Christ is "one body," with all members part of the body (vs. 12).
All become incorporated into Him by faith through baptism (vss.13,14).
There is:
- A corporate unity of the body (vs. 14).
- A corporate diversity of the body (vss. 15-17).
- A corporate need in the body (vs. 21).
- A corporate balance of the body (vss. 22-24).
- A corporate concern within the body (vs. 25).
- A corporate suffering felt in the body (vs. 26).
- A corporate rejoicing experienced in the body (vs. 26).
"Many members = one body," "the body of Christ" (vss. 18-20, 27). His goal: become incarnate in the "body" of the church, not theoretically but effectively through the Holy Spirit.
The corporate principle is easily seen in our physical bodies: all our organs and limbs sympathize with a wounded member. "Many" = "one."
Blood-stream infections (example, malaria) are a "corporate" disease.
There is corporate sinful human nature, as all lions share a corporate man-eating nature (cf. 5BC 1085).