The Bride of Christ

geralduk

Inactive
This is a subject hardly touched upon and rarely taught perhaps because it is presumed that as soon as you are BORNagain then you are automatically in the bride of Christ and as such the more 'exciting' things to speak about is the rapture and the antichrist etc.
But the Bride of Christ is the primary objective of the age .For the Lord is coming for a bride who has got herself ready .
John 14:3 "and if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again , and receive you unto myself ,that where I am ye may be also .
If it is doubted that every true born child of God is to be ready then Jesus said to his disciples "be ye also ready"
There is in that warning the implication of not being ready.
The story of the ten virgins which the church in the main has rejected for herself and said it is for the world . Is in very truth a message for the church and for every believer .
For a virgin is a God given state . When Paul spoke to us as those under the law he spoke of a woman married .
But when he spoke to those who were BORNagain he spoke of "chaste virgins" 2 Cor 11:2
In ALL things all 10 were the same . Save in one thing . The 5 foolish virgins did not have their "vessels filled" and thus were unprepared for the coming of the Bridegroom . By the time they seem to be ready the 5 wise had already entered "into the promise" and the door had been shut.
When they knocked ,they heard a voice say "I know ye not"
Note it is not the same words as "I never knew you" which is said on the day of the judgment of the wicked. They are barred from the KINGDOM .
A careful reading of the account of the 10 virgins it will be seen they are barred from the MARRIAGE . and thus were not recognisable as a bride . "I know ye not ".
Make no mistake .Each and every true BORN child of God is called to that "high calling" But not all will respond ,hear or be ready .
Ephesians 5:32 this is a great mystery ,I speak of Christ and the church.
Where then do we start ?
As always in the beginning.
Many no longer believe Gods account of the beginning and or have compromised with the world and in consequence mixed truth with error .
But John spoke of "ye fathers ye know Him who is from the beginning" I fail to see how you can ever hope to know Him who is from the beginning if you do not believe Him who "in the beginning created the heaven and the earth" Gen :1 and all that followed .
But he who sent Christ into the world to save sinners declares also that he created man on the sixth day out of the dust of the earth and in another place states that the first Adam "is the figure of him who was to come " Romans 5:14
If the first Adam (1 COR 15:45 )was the figure of him who was to come . Then the Last Adam (1COR 15:45) substance as it were.
The Lord was called the last Adam because there will be no other 'Adam' after him like unto the first .
Did not the first Adam receive a bride from God? From whence did she come?
For while Adam was created from the dust of the earth . Eve was created from the body of Adam. A body from a body.
In that the first Adam was a figure of the last Adam then the last Adam receives a bride from God .Not from the dust of the earth , But from His body . Which is the church general.
This might be questioned and challenged as having no baring on the Bride of Christ .
But the pattern is repeated more than once in the Old testament which then establishes the truth of it .For in the mouth of two witnesses a thing is established.
Genesis 24
When Abraham who is a figure for the Father sought a wife for his son of promise ,Who is then a figure for the Son . He sent his high servant a figure for the Holy Spirit to seek a bride .Not out in the world but ONLY from among his bretheren. and he gave gifts as an earnest to her both of good and honourable intentions but also of what was to come .
Thus we have a wife for the son of promise taken from among the bretheren.

Then we have the twelve tribes of Israel . Who were all counted bretheren and who all had an inheritence .
But out of the 12 there was one tribe taken who had no inheritance for Lord God was their inheritance Joshua 13:13
A body taken from the midst of the body .
Finally there are the apostles themselves .
For out of the 12 apostles .There was Peter ,James and John ,Who saw and heard things the others did not.
and even out of those 3 there was John who at the last supper was the only one who said "who is it?" Not "is it I ?"
He knew it was not him.

The Bride then will come out of the body of the church .
If it is still doubted .
Then the Lord says he is OUTSIDE the church knocking on the door .
Again the church has discounted that as applying to itself .and applied it to the world .
But consider this .
After the resurection no door closed or locked was a hinderance to him.Why then is he outside knocking on the church door?
Note, there is but one door . We may all come from different denominations but in very truth there are no denominations in heaven or for that matter in Gods mind on the matter . There isa but one church with one door.
Whether you count your church as THE church and all the rest are heretics or you count yourself as part of that church which is his body .Then the Lord is still outside knocking on the door.
That knocking then is and must be a call to repentance. For if the Lord has to knock and therefore seek permission to enter his own church then the church is in a very funny place indeed!Nor is it aware that he is outside . For if he did not knock who would know?
Then the knocking on the door is to ALL who are inside the church . and therefore the knocking is a call to each and every person in the church .
But even as john 3:16 is a call to the whole world with no exceptions .So also then the promise is only to those who respond .
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but shall have every lasting life"
No one then is excluded from the gift but if the promise is to those who do believe .Then the implication and clear warning is that those who do not will perish.
So in likeness then the knocking on the door is a call to ALL in the church.
The promise though is given only to those "who have ears to hear and open the door"
It should be noted that if you hear and think its for someone else then you will not receive the promise ,its having eats to hear AND open the door to THEM will I and the father come and have fellowship with.
and what of the warning of Paul who said of some "they entered not in because of unbelief?"
How many came out of Egypt? How many who did so actually entered into the promise?
Yet were not all the people of God who had been saved by God from the bondage of Egypt?
Were they still not the people of God when the door had been closed and they perished in the wilderness?
But what does the scriptures say " who is she that looketh forth as the morning,fair as the moon,clear as the sun,and terrible as an army with banners " Song of Solomon 6:10 That is the bride of Christ .

