The BODY of Christ…

Part 2 - The Continuation of “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb”…

“Bridal Theology is found nowhere in Scripture. It is a false teaching that has its roots in the Roman Church as far back as the third-century A.D. The church is most often described as Christ's body, but again, never as a "bride". http://www.looktotheeast.com/bride_of_christ.htm

In my last blog I wrote out the first part of the process of my astonishing discovery that the “church” is NOT the “Bride of Christ” as I had been taught and believed for most of my Christian walk. And initially, my first thought was that Israel was the bride, but after some more research I am not convinced of that either. So, at this point in time, I am inclined to believe what the Revelation 21:9-10 scripture states very clearly, that the bride of the Lamb is the Holy City of Jerusalem. Not the Church, and not Israel (I know, it is kind of weird to think of a “city” as the bride… but that is what it says). Then I listed all the scriptures that stated what Jesus called the Jewish believers and He mostly called them Friends and Guests (of the wedding banquet) and a couple times, children, sons and daughters. Never did he call them “bride” nor did he ever allude to it. Again, if the church or Israel WERE the bride, I would think Jesus would have said SOMETHING about it… right?

Jesus spent most of His time with the Jewish community, but it is understood that Paul’s ministry was to the gentiles so in this blog I wanted to address the terminology Paul used, which is that we are the “body” of Christ. In some of the websites I researched on the “bride” topic there appears to be some confusion regarding a couple scriptures (two in particular) that Paul used in his writings to the gentile believers. These scriptures are being used to back up the belief that the church is the bride. But, if we remove the “bridal theology” filters, we can clearly see that most of what Paul talked about was that we are the BODY of Christ and he never says we are the bride. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 11:2-5 is one of the scriptures used to back up the bridal theology:

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough…” 2 Corinthians 11:2-4

The following is an excellent explanation regarding the above scripture that I couldn’t have said better: “Paul’s point was to encourage the Corinthians to remain faithful to Christ and his gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Paul constantly had to defend his ministry–from both unbelievers and believers. From his words in this passage he recognized he was not the most polished speaker. But in terms of knowledge, he was far ahead of anyone else: he was God’s apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11.13). The risen Lord had commissioned him and revealed to him secrets no one else knew.³ Paul’s choice of words to the Corinthians, “present you as a pure virgin” was to illustrate his desire for holy living for these believers, not to teach that the Church is the bride of Christ–any more than Paul taught that he was their mother (Galatians 4.19) or their father (1 Corinthians 4.15).” (doctrine.org)

Here is the other scripture that is used to promote the church as the bride, but they stop short and don’t finish reading the statement Paul is making. He never says we are the bride and if we keep reading, he clearly says we are the BODY several times:

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- for we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:22-30

I think that Paul, like God, uses the analogy of “marriage” to try to help his readers understand the “intimacy” aspect of our relationship with Christ. The goal of pursuing God with all our hearts is so that, as we get to know Him, we become more and more like Him. Being renewed and transformed into HIS likeness. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…” Galatians 4:19 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Which makes more sense when we think of being a part of His Body.

The two scriptures I mentioned above are the only ones that can remotely be used to promote the bridal theology but in most of the letters Paul wrote he used the Body of Christ analogy more than any other, and never does he use the term “bride of Christ”. Oh, and just as a side note here, Paul is the only New Testament writer that uses this “body” terminology. None of the other writers use this term and neither does Jesus. This seems to be strictly a “Paul’ism” and a term only he used to describe our purpose here on earth until Jesus returns. Here are the many scriptures where Paul uses the “body” analogy:

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:22-23

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called“   Ephesians 4:1-4

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:17-18

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Colossians 1:24

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

If nothing else, these 9 scriptures clearly stating we are the body, in my mind, overwhelm the two scriptures that, if you try real hard, and are looking through a “bridal theology” filter, can sort of make a case for the bride… So, the next question is, can we be the body and the bride?? Possibly…?? But, I am not seeing this in scripture either. I keep going back to what JESUS said, and He didn’t say anything regarding this at all. He just says that we are His friends and guests. His words have the most weight and authority in my mind.

So, to wrap this up, this is how I now see this whole Bride and Body thing. Again, not that I have figured this all out, and I get that there is still a lot I don’t understand, but this is where I am right now. During Jesus’ ministry here on earth He referred to us as friends and guests. Once Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended to sit at the right hand of God, He commissioned us, the Christian believers (Jews and Gentiles alike), to be His hands, feet and voice spreading the gospel until He returns. Paul’s terminology for this is that we are His BODY here on earth, and Jesus is the HEAD. We are doing His work and, as we pursue our relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will move in and through us directing us to do His will, for His Kingdom purposes. When it is all said and done, after the current heavens and earth pass away and the new heaven and new earth is formed, we will be invited to the wedding banquet (or supper) of the Lamb, as friends and guests of the Son of God, and celebrate with Him in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, His bride! (Tom is pretty sure there is major significance to the City being the bride and we are asking the Lord to show us)

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." Revelation 19:7-9

Father, I thank you so much for this opportunity to search the scriptures to find Your truth. I know I have SO much more to learn and I pray that I am able to see and hear Your truth as you remove the “religious” and “doctrinal” filters that I have incorrectly believed for so long. YOUR truth, Lord, is all I want! Only You. With all my heart, Linda :)