Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. The ascended Lord revealed this Day unto Paul for it is a day that has reference to the Church, the Body of Christ exclusively. An adorned New Jerusalem coming down from heaven to a new earth fits perfectly as Christ’s virgin bride in a new covenant with Israel. Eve was in the body of Adam before she became the bride of Adam, so as I see it we who are the body of Christ will become the bride of Christ. He said the Church is the body of Christ. The prophets never mentioned it, …Peter and the rest of the Twelve had no knowledge of it. Don’t they realize body is a collective term for a group? Amen. Don, I agree with you but could you explain Exodus 4.22, “Israel is my son, even my firstborn” How can Israel be a bride or wife and a son? But Revelation was written to Jews and the nations. Wow. I came to all the same conclusions you have posted on this website and in the comments section independently. In the writing to the Church in Rome, Paul writes, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (emphasis added). The Christians of the 1st century were able to decode it because the code was terminology from the Old Testament. Where is the one who placed in their midst. Based on your argument we could easily say, well then how could the sheep be also the body of the Shepherd? Many peoples became ‘Jews.’ The Persians during Queen Esther’s rule; the King Izates and his mother; the Edomites, Esau’s descendants, the Herodian Dynasty and people from all nationalities became ‘Jews.’ “Isreal is my firstborn SON.’ Isreal has always been a people. The way you talk and interpret scripture it seems very clear that you see some type of gear change or split in the road and I just don’t see it that way. God has always had those who believed in Him and these fit the general sense of “ekklesia,” which simply means a group of people. Having an overarching Israel centric way of reading the N.T. If this is reasonable definition of the word church, then the implication is that it was foretold about by the prophets and thus revealed by God. 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? The lion lays down with the a lamb Jesus broke down the middle wall creatinh in himself one from the two .. New Creation, I like Cliff agree that your diligence in study is commendable. It is a different age. Yes, when Israel repents and believes Jesus is the Messiah, Israel will again be God’s bride/wife. I know after I teach this lesson, I wont be teaching again…. Eve was made form a piece of Adam’s Flesh. That was Paul’s domain (Romans 11.13; Galatians 2.7-9). Clay, When I write about the Church, I mean that entity which began with Paul, which he called the body of Christ. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. As is explained in Revelation, this is not to take the mark of the Beast which is likely what Revelation 3.10 is about. Everywhere the word church is mentioned, with a couple of exceptions, it is in a particular location or a particular person’s house. Ellen, See Ephesians 1.21-22, 5.23; Colossians 1.23; 1 Corinthians 12.13. God will not bring the church to Christ as His bride until the work of the church as the Body of Christ has been accomplished. Thus the wild olive tree (gentiles) is grafted into the tame olive tree (Israelites). We are not the “Bride of Christ.”. This Solitary Unit is referred to as the “One New Man,”The Body,” “A New Nation,” “A Royal Priesthood,” “A People,” “A Field,”The Bride of Christ,” “The Chosen,” “The Temple,” “A Building,” “A Garden” etc. The illustration is used to help us understand the different aspects of the relationship of the involved parties better. I think you are slightly off with this, you should REALLY read the Apocrypha and other related scriptures because they ARE canon. Ephesians 5:23–32 reveals that earthly marriages are a picture of the church's union with Christ. BUT why does the gospel of mark say this Mark 2:19 (KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? I got it! Jesus sat in that position until all his enemies were put under his feet. So it is not easy to say dogmatically on this topic, for me, at least. There was never any ethnic ‘Jew.’ One became a ‘Jew’ by conversion and observing the laws of Moses. (30) He must increase, but I must decrease.--The office of the paranymph ceases to exist when the marriage is accomplished. The gospel that I trust for my salvation is faith in Jesus Christ that He is the Son of God, that He lived as a man, that He died on the cross for my sins, that He was buried and raised and ascended to heaven, that He was the last Adam putting to death the Adamic race and was the second man, a life-giving spirit, heavenly and that through this faith I am incorporated into His body. You probably know the clergy or priests of the Roman Catholic Church "marries" their church, taking an oath to celebacy. His kingdom has come. The Bible: It’s all for us, but it’s not all directly to us!! The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a Biblical doctrine (Romans 5.9; 1 Thessalonians 1.10, 5.9). Joseph is similar; while rejected by his brethren (Israel) he is given Asnath as wife. That people group is what by definition we would call the church. When I use the word church I am talking about a group of people who have put their faith in Jesus for salvation and received His mercy to become His people. NOT defiled by false doctrine*, not idol worshippers. Mike, Those whom Jesus addressed in Revelation 2-3 were Jews who had believed the gospel of the kingdom and were anticipating the Day of the Lord (Revelation 1.10). The truth that God would baptize Jew and Gentile and that they would be equal in a new organism was completely unknown. Paul revealed the Church, the body of Christ, was a new creation. Furthermore, it should be Noted that the people in the Modern State of Israel, are Gentiles, and Do not even Beleive in Yahoshua and will not be AMONG the “Elect:- although, some of them may be found amongst the Bride. For instance, when Babylon is used, it is not about Babylon, it is a reference to Rome. I know the Holy Spirit led me to your site to correct that teaching Thanks for your labour in Christ. 