Four Biblical Themes (about the Body)

From the beginning of Genesis to the final chapter in Revelation, the Bible presents us with both implicit and explicit understandings of our bodies. On this page, we want to explore four key themes about the body that we find woven throughout Scripture. These four themes help us see what a biblically-centered, theologically grounded view of the body might look like.

Your body is good.

Genesis clearly indicates that our bodies are inherently good. It is true that our bodies always have imperfections, and there are often features of our bodies we might wish were different. However, these normal feelings do not negate the fundamental goodness of our physical forms. God meant for us to be embodied, and he called it good.

Thus, Dr. Jonathan Morgan indicates that the Christian perspective is essentially “materialistic.” He, of course, does not mean in the sense of accumulating a lot of stuff, as pop culture would have us do. He means that it is Christian to value the material of which we are made.

1 Timothy 4:4 declares that everything God created, including our bodies, is good and should be accepted with gratitude. The context suggests there was a false teaching going around where marriage was discouraged, perhaps because of a negative view of the body and physical pleasure (1 Tim. 4:3). Paul is crystal clear here. Such devaluation of the body and, by extension, physical pleasure is false.

This is perhaps a point worth emphasizing. Enjoying the pleasures God has built into our bodies is not hedonism. God created sex. God created food. God created the chemicals in our brains that result in pleasure when we do certain physical activities. These are part of the goodness God proclaimed in Genesis 1:31.

Hedonism is when those pleasures get out of control and take over. We no longer live primarily for God but rather for enjoyment and self-gratification. Pleasure becomes an end in itself, and it begins to move out of its proper boundaries.

Your body is purposeful.

Genesis 1 makes it clear that our existence as humans is not random. We are not some arbitrary stop on a mindless evolutionary trail. God planned and created humanity as the only being on earth that is “in his image.” Our bodies are not random or incidental. God gave us these bodies.

To say we are created in the image of God doesn’t mean that God looks like us, only a lot bigger. God is not sitting in outer space with two arms, two legs, or other well-known body parts. Rather, we were made to reflect God’s character. The way we relate to each other, love one another, speak, and share with each other – these mirror aspects of God’s character. We are not mere images of God, as pagans believed about their idols, but we are in the image of God. Not our bodies themselves, but what we do with them reflects divine truths. 

God’s purpose for us in creation extends to the differentiation of genders as part of God’s plan for humanity. In marital union, the coming together of male and female symbolizes divine love, faithfulness, and the essence of creation. Both male and female reflect the image of God, but God made humanity male and female.

Your body is holy.

Holiness in relation to the body is a recurring biblical theme. While many may primarily associate holiness with the spiritual or mental dimensions of our lives, the Bible includes the body within this realm of potential sanctity. Paul told the Corinthians that their “body” was a temple of the Lord (e.g., 1 Cor. 3:16-17). Here, he meant both of them collectively as the body of Christ and as individual bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. They were not just vessels carrying around souls. Their bodies were an essential part of their spiritual identity. The very presence of God dwells within us, consecrating our bodies as sacred entities. Accordingly, our bodies must be treated with the reverence deserving of a vessel in which God dwells.

Your body is intrinsic to your identity.

The Bible makes it clear that we do not merely possess or wear our bodies. Our bodies are an essential part of who we are. This belief contrasts sharply with certain dualistic philosophies that attempt to divorce the body from the soul. In the biblical view, our bodies and souls are inseparably linked in life, shaping who we are together. While certain aspects of our identity might be flexible and subject to change, others are fixed, part of God’s design for the creation. Our bodies fall into this latter category. Until recently, it has been impossible to alter this fact, and Wesleyans believe our bodies remain a permanent part of God’s design for who we are.

Cultural trends come and go, and with them, changing understandings. However, these four truths are timeless truths. They help us move toward a healthy sense of our human bodies. By embracing these themes, we can navigate the complexities of contemporary discourses on the body with clarity, conviction, and hope.