Summary

Using the plural form of the pronoun you, Paul now addresses the Corinthian church members directly. He calls them the body of Christ. Notice that he does not view the local church as merely a segment of the universal church. The Corinthian church is not part of the body of Christ. They are the body of Christ.

It is remarkable that Paul can still refer to the Corinthian church in this way. In spite of their quarrels (1 Corinthians 1:10–12), arrogance (1 Corinthians 4:6–8), lack of church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1–13), lawsuits against each other (1 Corinthians 6:1–11), sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:12–20), longing for idolatrous sacrifices (1 Corinthians 8:1 – 10:22), and abuse of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17–34), they are still joined to Christ.

The second part of the statement highlights the individual significance of the body metaphor. Each church member may view himself (or herself) as part of Christ’s body. Earlier in his letter (1 Corinthians 6:19), Paul stated that the body of every individual believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit.