You asked

how does the 'body of christ' concept relate to old testament descriptions of israel as a covenant community?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

1 Corinthians 12:27

“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth, a diverse and sometimes divided community in the 1st century CE. In this chapter, he uses the metaphor of the human body to explain how different individuals with various gifts are united and essential to the functioning of the church.

What does it mean for individuals to be part of a larger 'body' while still maintaining their distinct identities and functions?

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Read alongside it

Exodus 19:5-6
Describes Israel as God's treasured possession and a holy nation, united by covenant.
Ephesians 4:15-16
Speaks of Christ as the head, and the body growing and building itself up in love.
Romans 12:4-5
Also uses the body metaphor to emphasize many members with different functions in one body in Christ.

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