than the term “Lord” can be applied to them because children are told, “Be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord.”—Eph. 6:1.

How, then, are we to understand 1 Corinthians 12:12? This reads: “Just as the body is one but has many members, and all the members of that body, although being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.” Does not the term “the Christ” in this instance include the body members? No, apparently not, for what Paul is here discussing is the body of Christ separate and distinct from its Head. That is why he sums up his argument in 1Co 12 verse 27, saying: “Now you are Christ’s body, and members individually.” At 1Co 12 verse 12 Paul is evidently using an elliptical way of speaking in connection with the Christ, a form of speech not uncommon in the Scriptures. So we could paraphrase Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 12:12 this way: ‘Just as the body, though being a single entity, has many members, so it is with the body of Christ, that is, those associated with or belonging to Jesus Christ.’

In other words, the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures do not make a distinction between “the Christ” and Jesus Christ. Illustrating this point is Ephesians 2:13, which says: “But now in union with Christ Jesus you who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ.” Compare also Ephesians 1:10, 12, 20.

In view of the foregoing, how is Hebrews 11:26 to be understood? This tells us that Moses “esteemed the reproach of the Christ as riches greater than the treasures of Egypt.” To whom or what does “the Christ” refer in this instance? It does not seem that the “riches” Moses had in mind was in his being a type of “the Christ” to come, because he did not know that he was such. Rather, it appears to refer to the privilege he himself had of being God’s anointed one (Greek: christós) to serve as mediator and deliverer. This meant more to Moses than all the treasures of Egypt.

From this discussion we can see that a variety of terms are applied to Jesus Christ and his body members. Some apply exclusively to Jesus. Others, such as “new heavens,” always take in the composite number of the 144,001, Christ Jesus and his body. Still other names describe just the 144,000, though usually illustrating some relationship to their Head, Christ Jesus, such as “body of Christ,” “the bride,” “little flock,” and “New Jerusalem.” But, as we have noted, there are some designations that at times have a broad or inclusive sense, taking in the 144,000 as a body and sometimes including Christ, while at other times these same designations have a more limited or restricted sense. A good example of this is the word “congregation.” So it is important to consider the context so as to have clearly in mind the thought of the writer. Names are descriptive. When correctly understood and applied, they bring out the full value of things or persons, and are essential to an accurate knowledge of the Word of God.

Demonism at Ephesus

One of the earliest inscriptions found at Ephesus was a form of divination by omens from birds inscribed on a block of marble. “If the bird is flying from right to left, then whether it rises or settles out of sight, it is unlucky,” and so on.—The Bible Was Right, by Hugh J. Schonfield, chapter 37, “The Home of Magic.” See Acts 19:18, 19, where it reports that Ephesus was known for its “magical arts.”