Paul argues that the followers of Jesus must be united with Christ in such a way that they share his faith and spirit. Therefore, they must live like Christ; they are a Christic body. This is Christ-united living. Paul’s idea does not stem from Stoicism, which uses the body metaphor to support hierarchical unity. His concept of being “one in Christ” is not that of concord in the empire; rather, it is an ethical union with Christ. The empire’s model and Paul’s vision are thus fundamentally disparate. I therefore argue that Paul’s point is never about being merely Christ-centered or Christ-unified, but about being Christ-united or Christ-embodying.