12:13-24. Then we have the Prophet Hoses in 1:10 and 2:23 seemingly implying as much. Do they just get transferred to the New Earth? Is in the Temple/Body that I believe the Bride and the Children are together. We are in Him and He has risen! All Church doctrine comes from Paul’s letters and Paul was the founder of the Church, even as Abraham was the founder of Israel. This literally means "homeless one," since you will have abandoned your home for the life of a nun. You will not be disappointed. The church is th entire body of Christ all the members together are seen as one church Israel becomes Spiritual Israel because of indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Like the Israelites who were protected from the Plagues which struck Egypt, so too will the Elect be protected from the Plagues which shall strike the Whole earth. I think the main point of confusion about the church is that it should be plural as it is throughout the Bible. The apostasy in the Church today is the result of rejecting Pauline doctrines. Thank you so much for your articles and for repeating the same thing over and over, for those of us who are slow learners. The resurrected Christ as the life-giving Spirit is the transfigured descendant of the woman, the seed of the woman; as such a One, He is being dispensed into us to bruise the serpent’s head in us and to also make us the corporate seed of the woman!Hallelujah! He says, ‘The church as the Body of Christ is absolutely a matter of life. Both believing Jews and Gentiles compose the body of Christ but it is only Jews and Gentiles who have believed Paul’s gospel. The “Bride”- gentiles, However do not Keep ALL of the laws, and so they much prove their faith through trial, testimony AND tribulation. DOM, The Church, the body of Christ, is a whole new program of God, just as Israel was a whole new program God began with Abraham. As of now, you are still technically a lay person. 5:25] When Christ nourishes and cherishes the ekklēsia, he nourishes and cherishes his own flesh. I understand that as Believers we are grafted in and become apart of the body of Christ but aside from the descriptive language of a groom and a bride and a wedding party, do not both believing Jews and Gentiles make up the body of Christ? When the marriage is described in scripture and invitations go out to guest but are ignored and so people off the streets are invited instead; who are these ‘street people’ who are brought to the wedding? Similarly, I read Nee years ago but do go back to him now and again on issues. In Christ, we share in the benefits of His life, death, resurrection and ascension such that, not only are we recipients of Christ's life and righteousness, but we have been freed from the power and penalty of sin and death (Hebrews 2:14–15; 1 Corinthians 15:55–57). If the Jews do no inherit this land God is a liar and will cease being God. I believe God has been very intentional and many times accommodating with men throughout history. I address this passage in the article. She is a betrothed "woman" getting married - a bride. Brian, The problem with this analysis is Paul did not say the Church was the bride of Christ. This clarifies the true churches position of being a virgin i.e. Thanks. I discuss this in Paul: Chief of Sinners? They all concern Christ. Peter references it. He tells that the church is the bride … 1 Corinthians 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. "5:21 It implies that the "Bride" is the body of believers that comprise the universal Christian Ekklēsia (Church) (lit. The bride, the church, speaks to the bridegroom (), to the daughters of Jerusalem (v. 5, v. 6), and then to the bridegroom ().II. The only question is whether what Paul wrote is true or false. (1977). He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Jacob loved Rachel and served seven years for her. Precisely the same considerations apply to the clause in Romans 6:3, "All we who were baptized (ὅσοι, ἐβαπτίσθημεν) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death." You won’t find it in the Old Testament or gospels or in any writings other than Paul. They Prove their faith, by the following of the commandments and by Faith in the messiah, Yahoshua. Brian, We must be constantly vigilant about our freedoms. In the mean time gentiles have been grafted into the tree, so the tree will continue to produce fruit. Now we all know the church is not simply a building or land. Does the old earth get burned up and replaced with New Earth? his holy spirit, … Believe the Scriptures and this will become evident. This fact confirms that most people (most ministers) do not not understand Paul and very little of Church theology. They do the opposite and speak about the church as a single entity, though many in part. Paul wrote that believers are to disassociate with any who did not follow what he taught. Whenever a believer receives Jesus Christ as Savior he becomes a part of the bride of Christ. So you can understand why the Church, His companion during His rejection is assumed to be his bride. The kingdom came in the first century. I would say the original invitees were the Israel’s religious leaders and the people in the street with the general populace of the Jews. It comes to earth after the Millennium, after God creates a new heavens and new earth. But that is just my experience. They were not saved by believing Paul’s gospel and were not members of the Church, the body of Christ. So, Christ’s true churches must still be on earth until He comes (along with many other believers not in one of these churches…but still saved). I also believe more important than understanding all the details of so many theological issues we need to be doing all we do to present men complete in Christ. I am sure your theological training at DTS has somethibg to do with this. