And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV)
What is the church? Some will identify it as a building. Others, as something that we do, i.e. “going to church.” Still, others will identify the church as a local assembly of believers or a specific denomination. And the Scripture often uses the term “church” to refer to a local assembly. But the usage is much broader in this passage and throughout Ephesians.
Paul uses this word here to refer to all believers regardless of their location in time or space. We are, together, the church, the body of Christ. And, Paul tells us, Christ is the head over all things to the church.
Local assemblies of believers and collections of local assemblies have human leaders who provide guidance and oversight. But they should do so under the direction of Christ, who is over all things for his church.
The Church as the Fullness of Christ
Paul closes his prayer by telling us that the church is the fullness of him [Christ] who fills everything. It is a bit challenging to understand just what Paul meant by this. But it does tell us that we are more than just an assembly of people who follow Jesus. In some way, his fullness fills us. As his body, his life is flowing through us and empowering us.
So, if all that is true, how come the church today is so divided and ineffective in carrying out the commission he left us? Have we lost connection with our head? And, more importantly, what can we do to experience the fullness of Christ as his body?
As an individual believer, you may have little influence over the church at large. But each of us can choose to submit to Christ as our head. To keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus (Col. 3:1-2). To love other believers, even those of different traditions, and even those who do not love us back (Jn. 13:34-35).
And fervently echo Paul’s prayer that God would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, enlightening the eyes of our hearts so that we can know the hope we are called to, the riches of his inheritance in us, and the great power he has for us (Eph. 1:15-19).
