Which Body?

 

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Ephesians 4:4

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

The word “body” has many definitions.  In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Strong’s #4983 defines body as “used in a very wide application”.

First look at 2 Corinthians 5:10, and remove the italics.  Italics are not scripture but an addition made by the King James translators to make the flow of or the reading of easier.  So, without the italics;  “ For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things in body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad.  My question was how do I define this word “body”.  Is it the physical body or as per Ephesians 4:4a; “There is one body” the body of Christ, the Church of which upon belief the believer is placed into by the Holy Spirit as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:13.   

In Ephesians 4:4 the “one body” by context is seen as the “body: of Christ.  I know this because of what I read in Ephesians 1:23, 2:16, 3:6,  4:4, 4:12, 4:16, 5:23 and 5:30.  In those passage we clearly see the word “body” to define different aspects:  i.e. His, Christ’s physical body, His spiritual body and believers as the body, the church.  

One must rightly divide [2 Timothy 2:15] scripture to receive the correct meanings of the context of the words being given.  The writer of Hebrews 5:14 tells us ”But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”