12:12 the body is one. See “The Church” at Eph. 2:19. The description of Christ’s church as a body is one of the most distinctive and significant teachings of Paul (1:13 note). Indeed, the apostle tells us that he was given a special revelation concerning this “mystery,” which was hidden for many ages; namely, that God’s people, both Jews and Gentiles, are now constituted one body by virtue of Christ’s exaltation (Eph. 1:22, 23; 3:2–6). Both the existence and the growth of the church derive from this unity established by Christ through the Spirit (Eph. 4:3–6, 11–16; Col. 2:19; 3:14, 15).