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Thread: The bride of Christ

  1. #11
    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    Marriage is used as the best example because the spiritual intimacy between Christ and the Church can only be compared to the highest human intimacy of a husband and wife.

    God called natural Israel his wife and used marriage and they did not have the Holy Spirit within them and neither did they have the closest intimacy you can have with God under the old covenant.
    How much more does marriage apply in the NT when it says we are all able to have 100% access to God by the blood of Jesus.

    Marriage symbolises Oneness.
    The key is we become ONE with God in our spirit and the only natural comparison is a husband and wife becoming one.
    Becoming one with God through the indwelling Holy Spirit is the greatest intimacy and the highest form of spiritual marriage
    Thank you Cardinal for this wise commentary.

    "And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2: 4-5).

    This passage highlights that intimacy of which you mention. Not all will accept Jesus, but in God's sight He is precious and highly esteemed. Those who belong to Jesus (Eph 1:7) are united in a spiritual house becoming a holy priesthood. Jesus said He would build His church (not brick and mortar) but the worldwide invisible body with Him as head. Everyone in that body functions as a priest. Spiritual sacrifices are offered through Jesus Christ by this priesthood, which will be accepted.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

  2. #12
    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    This is one conclusion to the Bible, if one views the remaining verses as afterthoughts :

    Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

    It does at least sum up what is going on here until Jesus does return as mentioned in verse 20. It decribes the calling of the Church to bring people in to salvation by the power of the Spirit. I have no idea why or how to read it any other way.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    The Bible uses a woman as a picture of God's wisdom then in other passages refers to Jesus as the wisdom from God. It also uses animal characteristics to describe God, like wings and feathers. In a time where the world messes with gender identities I can understand that you feel like that but it is clear to me that ancient Jewish culture, which did in no way accept homosexuality or anything related to that, did not think of using metaphors as having anything to do with that. Homosexuality hasn't been mainstream for as long here in Norway and when I was a teenager in the eighties it wasn't socially accepted at all. When I went to bible college in 1990 I would have laughed at the idea that using two different genders in metaphors for the Church should in any way suggest anything perverse. As long as it isn't mixed in the same metaphor, for instance the body of Christ as such suddenly being a "she". Think about the notion that the sum of all believers, including women, make up the body of the man Jesus Christ. Isn't that equally perverse in some sense if we try hard to see things that way ?
    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    Think about the notion that the sum of all believers, including woman, make up the body of the man Jesus Christ. Isn't that equally perverse in some sense if we try hard to see things that way ?
    "...there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). This verse puts all on the same footing (one in Christ).
    Of coarse in church ministry, there is a difference in role between men and women when Paul said elders are men, (1 Tim 3:1-2) and that women are excluded from teaching leadership (1 Tim 2:12). And I might add, there will be no marriage in glory (Matt 22:30), for all the people that will be there will be like angels in heaven, that is, they will live forever.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    This is one conclusion to the Bible, if one views the remaining verses as afterthoughts :

    Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

    It does at least sum up what is going on here until Jesus does return as mentioned in verse 20. It decribes the calling of the Church to bring people in to salvation by the power of the Spirit. I have no idea why or how to read it any other way.
    I have to agree with you Colonel. These two the Spirit and the bride does seem to be interpreted as the Spirit and the church giving the call to the unsaved to come and partake of the life of Christ.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

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    Colonel (10-29-2017)

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    Senior Member Valiant Woman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    Thank you VW for this verse. Jesus purchased us with His own blood (Rev 5:9). Christ died to set the Church apart (sanctify) as His own which is a positional and not a progressive in the sense of a continual sanctification (1 Cor 6:11). The word does a continual spiritual cleansing within us individually as we feed and act upon it. The Lord's goal is a Church that is morally and spiritually glorious (holy) at His second coming.
    I posted that scripture as witness that the Church is referred to as “her” and “she”...in the Feminine sense (which you dispute).

    Therefore I believe the Church is the “Bride of Christ.”
    When your praise match your prayers, the answer will come.
    https://www.facebook.com/Valiant-Wom...1103844642026/

  7. #16
    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    "...there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). This verse puts all on the same footing (one in Christ).
    Of coarse in church ministry, there is a difference in role between men and women when Paul said elders are men, (1 Tim 3:1-2) and that women are excluded from teaching leadership (1 Tim 2:12). And I might add, there will be no marriage in glory (Matt 22:30), for all the people that will be there will be like angels in heaven, that is, they will live forever.
    In that case I don't think that the metaphors matter much either. Whether there is talk of a male body or a female bride. There is no gender involved with a billion people seen as one body and there is no sex involved in the relation between Christ and his bride either. The metaphors have definite limitations and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

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    curly sue (10-29-2017)

  9. #17
    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    I have to agree with you Colonel. These two the Spirit and the bride does seem to be interpreted as the Spirit and the church giving the call to the unsaved to come and partake of the life of Christ.
    That's the first verse that enters my mind when someone says bride and church!

  10. #18
    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valiant Woman View Post
    I posted that scripture as witness that the Church is referred to as “her” and “she”...in the Feminine sense (which you dispute).

    Therefore I believe the Church is the “Bride of Christ.”
    The authorized KJV: "...Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for "It"(Eph 5:25). "That He might present "It" to Himself a glorious Church...Verse 27. Only the newer versions add her and she to this passage of Scripture in Ephesians.
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

  11. #19
    Senior Member Smitty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Colonel View Post
    In that case I don't think that the metaphors matter much either. Whether there is talk of a male body or a female bride. There is no gender involved with a billion people seen as one body and there is no sex involved in the relation between Christ and his bride either. The metaphors have definite limitations and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
    "Agreed!"
    If you put God First, you have Him at Last.

  12. #20
    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smitty View Post
    The authorized KJV: "...Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for "It"(Eph 5:25). "That He might present "It" to Himself a glorious Church...Verse 27. Only the newer versions add her and she to this passage of Scripture in Ephesians.
    The she and her seems to be an interpretative translation, but the comparison to a man and his wife is loud and clear and even works as an implied admonition for husbands to treat their wives like Christ treats his bride. So that is a very good interpretative translation.

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