The understanding church as the body of Christ

of the
has become a central issue ecumenical discussions.
in

Eduard Schweizer disagrees with those who interpret

the church mystically, as an extension of Christ himself.
Rather, he says, the "body of Christ" implies: (1) the
church's total dependance on the "once-for-all" of Christ's
death and (2) the church's unity expressing itself in its love
and service to the world.
He reaches this conclusion by studying the history of the
Greek word for "body." He shows how Greek thinking
about the body —from Homer to the late Stoic philoso-
phers of New Testament days —
provided the means to
express this Hebrew thought: Man must be considered
primarily not in his individuality, but in his responsibility
to God and his relation to his fellowmen.

EDUARD SCHWEIZER is a noted

and writer.
biblical scholar, lecturer,
Professor of New Testament at the
University of Zurich since 1949, he
holds a Dr.Theol. from the University
of Basel. In America he has lectured
at various seminaries, including Col-
gate Rochester Divinity School and
San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Among his books are Lordship and
Discipleship and Church Order in the
New Testament.

c
JOHN KNOX PRESS
Richmond, Virginia