For it pleased the Father that in him should
all fullness dwell."--Colossians 1:17-19.
[314]The apostle Paul uses a human body to illustrate the Christ, the
great mystery class; the head representing Jesus, and the other members
of the body those who are of his church. "For as the body is one, and
hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are
one body: so also is Christ.... Now ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular."--1 Corinthians 12:12,27.
[315]The Christ is also designated in the Scriptures as the seed of
Abraham according to the promise. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one,
And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Galatians 3:16) Addressing himself
to the church, the Christians, the followers of Jesus, the Apostle
further said: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on
Christ.... And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26,27,29) This is the seed,
then, through whom the blessings will come to all the families of the
earth. Church means a gathered out class; and so the gospel age, that is
to say, the period from Jesus' first coming until his second coming, is
employed by Jehovah for the selection of the church, the seed of
Abraham, through which blessings will come to all the remainder of
mankind in God's due time.
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