In dealing with the Pauline concept of the church as the body of Christ (s oma Christou), numerous New Testament scholars and others have tried to come to grips with a fundamental but yet unresolved issue--the nature of the relationship between Christ via his own body and the church as body. Embedded in much of the discussion is the implicit assumption that s oma Christou as ecclesiological language does point to Christ's once crucified but now risen body in some direct way. / This thesis examines that basic assumption in the light of the 18 ecclesiological references to soma found in the Pauline corpus. We argue that such an assumption is implausible and we conclude that it is simply the human body (any human body) which acts as a metaphorical signifier for the church; further, that Christ's personal body, crucified and risen, becomes relevant only in a larger Christological and soteriological sense.

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