked them to look very carefully at the loaf before I broke it. Then, after it had been distributed and eaten, I pointed out that though it was inside all of them it was still one loaf-not many. The loaf was divided, but Christ is not divided even in the sense in which that loaf was. He is still one Spirit in us, and we are all one in Him.

This is the very opposite of man's condition by nature. In Adam I have the life of Adam, but that is essentially individual. There is no union, no fellowship in sin, but only self-interest and distrust of others. As I go on with the Lord I soon discover, not only that the problem of sin and of my natural strength has to be dealt with, but that there is also a further problem created by my 'individual ' life, the life that is sufficient in itself and does not recognize its need for and union in the Body. I may have got over the problems of sin and the flesh, and yet still be a confirmed individualist. I want holiness and victory and fruitfulness for myself personally and apart, albeit from the purest motives. But such an attitude ignores the Body, and so cannot provide God with satisfaction. He must deal with me therefore in this matter also, or I shall remain in conflict with His ends. God does not blame me for being an individual, but for my individualism, His greatest problem is not the outward divisions and denominations that divide His Church but our own individualistic hearts.

Yes, the Cross must do its work here, reminding me that in Christ I have died to that old life of independence which I inherited from Adam, and that in resurrection I have become not just an individual believer in Christ but a member of His Body. There is a vast difference between the two. When I see this, I shall at once have done with independence and shall seek fellowship. The life of Christ in me will gravitate to the life of Christ in others. I can no longer take an individual line. jealousy will go. Competition will go. Private work will go. My interests, my ambitions, my preferences, all will go. It will no longer matter which of us does the work. All that will matter will be that the Body grows.

I said: 'When I see this . . .' That is the great need: to see the Body of Christ as another great Divine fact ; to have it break in upon our spirits by heavenly revelation that " we, who are many, are one body in Christ ". Only the Holy Spirit can bring this home to us in all its meaning, but when He does it will revolutionise our life and work.

Amen!
Thank you for continuing brother Mike:)

This immediately came to mind confirming brother Nee’s observations;

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Amen Brother Fletcher!
Thank you for sharing!
Please watch the teaching
by Derek Prince
that I posted on another thread
that has everything to do with
the fellowship of the Body to the
Head and to one another..

https://youtu.be/s_oLNNEX1Pg