II. THIS IS THE LIVING WHICH A GOD-MAN CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF GOD’S FIRSTBORN SON SHOULD HAVE IN EXPERIENCING THE CO-DEATH
AND CO-RESURRECTION WITH CHRIST
The union and mingling of the Spirit of God with the spirit of man produce this kind of building of the co-living and co-walking of God and man, which is the living that a God-man conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son should have in experiencing the co-death and co-resurrection with Christ.
III. THIS IS ALSO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY
OF CHRIST ARRIVED AT BY ALL THE GOD-MEN
AS THE MEMBERS OF CHRIST IN THEIR GROWING UP INTO THE HEAD, CHRIST, IN ALL THINGS
The building up of the Body of Christ is through the co-living and co-walking of the two spirits in the believers. This is also the building up of the Body of Christ arrived at by all the God-men as the members of Christ in their growing up into the Head, Christ, in all things (Eph. 4:15). To grow up into the Head, Christ, in all things implies that in every point and every aspect of our daily life, Christ is increasing within us. To grow up into Christ is to allow Christ to grow and increase in all our inward parts. When He grows, we will enter more into Him. Thus, the members of Christ will grow by the growth of Christ and eventually arrive at the building up of the Body of Christ.
A. Out from the Head, Christ,
All the Body Is Joined Together through
Every Joint of the Rich Supply
Those members who grow up into the Head, Christ, will be "out from" the Head, Christ. If we do not grow up into the Head, Christ, there is no way for us to be "out from" Him. First, we grow up into the Head, Christ; then we have something that is out from the Head for the building of His Body. This is why Ephesians 4:15 speaks of growing up into the Head, Christ, and then is followed by verse 16, which speaks of being "out from" Him. Out from Him, all the Body is joined together through every joint of the rich supply (Eph. 4:16a). The rich supply here must be a particular supply, the supply of Christ. The joints of the rich supply refer to the specially gifted persons, as mentioned in verse 11, who are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. In the Body of Christ there is the need for these joints of the rich supply to join all the parts together. Thus the Body of Christ will be built up.
B. Out from the Head, Christ, All the Body
Is Also Knit Together (Interwoven) through
the Operation in the Measure of Each One Part
Out from the Head, Christ, all the Body is also knit together through the operation in the measure of each one part (Eph. 4:16b). Each one part refers to each member of the Body. Through the growth in life and the development of the gift, each member of the Body of Christ has its own measure, which operates for the growth of the Body. When the various parts of the Body operate appropriately, all the Body will be knit together, that is, interwoven.
The Body of Christ has joints and various parts. The joints are for connecting; the various parts are for knitting together (interweaving). To be joined and knit together, or interwoven, is to be built up together. For example, every building has its framework and its various parts. The framework needs to be joined together; the various parts need to be knit together. The framework is just an empty frame; there are many holes that need to be filled and knit together by the knitting work of every part between the holes, as in weaving textiles. This kind of building by joining and knitting is very strong and sturdy. Ephesians 4:16 uses the words joined and knit, which surely have two implications: one is the joining of the framework, and the other is the knitting, the interweaving, of the various parts. The Body of Christ can be built up by the joining and knitting together through the supplying joints and the various functioning parts.
(The Issue of the Union of the Consummated Spirit of the Triune God and the Regenerated Spirit of the Believers, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
