Building One Another Up in Christ and the Body

The concept of building one another up in Christ and the Body is rooted in the biblical understanding of the church as the Body of Christ. The apostle Paul writes that "we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" ^[3]. This unity is not just a metaphor but a spiritual reality that is grounded in the union of believers with Christ.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul exhorts believers to "encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" ^{[1, 2]}. This exhortation is based on the understanding that believers are part of a larger body, the church, which is the Body of Christ. The image of the body is used to convey the idea that just as different parts of a physical body work together to form a unified whole, believers are to work together to build each other up.

The idea of being "in Christ" is a central theme in the New Testament. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, union with Christ involves being in Christ and Christ being in us ^[5]. This union is maintained by faith and is characterized by obedience to Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note on John 17:21, the unity of believers is modeled on the oneness of the Father and the Son, and is achieved through the indwelling Spirit ^[7].

The church, as the Body of Christ, is not just a collection of individuals but a unified whole. Matthew Henry notes on 1 Corinthians 12:12 that the church is like a human body, with many members that make up one body ^[6]. Each believer is a member of this body, and together they form the Body of Christ. As John Gill comments on Ephesians 4:16, the church is "fitly joined together" and grows as each part works together in love ^[8].

The unity of the Body of Christ is not just a static reality but a dynamic process. Believers are to "build one another up" through mutual encouragement and service ^{[1, 2]}. This involves submitting to one another in the fear of Christ, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5:21 ^[4]. The goal of this mutual edification is to achieve a deeper level of unity and maturity in Christ.

The Tyndale House commentary on Ephesians 4:16 notes that each part of the body plays an important role in the growth and health of the whole body ^[11]. Christ is the head of the body, and He works through the individual parts to achieve this growth. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown comment on Jude 1:20, believers are to "build themselves up on their most holy faith" through prayer in the Holy Spirit ^[12].

The concept of building one another up in Christ and the Body is thus deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of the church as the Body of Christ. It involves a deepening unity and maturity among believers, achieved through mutual encouragement, service, and submission to one another in the fear of Christ.

The biblical image of the Body of Christ has significant implications for how believers relate to one another. As Matthew Henry notes on 1 Corinthians 12:27, each believer is a member of the Body of Christ, and stands in relation to other believers as fellow-members ^[9]. This understanding of the church as a unified body emphasizes the importance of mutual love and service among believers.

In John 17:21, Jesus prays that believers may be one, just as He and the Father are one ^[7]. This unity is not just a desirable goal but a reflection of the deeper unity between Christ and the Father. As the Tyndale House commentary on John 17:21 notes, the unity of believers is an outgrowth of their union with Jesus, and is essential for their witness to the world ^[10].

The concept of building one another up in Christ and the Body is thus a rich and multifaceted theme that is deeply rooted in the biblical understanding of the church. It emphasizes the importance of unity, mutual love, and service among believers, and is essential for the health and growth of the church as the Body of Christ.

Sources

I Thessalonians “I Thessalonians 5:11 (BSB) — Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.”
1 Thessalonians “1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NASB) — Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
Romans “Romans 12:5 (Tyndale) — so we beynge many are one body in Christ and every man (amoge oure selves) one anothers mebers Seynge”
Ephesians “Ephesians 5:21 (NASB) — and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Union With Christ — As Head of the Church -- Eph 1:22,23; 4:15,16; Col 1:18. Christ prayed that all saints might have -- Joh 17:21,23. Described as Christ being in us. -- Eph 3:17; Col 1:27. Our being in Christ. -- 2Co 12:2; 1Jo 5:20. Includes union with the Father -- Joh 17:21; 1Jo 2:24. Is of God -- 1Co 1:30. Maintained by Faith. -- Ga 2:20; Eph 3:17. Abiding in him. -- Joh 15:4,7. His word abiding in us. -- Joh 15:7; 1Jo 2:24; 2Jo 1:9. Feeding on him. -- Joh 6:56. Obeying him. -- 1Jo 3:24. The Holy Spirit witnesses -- 1Jo 3:24. The gift of the Holy Spirit is an ev”
1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 12:12: The apostle here makes out the truth of what was above asserted, and puts the gifted men among the Corinthians in mind of their duty, by comparing the church of Christ to a human body. I. By telling us that one body may have many members, and that the many members of the same body make but one body (Co1 12:12): As the body is one, and hath many members, and all members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ; that is, Christ mystical, as divines commonly speak. Christ and his church making one body, as head and members, this body is m”
John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 17:21: that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us--The indwelling Spirit of the Father and the Son is the one perfect bond of union, knitting up into a living unity, first all believers amongst themselves; next, this unity into one still higher, with the Father and the Son. (Observe, that Christ never mixes Himself up with His disciples as He associates Himself with the Father, but says I in THEM and THEY in US). that the world may believe that thou hast sent me--sentest me. So the grand impression upon th”
Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 4:16: From whom the whole body fitly joined gether,.... By which is meant, the church; see Eph 1:23 sometimes it designs all the elect of God in heaven and in earth, but here the church militant, which only can admit of an increase; this body is from Christ, as an head, and the phrase denotes the rise and origin of the church from Christ, her dependence upon him, and union to him, and of its members one to another; she has her being and form, from him, and all her blessings, as her life and light, righteousness and holiness, her grace and strength, her joy, peace, and co”
1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 12:27: I. Here the apostle sums up the argument, and applies this similitude to the church of Christ, concerning which observe, 1. The relation wherein Christians stand to Christ and one another. The church, or whole collective body of Christians, in all ages, is his body. Every Christian is a member of his body, and every other Christian stands related to him as a fellow-member (Co1 12:27): Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular, or particular members. Each is a member of the body, not the whole body; each stands related to the body as a part ”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 17:21: 17:21 For believers, becoming one with one another is an outgrowth of the union they enjoy with Jesus himself, a union modeled on the oneness of the Father and the Son. • may they be in us: Through the power of the Spirit, believers would experience a profound spiritual intimacy with the Father and the Son and be transformed (14:20, 23; 1 Jn 4:13). • Disciples of Jesus represent him, so their conduct and relationships with each other reflect the credibility of Christ in the world. When there is disunity, infighting, and intolerance, their testimony to the world is ”
Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 4:16: 4:16 Each part of the body plays an important role and helps the other parts grow. Christ, the head of the body, works through the individual parts, makes them fit together, and is the ultimate source of growth (see Col 2:19). • When all believers are ministering effectively, the whole body will be healthy and growing and full of love (cp. 1 Cor 8:1). Love is the most important factor in Christian growth (1 Cor 13:1-13).”
Jude (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jude 1:20: Resuming Jde 1:17. building up yourselves--the opposite to the "separate themselves" (Jde 1:19): as "in the Holy Ghost" is opposed to "having not the Spirit." on--as on a foundation. Building on THE FAITH is equivalent to building on Christ, the object of faith. praying in the Holy Ghost-- (Rom 8:26; Eph 6:18). The Holy Spirit teaches what we are to pray for, and how. None can pray aright save by being in the Spirit, that is, in the element of His influence. CHRYSOSTOM states that, among the charisms bestowed at the beginning of the New Testament d”

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