SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRISTIANITY IS CORPORATE

SPECIAL TOPIC: BIBLICAL FAITH IS CORPORATE

The Bible is an eastern book which focuses on family, tribe, and national groups. The individual is meant to serve the good of the whole. One person's actions affects the whole.

Old Testament Concept
1. Hebrew corporality can be defined as "one affects the whole"
  1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3, negatively)
  2. High Priest (Leviticus 16, positively)
  3. Achan (Joshua 7, negatively)
  4. Jesus (the new Adam, cf. Rom. 5:12-21, positively)
2. The OT had both an individual aspect (i.e. Deut. 24:16; Jer. 31:29-30; Ezek. 3:16-21; 18; 31:29-30; 33:10), but mostly a corporate focus. National Israel was a chosen people group. But, it was chosen to affect the whole of humanity.
  SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN
3. This sense of corporality is hard for western, individualists to comprehend. Moderns express the value on the individual person, where the eastern ancients focus on the prosperity and health of the whole group.
  The goal of the mature believer is the health and growth of the Body (see D. below)!
New Testament Concept
1. Paul's and Peter's use of PLURAL imagery for the people of God
  1. body (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-20)
  2. field (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9)
  3. building (cf. 1 Pet. 2:4-5)
2. The term "saint" is always PLURAL (except Phil. 4:21, but even there it is also corporate)
3. The Reformation emphasis of Martin Luther on the "priesthood of the believer" (i.e. soul competency) is a biblical assumption. In reality the Bible speaks of "the priesthood of believers" (cf. Exod. 19:6; 1 Pet. 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6).
4. Each believer is gifted for the common good (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7)
5. Only in cooperation can the people of God be effective. Ministry is corporate (cf. Eph. 4:1-16).

Beware of western individualism that focuses only on the rights and privileges of the one! The Bible is an eastern book and Christianity is corporate. It is a family. It is a tribe!