This is hardly touching the subject . But will add to it anon .

in Christ
gerald
 
Do you think that this may be a little tooooo long to be read and assimilated?????

Not if you 'chew' as it were slowly ?
The foundations of a subject are the most labour intensive as are the foundations of a building. But needs must be laid .
So while I apologise for the length .It is not as long as it could have been . and i think the principle of a body from the body had to be well proven and established first . The need therefore to cover the ground of it was I think important so as to avoid confusion later .
Having said that , I think it can be approached in parts .and each part seen in the context of the scriptures given as it relates to the subject and the argument .


In Christ
gerald

Do you think that this may be a little tooooo long to be read and assimilated?????
 
Not if you 'chew' as it were slowly ?
The foundations of a subject are the most labour intensive as are the foundations of a building. But needs must be laid .
So while I apologise for the length .It is not as long as it could have been . and i think the principle of a body from the body had to be well proven and established first . The need therefore to cover the ground of it was I think important so as to avoid confusion later .
Having said that , I think it can be approached in parts .and each part seen in the context of the scriptures given as it relates to the subject and the argument .


In Christ
gerald

Well........IMO I think that responses you get will determine that kind of thinking. Maybe I am wrong.
 
Do you think that this may be a little tooooo long to be read and assimilated?????
I started reading and gave up part way.
Waaaaaaaaaaay tttttttttooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long by half.
Major knows I have little patience!
 
Hello there,

I do not believe that the Church which is the 'Body' of Christ, is also 'The Bride'. God does not mix His metaphors, and the one calling and hope, is very different from the other. Scriptural proof can be given if required.

In Christ Jesus
Chris
 
Hello there,

I do not believe that the Church which is the 'Body' of Christ, is also 'The Bride'. God does not mix His metaphors, and the one calling and hope, is very different from the other. Scriptural proof can be given if required.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

The primary argument is that the Bride of Christ is a body of people out of THE body that is the church general.
For sake of clarity then . You will see how the Lord is called the "last Adam" he is called the last Adam for in that he is likened unto the first there are no other 'Adams' after the Lord .
as I quoted before "the first Adam was a figure of him who was to come"
If then God gave the first Adam a bride then so too the last .
If the bride of the fast Adam was not created from the dust of the earth . But from his own body .
Then so too the last Adam. For the Bride of Christ will not come from the earth but will be of heaven and come from the midst of the body of Christ .
In answer to your objection then. is that every true born child of God is baptised into the church of God by the Holy Spirit .and becomes part of the body of Christ . each and all are called to that "high calling" Phillipians 3:14
To that end we are to strive to win the prize . We must run the race and do so correctly if we are to win the prize.
There are crowns that are earned .A martyers crown is earned by being martyered ,there is a crown of righteousness and others that all can be earned . This is not works unto salvation . No unrighteous man can do a righteous work .
We need to strive to win the prize and run the race . Not all will do so .But we are all called to do so .
If Adam had a body then so too the last . and if Eve came from that body of the first .Then the Bride will come from the body of Christ or the last Adam.

In Christ
gerald
 
I didn't read the whole thing, but it the part that I did read was great.

Then I encourage you to take another meal when you have digested what you did .
When Elijah was given a meal he only ate half of it .But the angel said he had to eat it all for he was going to need it all.
We need to fully arm ourselves and be fully persuaded of that which we are considering . For many will reject it .Indeed it is indicated that the Bride will be cast out of the church and be despised and rejected by her bretheren .
For Paul says we must also suffer without the camp even as Moses and the Lord did .

we need then to be sure of the ground upon which we stand and our feet firmly stood.

in Christ
gerald
 
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We have then a body out of a body .A double selection.
Eve out of Adam and not of the dust of the earth .
The Bride out of the last Adam not of the world but from the church .
Abrahams search of a bride for the son of promise .Not among the world but "from among his brethren"
12 tribes .11 with an inheritance and one tribe ;Levi whos inheritance was the Lord God.
12 apostles but three who "went a little further" and saw and heard things the others did not .

