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The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
What does Paul mean in Ephesians 1:23 when he describes the church as the fullness of Christ? Does it mean that the church is completed and filled up by Christ, or does it mean that Christ is completed and filled up by the church?
Certainly the first. But the second is also true. According to 1 Corinthians 12:12, “Christ” names the head-and-body totus Christus, and Christ-head without a body would be a monstrous Christ. A Christ without a body would be a dis-embodied Christ.
It seems a perichoretic relation: Christ is filled with all the fullness of God, and fills God; we are brought into that relation of mutual indwelling, so that as we are filled with Christ in whom the fullness dwells, we also fill and complete Christ.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 7:00 am
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