Does everyone here understand that the bride of Christ is the NT church, all of those who are born of God (saved) by grace through faith in Jesus?
I have some commentary I would like to share about this subject. I think that it often goes overlooked in many churches.
The Marriage of the Lamb. Rev 19:7-10.
Of all the provisions of God for man's well-being and joy on earth, marriage, God's first social institution, ranks second only to that of salvation. Both Old and New Testament give ample evidence of the importance of this symbolism. Hosea spoke of it from a traumatic experience in his own life (cf. Hos 2:19-20); Isaiah spoke glowingly of it (cf. Isa 54:5); Jeremiah dwelt on the theme (cf Jer 3:14; 31:-32); and Ezekiel portrayed it with fullness (cf. Ezk 16). The New Testament speaks of the marriage feast (cf. Mt 22:2), the bridal chamber and wedding garment (cf. Mt 22:10-11), the sons of the bridal chamber ( cf. Mk 2:19), the bridegroom (cf. Mt 25:1; Mk 2:19), and the friends of the bridegroom (cf. Jn 3:29). Paul writes of the church as the betrothed virgin of Christ (cf. 2Cor 11:2) and of the pettern of the relationship between husband and wife (cf. Eph 5:21-33).
7. The wording of verse 7 is unusual and must not be overlooked. In normal parlance the wedding is spoken of as the marriage of the bride, but here it is the marriage of the Lamb. And rightly so, for the chief joy is His. It takes place in heaven, and no details are given. Care is to be exercised in speaking of the relationship of Israel and the church with reference to marriage, so that biblical norms are not violated. Israel is the unfathful, yet to be reclaimed, wife of the Lord in the Old Testament; the church is the bride of Christ the Lamb in the New Testament. Once the wife or bride is mentioned, there is no further reference in the book to elders as in verse 4.
8. For this glorious occasion the bride of necessity had to make herself ready. The preparation includes: (1) acceptance of the marriage offer of the Lamb, which is regeneration; (2) the desire to be properly clothed for the wedding; (3) a willingness to receive what is given her for the joyous event. When the bride clothes herself, it is with the finest of apparel. Her basic clothing is the garment of salvation, which she received at her acceptance of the Lamb's gracious offer of marriage (cf. Isa 61:10). Now, in addition to the initial clothing, she has granted to her (still all of grace) fine linen, clean and white. It is identified as the righteous acts (Gr is plural, dikaiomata) of the saints. How has she obtained these? It is inescapable that the judgment seat of Christ has already been held in order to grant rewards to the saints for fathful service to Christ (cf. 2Cor 5:10). What a recognition day that will be!
9. But another important element of every wedding is the guest, so John is instructed to indicate Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. These are the friends of the Bridegroom (cf. Jn 3:29); the guest are seen in another figure as the virgins, the companions of the bride (cf. Ps 45:9, 14). They are probably all Old Testament saints. All others than the church are the guests at the marriage supper.
Charles L. Feinber, Th.D., Ph.D. (King James Bible Commentary)
God Bless! :thumbs:
The Bride of Christ
Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by steaver, Aug 6, 2007.
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If "everyone" who is a part of the body of Christ also became the bride of Christ then there would be no need for the judgment seat of Christ. That would mean that everyone would rule and reign with Christ in His coming kingdom. Neither of which are true.
The OT types tell us that only a portion of the body becomes the bride. You can see this in Adam and Eve, Isaac and Rebekah and Ruth and Orpah.
You can also see this truth in the NT as well in that many are headed to destruction and only a few will find life. That's written to and for believers not unbelievers.
Saying that everyone will become the bride of Christ and that everyone will rule and reign with Christ is merely repeating the age-old lie yea God has not said you will surely die, but just given it a different vernacular. -
You know you are batting 0 for 2 with Matt 7 and Matt 25? But that has not persuaded you yet! Go for it!
God Bless! :thumbs: -
1. Does everyone here understand that there is ony ONE Gospel -- not two?
2. Does everyone here understand that the saints are saved by Grace through faith - in ALL ages - not just in the NT??
3. Does everyone here understand that the OT saints that are upheld as examples for the NT saints in Heb 11 gained acceptance with God through faith "for apart from faith it is impossible to please Him"?
The "DEAD in CHRIST" listed in 1thess 4 are therefore the saints of all ages.
The saints raised in Matt 27 at the resurrection of Christ are from among the OT saints who were all "saved by grace through faith" - there is no other way.
the saints standing with CHRIST pre-cross in Matt 17 (Moses and Elijah) were BOTH saved by grace through faith -- that was the ONLY Gospel anyone has ever had.
