Corpo de Cristo
A Igreja é o Corpo de Cristo — organismo vivo onde cada membro tem função única e indispensável. Cristo é a cabeça; nós somos seus membros.
Um corpo, muitos membros
Assim como o corpo é um e tem muitos membros, assim é Cristo. Nós somos o corpo de Cristo e individualmente seus membros.
A congregation needs all the abilities that God’s Spirit gives to its members, but you should especially desire the ones that help others the most.
Although a person’s body has many parts, all the parts form just one body [DOU]. It is like that with those who belong to Christ.
Everything I have just said about how the parts of our bodies relate to each other applies to how all of you who belong to Christ should relate to each other. Each of you belongs to him, but you have not all been given the same abilities and work.
You should keep in mind that your bodies belong to Christ. [RHQ] So, should I or any other believer [RHQ] take our body, which belongs to Christ, and join it sexually to a prostitute? No, certainly not!
Although a person has one body, it consists of many parts. All of the parts are needed for the body, but they do not all function the same way. Similarly we, although we are many, are united into one group because of our relationship with Christ, and we belong to one another. So no one should act as though he is needed by God more than others are!
All we believers form just one group [MET], and we have only one Holy Spirit. Similarly, you were chosen {God chose you} in order that you all might confidently keep expecting one set of good things from God.
He enables all those who belong to him to mature spiritually. A person’s body grows stronger, as each part of the body is joined to the others by the ligaments and as each part ◄functions properly/works as it should►. Similarly, believers will become mature spiritually by loving each other and by each of them doing the work that God wants them to do [MET].
Cristo, a cabeça
Ele é a cabeça do corpo, que é a igreja. O corpo cresce e se edifica em amor quando cada parte faz o seu trabalho.
And God’s Son ranks above everything, because it is his Son who rules over his people [MET] as a person’s head controls his physical body, because his Son causes his people to live spiritually. God’s Son is the first one who became alive again, in order that he should become more important than anything and everyone.
I am completing what Christ appointed me to do, that I should suffer physically for the benefit of the church. And I proclaim the previously unrevealed message about Christ to every class of persons.
At the present time I am rejoicing that I am suffering for your benefit; that is, I am completing what Christ decided that I should suffer physically for the benefit of all believers, who are as dear to him as his own body.
Continue to be at peace with one another, be constantly thanking God, and continue getting to know thoroughly the message about Christ.
Because God chose you to live peacefully with one another in your local congregations, let that peace which Christ gives control your ◄inner beings/hearts►, and be constantly thanking God.
This is shown by the fact that no one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds his own body and cares for it, just like Christ also cares for all us believers. We have become one group of believers that belongs to him [MET].