For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
Truth to Learn
Christians are part of God’s body which He loves.
Behind the Words
“For” is translated from hoti, a Greek conjunction which can be used to demonstrate something further (translated as “that”) or to show a causal relationship (translated as “because” or “for”). The latter appears to be the case here.
“Members” is translated from the Greek word melos, which refers to “a limb or other part of a body.”
The word translated “body” is soma, which (as we learned back in verse twenty-eight) can refer to “a physical body” or to “any organized whole made up of parts or members.”
The phrase “of His flesh and of His bones” does not appear in the better Greek texts and probably should be omitted.
Meaning Explained
In order to fully understand this verse, we have to go back to verse twenty-five. In that verse we were told that a husband’s love for his wife is to be the same kind of love that Christ has for the church. That love was demonstrated at the cross, where Jesus sacrificed His life in order to sanctify (set-apart) and cleanse His bride (the church). Then, Paul identified the love of a man for his wife as the same as that which we all have for our own body. The love for our own body is demonstrated in the way we provide for nourishment and comfort, “just as the Lord does for the church.”
Paul starts off today’s verse with hoti, showing the cause, or reason, for Christ’s loving care for us. It is because we are part of His body that our Lord and Savior provides for our nourishment and comfort.
A husband’s love for his wife is to be like the love that Christ has for His bride (the church.) But Jesus’ bride is also His body. In a very real sense, the members of the church are physical members of Christ’s body. Christ is the head of the body, He directs and instructs us, but we are the ones who do the work of the ministry. Some members of the church are specifically gifted to reach out to those outside the body, while others are specifically gifted to minister to the health of the body. This is the same as our physical bodies. Some parts of our body (the arms and legs, for instance) perform work directed outside the body. Other parts of our body (internal organs, for instance) perform work directed within the body to keep the body healthy.
“But I thought we were talking about the love of a husband for his wife?” you might ask. Yes, we are, but one of the characteristics of Paul’s teaching is that he often intermingles the teaching of two subjects into one. Here he is teaching about what God expects of a husband in the marriage relationship, but he is also teaching something about the relationship between us and our Lord.
God loved us enough to sacrifice for us, to give us eternal life. But His love doesn’t stop there. He loves us as His own body, providing for our nourishment and comfort on a daily basis.
Application
Do you sometimes feel like God is distant and that He doesn’t care about what’s happening to you? Think again, my friend. You are part of His body, which He dearly loves and cares for. When I was a very young Christian, I heard an expression that has stuck with me ever since. It may not be a quote from the Bible, but remembering it should cause us all to look closely at our relationship with our God:
Does God seem to be far away? If so, who do you think moved?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved