The Bride and Groom

**Sean** · 08-10-2003, 11:09 PM

I have recently discovered Derek Webb's solo album. Upon listening to it, I realized I really don't understand or know anything about the bride groom relationship between the church and God. I knew it was there and I've heard it mentioned. But can you really describe/explain/give scripture on it.

RobertF · 08-10-2003, 11:49 PM

Ezekiel 16.

Than · 08-11-2003, 12:05 AM

It's also mentioned through Revelation.
The Bride is a simile for the Church. These verses are a good view of it.

Revelation 19:7-9
7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, "Write, `Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' "And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

Rev 21:2
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven of God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

**+Donny** · 08-11-2003, 12:29 AM

Well, its not as long or detailed as, say, Calvinism, but it definitely is vitally important to our understanding of God's Word.

First of all, we see this bride/groom relationship in the OT between Israel and God. Often, Israel would be accused of harlotry when they worshipped other God's. The OT prophets would describe her as a harlot, sometimes very graphically. God's covenantal relationship with God is often described in terms of a marriage, since marriage itself is a covenant. When in covenant with God, we are to remain solely His. Any false worship is covenantal harlotry, and thus warranted death, just like adultery in a marriage between a man in a woman. However, to make sure we aren't putting the human symbol before God's, God's relationship with us is the foundation for marriage. Our marriages are based on God's relationship with His bride, His covenantal people. Thus, just as God is sovereign over the Bride, the husband is sovereign over the wife (Ephesians 5). Just as God nourishes and washes His Bride with the word, husbands are to do the same with their brides. Here is the scripture reference:

Eph 5:22 Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
Eph 5:26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
Eph 5:27 that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself:
Eph 5:29 for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church;
Eph 5:30 because we are members of his body.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she fear her husband.

We see even more clarification. Not only what I have said, but also just as God sees us as blameless and pure, but still sanctifies us, husbands are to see their wives as blameless and pure, but still sanctify them. Just as husbands cleave to wives to become one flesh and are to love their wives as their own flesh, the Bride of Christ is His body, and thus He loves it like His own body. God is our protector, provider, and lord, and so should the husband be to His wife.

Likewise, as a Church, we are to be loving to God, obedient to His command, and acknowledging of His headship. We are to respect His sanctification, for it is for our good. Such is how wives should be to their husbands as well.

Now, there is still more. The Church is a Bride, beautifully ordained for marriage.

Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven of God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

(See also many OT prophets who speak of Israel like a beautiful bride)

The Church is God's Bride, the New Jerusalem, the Temple of the Living God. When we come to worship God, we come to Him in holy array, as His Bride. We are sanctified by God through His delegated heads over His Bride (the elders). They preach the word of God and in doing so cleanse the Bride of Her blemishes. That is why being an elder is such an amazing job. They are called to be heads over the Church and thus are required to do what Christ does through them, the deeds of a husband. They rule over the Church, cleansing Her and aiding Her in Her path of sanctification. Thus, we find the marriage analogy in the elders of the Church, also.

Finally, we find the analogy even as the Mother of the Children of God.

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
Gal 4:23 Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.
Gal 4:25 Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now.
Gal 4:30 Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31 Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.

The Old Covenant was a covenant with slavery and corresponded to Hagar and Ishmael, who was born into slavery. However, the New Covenant is a covenant of freedom. Sarai represents the New Covenant, the Jerusalem above, who is our mother. As Galatians says, we are Children of God, the body of Christ, and thus heirs to Abraham's promises through His Seed, Christ. As Children of God, we have a Mother, who is the Church. I believe this is why many false religions had actual sexuality related to their Gods and worship. They merely perverted an actual reality. God does not engage in sexual acts with the Church to produce children of God. However, the Church is the Bride of Christ and does raise up Children. What does the Church do to Her children? She nourishes them, bringing them up in the ways of the Lord and teaching them to do right, disciplining them when they do wrong, and even disinheriting (excommunicating) those who completely rebel. Because of this, mothers should look to the Church as a guide. Mothers should likewise nourish their children in the Lord, raising them up in the ways of God and disciplining them when they sin. Occasionally, children are disinherited for their extreme rebellion. To claim that this should not happen is tantamount to claiming excommunication should not happen. Our views on the family are a reflection of our views on the Church because the family itself is merely a mirror image of God's covenantal relationship with the Church. The family is a less manifestation, if you will.

In short, the Church is the Bride of Christ, and also His body. She is the New Jerusalem, the New Israel, the Mother of all who believe, who are the Children of God. She is sanctified and nourished by Christ, the Divine Husband over Her, though in His eyes she is pure and without blemish. Her Head is the on true God, and thus worship of false Gods is harlotry, and should be punished by death (excommunication, which is also a covenantal death) just as adultery in a family context is punishable by execution. Furthermore, by being the mother, she nourishes, feeds, and disciplines her children, who are the children of God. When children completely rebel, ignoring authority, they are excommunicated (which is also disinheritance).

**+Donny** · 08-11-2003, 12:32 AM

Quote:

It's also mentioned through Revelation.
The Bride is a simile for the Church. These verses are a good view of it.

Revelation 19:7-9
7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, "Write, `Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' "And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

Oh yeah, this reminds me that I forgot about Communion, which is the marriage supper of the Lamb. I have heard some people talk about the relationship here. Christ feeds us spiritually through communion, just as the husband is to toil and bring forth food for the family. I have even heard the occasional reference to the wife preparing food for her children just as the Church prepares and distributes the elements of the Eucharist every Sunday.

Thespia · 08-11-2003, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by +Donny

I have even heard the occasional reference to the wife preparing food for her children just as the Church prepares and distributes the elements of the Eucharist every Sunday.

My family branch must be on food stamps or something...we don't get it every sunday!!! Only special occasions and such. But maybe the donuts are substituted for it. hmm...

Mike Graham · 08-11-2003, 10:10 AM

We can start a new thread if we wish to discuss frequency of communion.

Luke · 08-11-2003, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespia

My family branch must be on food stamps or something...we don't get it every sunday!!! Only special occasions and such. But maybe the donuts are substituted for it. hmm...

Most of the churches in the US (including mine, unfortuneately) are on food stamps. But that's, as Mike said, a discussion for another thread.

Grace & Peace
Luke

Amanda · 08-11-2003, 11:12 AM

My church is on fasting mode much of the time...

Anyway, the church = the Bride is all through Revelation, of course, and also it's implied in Jesus' wedding parables in the Gospels. It's also in the Old Testament in Ezekiel and Hosea, and some could argue Song of Songs (I'm not one of those "some", though...).

**+Donny** · 08-11-2003, 08:44 PM

Im with those some, and thats another thing I forgot. The Song of Solomon, IMHO, is related to the relationship between Christ and the Church (though, again, God doesn't engage in sexual relations).

Quote:

My family branch must be on food stamps or something...we don't get it every sunday!!! Only special occasions and such. But maybe the donuts are substituted for it. hmm...

Yeah, another thread. Mine has it every week.