Baptism is not the entrance into the Church?

nolidad · 02-21-2004, 06:51 PM

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Two other ways I find that are good to distinguish between the visible/invisible is heavenly/earthly and historical/eschatological. The first basically says that the Church on earth, which is visible to us, contains both unelect and elect, the former being the blemishes on the Bride which must be removed by Christ's sanctifying washing of His Bride. Over history, the Bride is being sanctified. However, in heaven, the Church is perfect, with only the elect praising God.

I see a hard time here because of trying to come up with a very specific terminology. This may be impossible to do. The true church (or the bride of Christ if you will) are the truly saved from Pentecost till the last church member be added. The bride of Christ is found within the visible church on earth which we all know is planted both with wheat and tares, or has sheep and goats.

**+Donny** · 02-21-2004, 10:15 PM

So the "visible" church is not "true" in the sense of really mattering/being there? It is not the Bride of Christ? If the Bride of Christ is exclusively the elect, why does she have blemishes (Ephesians 5)?

Chico · 02-23-2004, 12:38 PM

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Originally Posted by +Donny

So the "visible" church is not "true" in the sense of really mattering/being there? It is not the Bride of Christ? If the Bride of Christ is exclusively the elect, why does she have blemishes (Ephesians 5)?

i see now where our problems occur when we were talking about the application of the New Covenant. we disagree on who makes up the "Church". us being named the "Bride of Christ" refers to a marriage between us and our Saviour. it doesn't indicate an engagement that can be broken off, or some flimsy relationship, but a sacred marriage. why would Christ refer to us as His bride, when some of those relationships will end up in a "divorce"?

chris

**+Donny** · 02-23-2004, 01:11 PM

The marriage is a covenantal relation. Disobedient covenant members are cut off when they are disobedient (Romans 11). This was certainly true of Israel (who was a disobedient, adulterous wife until they were divorced/cut off), and it is true of the Church. However, God has promised that we will be more obedient than Israel, corporately.