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. articulate, succinct. (See also Romans 9:25 and 10:19). Do you understand what this means? The love poems of the Song of Songs and the Latter prophet Hosea have many references to an intimate, spousal relationship between God and his people. Hebrews 11 outlines the heroes of the faith starting with Abel, then Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Israel in the Exodus, Rahab,Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets and so many more – the great crowd of witnesses who lived by faith, the faith that looked to God in Christ, although all these knew not Jesus, they knew and trusted in God’s promises. Peace and blessing to all!! and Blessings in Christ, dear ones:), Your email address will not be published. It is not clear what Paul meant for he did not provide details other than it is free and we are free. Abel was not a ‘Jew’ nor ‘Israelite,’ and netiher was Noah, Seth or Abraham. A major analogy is that of the body. The Bride is indeed the Church, they will be the ones who will have to prove their faith through trial and tribulation, this is why it refers to the patience of the saints. What replaced it? The law came 400+ years after God ratified the covenant seed with Abraham. Thus, we who profess the cross of Christ must live cross-shaped lives if we seek to extend the peace of Christ into the world. This is a great article and as a former “baptist” for 60 years, the “baptist briders” will have trouble with this article. Sound theology must be based upon what the Bible says, not upon what it does not say. Israel sat as a Queen, at the right hand of power, (she mediated betweeen God and mankind) until her unfaithfulnness (harlotry) caused her expulsion and death. In other words, the Church is not part of Israel but a separate entity. 236 The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. N.T. Be Blessed. If Paul was God’s man we have him revealing new theology—things God had kept hidden. p. 815, Gotquestions "What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ", Christian article on who the "Bride of Christ" is, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bride_of_Christ&oldid=994939715, Articles needing more viewpoints from September 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 09:40. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this issue. One would not say we are the flock of God with Christ as our chief Shepherd but not also the body of the Shepherd. So I’m trying to understand how an old testament type of a gentile wife becomes His body, and He has one bride, Israel. 98% of our readers don't give; they simply look the other way. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. But until He returns to do this, we are not under a New Testament and Paul is not a NT writer/apostle. Common for betrothed, though only here in N.T. Chapter 1. The New Jerusalem has no Church imagery. 5:31] Paul quotes the Genesis passage as what has been called a "divine postscript". Though I realize the word church has doctrinal implications and debated itself. So many have the idea of Christ as this mystical head and all the saved as the arms, legs, hands and feet scattered all over the world. This is the ultimate manifestation of the church. No schism (or division)…the body being in ONE place and each member caring for the other. God is not partial to race, gender or ancestrial birthright. which decribe what happened. (Because the churches were in “houses”) Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. The new covenant is not conditional but made and kept by God himself and all who have faith are Abraham’s offspring. Bob, Bob, Paul is using an illustration for purity for the Church, the body of Christ. 1Co_12:27). I just have a simple question and I don’t want to sound diligent in asking it…would you respond with a sentence or two stating the gospel that you trust for your salvation? Mike, Jesus was simply making the point that as long as the King was present there should be celebration. Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. I’ve been down that road and found out there’s no life. The term "Bride of Christ" has it roots in the Roman Catholic Church. The Elect or Israel(descendants), do not suffer at all. God has removed the Church from the Tribulation (Romans 5.9; 1 Thessalonians 1.10, 5.9). Christ, the bridegroom, speaks in answer to the complaints and requests of his spouse (). Revelation 21:9-11 ESV / 219 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. [2 Cor. Babylon is Babylon, not Rome. What that looks like is a much more productive conversation. His combination of faith and balance are laid out in this thoughtful, provocative, and inspirational book. Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9-14 (NKJV)….. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. It is that organism in which Jew and Gentile are equal in Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, brought into Christ by believing Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification. Christ is the second Adam. If my brother gets saved after the rapture and believes in the resumed Kingdom Gospel and becomes part of the Kingdom on earth for 1000 years, will I be able to travel in my resurrection from heavenly places to visit him on the earth in eternity? As believers, we are to obey government authority but the authorities are subject to the Constitution. In Matthew 25.34-36 passage the “other sheep” are those of John 10, Jews who will believe in Him and remain faithful to Him during the Tribulation. If I’m not mistaken the eyes and ears are in the head. It was God’s plan to rise up another group to be at least equal to if not greater (in order to create jealousy) than the Israelites. Annie, Thank you for your gracious words. What would you say of Watchman Nee’s analysis (it does seem a possibility, too):- Today the church is the Body of Christ, but in the future the church will be the bride of Christ. Israel is not part of the body of Christ and the Church is not the wife/bride of Christ. There are many, many man-made religious organizations; but Christ established His true church, (“the pillar and ground of truth”) the first one being at Jerusalem and from that Church each procreates.

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