How will we recognise the bride what will her character and disposition be?
If we take the account when Abraham sought a wife for Issac in the book of Genesis chapter 24.
We should understand that Abraham is a type of the Father . Issac for the Son and his high servant the Holy Spirit.
He was not to go anywhere but to his own brethren to find her. verse 3/4
Shall the Lord find faith when he returns?
Verse 11 and onwards shows the type of woman that he found. Or rather while he was yet thus speaking in his heart that Rebekah came out to draw water.
He asked her to give him to drink and she volunteered to give his camels (10!) also .Over and above the call of duty .Camels drink a lot of water .
Her willingness to do more than was asked of her and her zeal (she ran)in doing it .her hospitality and in the end her willingness to follow the servant with so ever he went . Having received the earnest of promise by those gifts . How did Issac recognise her when she came with his fathers servant ? By the gifts she wore openly though her face was covered.

In Christ
gerald
 
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Gerald the issue for me is not length of your posts. It is more a lack of paragraphs and headers.

Perhaps also starting with what you believe?
 
What I
Gerald the issue for me is not length of your posts. It is more a lack of paragraphs and headers.

Perhaps also starting with what you believe?
What I believe? You mean about the bride of Christ ?
I have already began to say what I believe .
Headers?

in Christ
gerald
 
Hello there,

I do not believe that the Church which is the 'Body' of Christ, is also 'The Bride'. God does not mix His metaphors, and the one calling and hope, is very different from the other. Scriptural proof can be given if required.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

What about these.......

Revelation 19:7-9.........
"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Revelation 21:2 ...........
"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "

Could it be that the city of God, New Jerusalem will be the Bride of Christ?

Some have thought the 2nd verse above means the holy city is the bride of Christ. BUT can that be the case????
Did Christ die for His people, or for a city. It seems to me that the city is called the bride because it encompasses all who are the bride, just as all the students of a school are sometimes called “the school” so that when observed there can be no difference seen.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
 
What about these.......

Revelation 19:7-9.........
"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Revelation 21:2 ...........
"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "

Could it be that the city of God, New Jerusalem will be the Bride of Christ?

Some have thought the 2nd verse above means the holy city is the bride of Christ. BUT can that be the case????
Did Christ die for His people, or for a city. It seems to me that the city is called the bride because it encompasses all who are the bride, just as all the students of a school are sometimes called “the school” so that when observed there can be no difference seen.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

The verses you quoted do not undermine my argument .

But I will draw your atention that not only is there the bride .But there are also "friends of the bridegroom " John the Baptist counting himself not as part of the bride but as a friend of the groom.
In heaven you have people before the throne ,under throne , seated ,standing even the "government is upon his shoulders"
John was the closest of all the disciples to the Lord even to the laying of his head on the Lords chest .
When Jesus said "One of you shall ye betray me " at the last supper .ALL of them said "is it I " only John said "who is it Lord"
He knew it was not going to be himself .
There is another picture of the bride .

in Christ
gerald
 
What about these.......

Revelation 19:7-9.........
"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Revelation 21:2 ...........
"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "

Could it be that the city of God, New Jerusalem will be the Bride of Christ?

Some have thought the 2nd verse above means the holy city is the bride of Christ. BUT can that be the case????
Did Christ die for His people, or for a city. It seems to me that the city is called the bride because it encompasses all who are the bride, just as all the students of a school are sometimes called “the school” so that when observed there can be no difference seen.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

We must be careful . Did not the 5 foolish virgins also wait for the coming of the bridegroom? As did the 5 wise.
The world does not wait for the coming of the |Lord it but mocks and does not believe at all.
The 5 wise not only believed but were waiting also .
To be BORNagain does not qualify us to be in the Bride .It qualifies us "to run the race "

in Christ
gerald
 
We must be careful . Did not the 5 foolish virgins also wait for the coming of the bridegroom? As did the 5 wise.
The world does not wait for the coming of the |Lord it but mocks and does not believe at all.
The 5 wise not only believed but were waiting also .
To be BORNagain does not qualify us to be in the Bride .It qualifies us "to run the race "

in Christ
gerald

Matt. 7:23........
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Matthew 7:13-14.....
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it."
 
........
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

.....
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it."
As I pointed out in the first post,this message is primarily for the church,not the world and the unsaved.
For a virgin is a God given state and Paul speaks of the saved as "chaste virgins"
Matt. 7:23........
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Matthew 7:13-14.....
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it."

