Paul uses the metaphor of "the whole [human] body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part" (Eph 4:16). Holistically "the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body" (1Co 12:12). There is "no division in the body" (:25). The body is a unit but "God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired" (:18). It is a figure of speech because "we are members of His body" (Eph 5:30) since "you are Christ's body" (1Co 12:27). "We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (Ro 12:5) so "that the members may have the same care for one another" (1Co 12:25). "Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body" (Eph 5:23) "which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (1:23). He is the "head of the body, the church" (Col 1:18). God "put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church" (Eph 1:22). "The church is subject to Christ" (5:24). "When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28).
It was to "reconcile them both in one body through the cross" (Eph 1:16) whereby "by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks . . . we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1Co 12:13). "We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Eph 4:15). We must hold "fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God" (Col 2:19). "Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ" (1Co 11:3). "The equipping of the saints [is] for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12) so "the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord" (2:21) "into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" (:22).
It is in context of "a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times" (1:10) "not only in this age but also in the one to come" (:21). It is in terms of "the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth" (:10). "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:17). He is seated "in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named" (Eph 1:21). "He put all things . . . under His feet" (:22) and has authority "over all things to the church" (:22). It is "the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (:23).