Is this clear to all- or do some imagine "another gospel"??
hint - in the NT -- Israel is NEVER depicted as "the harlot" or the "unfaithful bride of Christ" and Romans 9 and 11 show us why that is.
in Christ,
Bob -
And I'm not really sure what your post had to do with the discussion :laugh:. -
But I don't suspect you will believe what I have posted any more than you have in the past. I just wanted those that read to have the whole council of God and not just the bits and pieces will clip out to use as "proof" texts.
The Biblical Truth of the matter is not every saved individual is going to make up the bride.
I would just ask this one thing of your theology . . . do you have some OT types that show that every saved individual will make up the bride? -
God Bless! -
in Christ,
Bob -
The fact is that in scripture there is no division between the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. In Rev 20 the bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem filled with the saints coming down out of heaven --
Christ said "He is the door" -- Christ said "He is the good shepherd" -- your tactic of DIVIDING such terms as if one is not also the other is silly.
Romans 2 says that EVERYONE is judged -- 2Cor 5 says WE MUST ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ --
NO TEXT says "everyone in the body of Christ but not the bride of Christ" or any other such nonsense.
You simply "prefer not to believe it" and then view your own "preference" as some kind of "Biblical proof".
Your insistence that the saints must pay their own debt of sin flies in the face of the Gospel itself!
in Christ,
Bob -
Then you agreed with me that not every saved individual is going to make up the bride of Christ. I'm confused. Do you believe that every saved individuals makes up the bride of Christ or not?
By the way I used to believe that every saved individual would make up the bride of Christ, so I'm not so "dug into my theology" as you suggest.
The broad way and the narrow way is in one or more of the gospel accounts. Just go to www.studylight.org and type in the references and it will show you where they are exactly.
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And the NT text of the broad way and the narrow way tell us this isn't true.
Being a part of the bride of Christ is equated to life in the age to come. It has to do with His coming kingdom. -
Jump, nowhere in scripture is it taught that all of the saints will not take part in the reign of Christ millennial kingdom. There are many types and anti types in the Bible, but the examples you have used to support your false doctrine are lame at best and preposterous at worst. Why you want to base your theology totally on types and anti types is beyond me. Don't you think if what you believe is true, i.e. a portion of the Bride will be subjected to exclusion from the company of Christ at any time after they are saved, it would have been explicitely said so in scripture?!
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When Scripture says that the majority are going to chose the broad way that leads to destruction and few will find the narrow way that leads to life, that's pretty explicit to me.
By the way I want to build my theology on types and anti-types because that is the way Scripture is laid out.
Jesus said that those He was preaching to wouldn't believe Him, because they didn't believe Moses and Moses wrote about Jesus. The only way that is possible is through type.
Scripture explicitly says Adam is a type of Christ.
Christ opened up the entire OT and revealed Himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He is throughout the OT in type.
Therefore that's why I want to know what the types are and what they mean and what the NT anti-type is and means.
This is one of the checks and balances of Scripture. If you have a NT teaching that you can't find an OT type for then your thoughts on the NT are incorrect.
You will not find anything in the New that you don't find in the Old. That's one of the amazing things about Scripture.
By the way I agree with you that Scripture never says all the "saints" will not partake in the coming kingdom. However Scripture doesn't claim that all "saved" people are "saints" either! -
Saints:
Testament (Greek)
G40 hagios hä'-gē-os holy, saints, Holy One, misc
Paul refers to all believers as saints. Not because they are holy in the flesh, but because they have been declared holy by their faith in Christ. Because of their faith, they have been sanctified (set apart by God) in Christ. Their holiness comes from Him and not of themselves.
A NT saint is not someone who has been designated as such because of good works. That is what the Catholics do.
Your theology reeks of Catholocism. -
Do you not agree that Christians are in the minority and that the majority are in the broad way that goes to hell.
Christians are not in the broad way, but the narrow way, Jesus Christ. The Only Way, Truth, and Life. Not works, not heritage, not lineage, not in name, nothing else other than that Name which is above every Name. There is none other Name under heaven whereby we must be saved, than that of Jesus Christ!
The few that find the narrow way are those that call upon His Name, trust in His finished work, and are saved by His amazing Grace.
They find it because the Holy Spirit directs them to it and in it.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. -
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13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Okay here is the text. Jesus is telling someone to enter through the narrow gate. So who was the audience of this text? It was the disciples. So Jesus is telling the disciples to enter through the narrow gate that leads to life, so even though they were saved (they were disciples - can't be a disciple without being saved) they still had to enter through the narrow gate tht leads to life.
Many will enter through the gate that leads to desruction. It doesn't say anywhere in that text that this is reference to all people. And the fact that the disciples (saved people) are still in need of entering there is no way that this contextually can be talking about everlasting life. The disciples already had that and didn't need to enter into anything to get something they already had.
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God Bless! :thumbs: -
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God Bless! :praying:
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