Paul uses the image of a body to describe Jesus Christ as the head of the church. It is Jesus Christ who provides the direction and the coordination of His body. What is most beautiful about this imagery, though, is how it relates to Christ's authority over His church.
The image of the head and the body vividly shows that, just as our flesh and bone is joined together and supported by ligaments, we are joined together, growing and being built up in love under Jesus, who is the head of the body. It also means that we need everyone to function as the body! Everyone belongs; everyone serves. Because we belong to one another under Christ's authority, we also need one another to build up that body.