As I pointed out in my original post on the subjet.The church has taken a message primarily meant for the church and said its for the world and the unsaved.
I say this because in all matters save one the 5 wise and the 5 foolish were the same.
A virgin is a God given state it is not of man and when Paul spoke about believers he spoke of them as "chaste virgins" but when he spoke about the unsaved or as we once were under the law as ones married to another .
Moreover the unsaved and the world are not looking for the coming bridegroom nor waiting for his appearence.
The ONLY difference between the 5 wise and the 5 foolish was that the 5 wise had not only their lamps lit but their "vessels full" as well . The 5 foolish were unprepared and had a false expectation thinking they needed only to be 'saved' as in BORNagain to be "ready"
In the verse you quoted with the words to the wicked it is said "I NEVER knew you" and they are barred from the kingdom.
To the 5 foolish virgins the words said are " I know ye not" and a careful reading will show they are barred from the "MARRIAGE" as they were unrecognisable as a bride .
It is worth comparing Pauls admonishing and warning to the church "lest we be like them who enetered not into the promise because of their unbelief" As I have pointed out before unbelief is not just not believing God it is believing another and the wrong message . God said to them go in an posses the land for i have given it to you .
He expected them to be ready and was justified because Joshua and Caleb the two faithful spies were indeed ready.
But the vast majority believed the wrong message beign of the same heart and mind as the ten spies and refused to go in. Being afraid . But once they had repented they tried to enter into the promise but a door that was open before was now closed to them.
The warning of Paul is then clear . Not that we fail to enter in but that he reminded us that out of the vast majority that came out of Egypt and were in type and shadow BORNagain and baptised a comparitive minority were found to be ready to do so .
Many are called but few are chosen .
But I went into more details in my original post.

in Christ
gerald
 
O.P.
This is a subject hardly touched upon and rarely taught perhaps because it is presumed that as soon as you are BORNagain then you are automatically in the bride of Christ and as such the more 'exciting' things to speak about is the rapture and the antichrist etc.
But the Bride of Christ is the primary objective of the age .For the Lord is coming for a bride who has got herself ready .
John 14:3 "and if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again , and receive you unto myself ,that where I am ye may be also .
If it is doubted that every true born child of God is to be ready then Jesus said to his disciples "be ye also ready"
There is in that warning the implication of not being ready.

Hello Gerald,

A new born child of God knows nothing of the calling into which they have been called, all they are aware of, generally, are the facts concerning their own need of salvation, and of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom they have come to acknowledge as both Lord and Christ, by God's grace.

John 14:3, was spoken to the twelve disciples, who will sit upon twelve thrones alongside our Lord, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, when He comes to reign.
It is not spoken to the Church of Ephesians 1:22,23: the truth concerning which calling was, 'hid in God', (Eph. 3:9), until revealed to Paul, while in prison, at the end of the Acts period, and made known in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. The title, 'The Church which is His Body', itself, describes that company, as being 'in Christ', so comprising part of the figure of the 'Bridegroom' Himself, and not 'The Bride'.

'The Bride', is described in Revelation 21:9-27, as 'The Lamb's wife'.

* The need for 'readiness', and 'watchfulness' is a lesson to be learned by all who look for His appearing.

In Christ Jesus
Chris (Complete)
 
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O.P.
John 14:3 "and if I go and prepare a place for you , I will come again , and receive you unto myself ,that where I am ye may be also .
If it is doubted that every true born child of God is to be ready then Jesus said to his disciples "be ye also ready"
There is in that warning the implication of not being ready.
The story of the ten virgins which the church in the main has rejected for herself and said it is for the world . Is in very truth a message for the church and for every believer .
For a virgin is a God given state . When Paul spoke to us as those under the law he spoke of a woman married .
But when he spoke to those who were BORNagain he spoke of "chaste virgins" 2 Cor 11:2
In ALL things all 10 were the same . Save in one thing . The 5 foolish virgins did not have their "vessels filled" and thus were unprepared for the coming of the Bridegroom . By the time they seem to be ready the 5 wise had already entered "into the promise" and the door had been shut.
When they knocked ,they heard a voice say "I know ye not"
Note it is not the same words as "I never knew you" which is said on the day of the judgment of the wicked. They are barred from the KINGDOM .
A careful reading of the account of the 10 virgins it will be seen they are barred from the MARRIAGE . and thus were not recognisable as a bride . "I know ye not ".
Make no mistake .Each and every true BORN child of God is called to that "high calling" But not all will respond ,hear or be ready .

Hello again, Gerald,

John 14:3, was again, spoken to the twelve.

The parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) was spoken in answer to the question of the disciples in Matt. 24:3, ...

'And as He sat upon the mount of Olives,
the disciples came unto Him privately, saying,
"Tell us,

- when shall these things be?
- and what shall be the sign of Thy coming,
- and of the end of the world?"

... therefore should be interpreted accordingly. It begins, 'Then at that time, the kingdom of the heavens will become like ten virgins.' This is not descriptive of the Church which is His Body, but of, 'the kingdom of the heavens'.

With the greatest respect, you do not appear to understand the difference between the Kingdom and the Church. By mixing the callings together, like you have, your reasoning loses validity, Gerald.

May God give you grace to bare with me in love.
In Christ Jesus
Chris (Complete)




 
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