The Apostle Paul taught that each believer is in Christ and that the Spirit of Christ is in each believer. He also taught that this union results in believers becoming part of the body of Christ in a spiritual sense. In the pre-prison epistles, Paul spoke of the body of Christ in very general terms. However, in the prison epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, Paul spoke of the formal institution of the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Eph 1:22-23
22 (God) put all things under (Christ’s) feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (KJV)

Not only does this passage show the Body of Christ as an institution, it shows an institutional structure in which Christ is the Head of the Body. This is emphasized again in Colossians.

Col 1:18
18 And (Christ) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (KJV)

In his pre-prison epistles, Paul was clearly addressing people who, like himself, lived with the daily expectation of Christ’s return to set up His earthly kingdom.

1 Cor 6:1-3
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (NKJ)

In the prison epistles, Paul made no mention of Israel’s New Covenant hope but said that the revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ was given to him as a special dispensation or deposit of truth from God. In Ephesians, he called this revelation the dispensation of the grace of God.

Eph 3:1-2
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (NKJ)

In Colossians, Paul called it the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Col 1:24-25
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (KJV)

In II Corinthians 3:6, Paul said that he was a minister of Israel’s New Covenant, but in the prison epistles, he wrote simply as a minister of the Church which is the Body of Christ. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said that the Church which is the Body of Christ was kept secret from all other generations but that God now wanted all men to understand this great mystery.

Eph 3:8-9
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (KJV)

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/