What say you? Is the Bride the same as the body of Christ?

[glorydaz]

Revelation 21:9

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

1 Corinthians 12:27
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

 

[Omniskeptical]

No, but the body of Christ didn't follow the whore of Babylon into hell. [ It followed the Bride into Heaven.]

 

[glorydaz]

No, but the body of Christ didn't follow the whore of Babylon into hell.

Okay, I'm drawing a blank. Fill me in.

 

[JudgeRightly]

Throughout the Bible, Israel is described as God's bride/wife, and then also as an adulteress, an unfaithful wife, whom God divorces (heck, the entire book of Lamentations is a certificate of divorce (which was required by the Mosaic to be given by the husband to the woman he was divorcing) given by God to Israel, finalizing His divorce of her.

The Body of Christ (described ONLY in Paul's epistles) is described as "a new creation," an organism with many parts, the Head of which is Christ. (The head doesn't marry the body.)

The answer to the question:

No, the Bride of Christ is not the Body of Christ. The Bride is Israel, made up of Jews and proselytes (gentile converts). The Body of Christ is made up of Christians, with no distinction between Jew and Gentile.

 

[Idolater]

Maybe it could be clearer here, but I think it's clear enough:

Ephesians 5
" 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
"

The Body of Christ and the Church and the Bride of Christ are all the same thing.

Confer 2nd Corinthians 11:2 " I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

 

[glorydaz]

Maybe it could be clearer here, but I think it's clear enough:

Ephesians 5
" 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
"

The Body of Christ and the Church and the Bride of Christ are all the same thing.

Confer 2nd Corinthians 11:2 " I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

Yes, and there's the other side of the story. What about when is says the "Lamb's wife"? That's pretty Jewish.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

 

[Omniskeptical]

Yes, and there's the other side of the story. What about when is says the "Lamb's wife"? That's pretty Jewish.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

The cities are symbolically women. The new Jerusalem is the bride of Christ, while the old Jerusalem is called The Whore.

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

Yes, and there's the other side of the story. What about when is says the "Lamb's wife"? That's pretty Jewish.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Eve was taken out of Adam.
Was she not his body?
So who is taken out of Christ?

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

The cities are symbolically women. The new Jerusalem is the bride of Christ, while the old Jerusalem is called The Whore.

As Eve was the mother of all living so the Jerusalem above is the mother of us all.
King James Bible
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

 

[Idolater]

Yes, and there's the other side of the story. What about when is says the "Lamb's wife"? That's pretty Jewish.

Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Jewish or not, Revelation 21:10's " that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven" also makes an appearance in Hebrews 12:22 (" the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem") and in Galatians 4:26 (" Jerusalem which is above").

I think these are all the same thing.

 

[ttruscott]

No, the Bride of Christ is not the Body of Christ. The Bride is Israel, made up of Jews and proselytes (gentile converts). The Body of Christ is made up of Christians, with no distinction between Jew and Gentile.

I suspect they are both metaphors for GOD's purpose for us, HIS relationship with HIS creation. Christ is the Head of the Church and is also the Lamb who is Husband to the Bride.

In ordinary terms the head does not marry the body but that is a mixing of metaphors that has no merit. From the point of view of the kingdom He is the head of the Church; from the point of view of the personal relationship, He is the husband of the Church, the collected body of believers.

 

[glorydaz]

Eve was taken out of Adam.
Was she not his body?
So who is taken out of Christ?

Pretty clever there. But I don't think we're taken out of Christ. I think we're baptized INTO Him.
Of course, He is also IN us. Sorta making us one, which is supposed to be a husband wife relationship.

 

[glorydaz]

Jewish or not, Revelation 21:10's " that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven" also makes an appearance in Hebrews 12:22 (" the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem") and in Galatians 4:26 (" Jerusalem which is above").

I think these are all the same thing.

That's what I'm thinking. If the church is not in the holy city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven, then where are we? I don't believe we stay on the earth for the earthly kingdom, do you?

 

[glorydaz]

As Eve was the mother of all living so the Jerusalem above is the mother of us all.
King James Bible
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Hmmm. I'm not seeing it.

 

[Tambora]

I suspect they are both metaphors for GOD's purpose for us, HIS relationship with HIS creation. Christ is the Head of the Church and is also the Lamb who is Husband to the Bride.

In ordinary terms the head does not marry the body but that is a mixing of metaphors that has no merit. From the point of view of the kingdom He is the head of the Church; from the point of view of the personal relationship, He is the husband of the Church, the collected body of believers.

Great response!
I agree that mixing metaphors can cause some whacky results.
Believers are referred to as:

flock/sheep​

sons​

servants​

bride​

body​

If you mix the metaphors then you have whacky results like Christ marrying sons (incest & homosexuality).

Each of the metaphors are different idioms of the same message ---- the closeness of Christ to believers.

 

[1Mind1Spirit]

Hmmm. I'm not seeing it.

Where did Adam's bride come from?​

​

Romans 5:14 Context​

11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

 

[Tambora]

Hmmm. I'm not seeing it.

Eve
Genesis 3:20 KJV
(20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.



Jerusalem above
Galatians 4:26 KJV
(26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

 

[glorydaz]

Eve
Genesis 3:20 KJV
(20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.



Jerusalem above
Galatians 4:26 KJV
(26) But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Ah, I may be slow, but I get there. Thanks, friend.

 

[Tambora]

Ah, I may be slow, but I get there. Thanks, friend.

There's a lot of symbolism.

Eve is of the body of the 1st Adam.
Believers are of the body of the last Adam (Christ).

Eve was deceived and accepted sin (death).
Adam was not deceived, but went ahead and accepted sin (death) upon himself.
If Adam had not accepted sin (death) to himself then Eve would have been forever separated from him and no children born (the "seed" that saves could not have happened).
In other words, it was only through the sin (death) of Adam that salvation could be available and Eve to be made alive again.
Likewise, Christ (the last Adam) accepted sin (death) upon Himself and made it available for His bride to be made alive again.

And the two become one.

 

[Idolater]

That's what I'm thinking. If the church is not in the holy city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven, then where are we? I don't believe we stay on the earth for the earthly kingdom, do you?

Ephesians 2:6 says that we the Church "sit together in heavenly places in Christ". I think the Church is the holy city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven.