Bride of Christ

[tony2tall]

Will all believers be included in the Bride of Christ?

Will it just include the members of the local visible true churches?

 

[freeatlast]

Will all believers be included in the Bride of Christ?

Will it just include the members of the local visible true churches?

The bride of Christ are those who are in the New testiment church. Not everyone who is on the earthly role is part of the church. (Matt. 7:21)

 

[tony2tall]

Today's Charles Stanley Devotional - Thursday, January 6, 2011

Read | Ephesians 1:18-23

The church is that group of people called to stand apart from the world because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. All believers in heaven and on earth make up one body—the universal church. There are many denominations and approaches to theology, but the local fellowships that comprise the body of Christ are united by a common message, mission, and motive.

I disagree with Dr Stanley.

 

[zrs6v4]

Today's Charles Stanley Devotional - Thursday, January 6, 2011

Read | Ephesians 1:18-23

The church is that group of people called to stand apart from the world because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. All believers in heaven and on earth make up one body—the universal church. There are many denominations and approaches to theology, but the local fellowships that comprise the body of Christ are united by a common message, mission, and motive.

I disagree with Dr Stanley.

Why do you disagree?

 

[Zenas]

Will all believers be included in the Bride of Christ?

Only Baptists. Ever heard of the Baptist Bride? :laugh:

 

[Zenas]

Today's Charles Stanley Devotional - Thursday, January 6, 2011

Read | Ephesians 1:18-23

The church is that group of people called to stand apart from the world because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. All believers in heaven and on earth make up one body—the universal church. There are many denominations and approaches to theology, but the local fellowships that comprise the body of Christ are united by a common message, mission, and motive.

I disagree with Dr Stanley.

If they are "united by a common message, mission and motive," why don't they fellowship with one another?

 

[Grace&Truth]

Will all believers be included in the Bride of Christ?

Will it just include the members of the local visible true churches?

It will include the members of the local visible true chruch. In heaven there will only be one local visible true church which will be made up of all those who are in Christ.

 

[Aaron]

Will all believers be included in the Bride of Christ?

Will it just include the members of the local visible true churches?

Where do you guys get this drivel? The bride of Christ is the church, and the church are all believers from Abel to the end of the world.

 

[freeatlast]

Where do you guys get this drivel? The bride of Christ is the church, and the church are all believers from Abel to the end of the world.

No the church is NOT all believers from Abel to the end of the world. The church has its own seperate time period and will end at the rapture. In dealing with the marriage supper one can see that there is a distnction between the church and the OT saints.

There were three major parts of these customs of marriage. First, a marriage contract was consummated between the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, and the parents of the bride would pay a dowry to the bridegroom or his parents. This was called the betrothal period, what we would today call the engagement. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5).

The second step usually occurred a year later, when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, went to the house of the bride at midnight with a torchlight parade through the streets. The bride would know this was going to take place, and so would be ready with her maidens, and they would join the parade that would end up at the bridegroom's home. This was illustrated in the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The third phase was the marriage supper itself, which might go on for days as illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-2.

What John’s vision in Revelation pictures is the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church) in its third phase, the implication being that the first two phases have already taken place. The first phase was consummated on earth when each individual member of the Church, the body of Christ made up of believers, placed his or her faith and trust in Christ as Savior. The dowry paid to the Bridegroom’s Parent (God the Father) would be the shed blood of Christ on the cross on the Bride’s behalf. Now the Church would belong to Christ in the sense of betrothal and, like the wise virgins in the parable, all would be watching and waiting for the appearance of the Bridegroom (the Second Coming). The second phase symbolizes the Rapture of the Church when Christ comes to claim His bride and take her to the Father's house. The marriage supper then follows as the third and final step.

The wedding feast to which the saints are invited includes not only the Church as the bride of Christ, but others as well. The "others" include Old Testament saints who are going to be raised at the Second Coming, as well as the martyred dead of the Tribulation who form the multitude. As the angel told John to write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). http://www.gotquestions.org/marriage-supper-Lamb.html

Rev19:9-10 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of Cod. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Following the praise to the Lord and the announcement of the marriage of the Lamb by the multitude, John is now instructed to write that those who are invited to the marriage supper are truly blessed. In this verse, as in verses 7 and 8, the wife of the Lamb is distinguished from the attendants at the wedding, the wife apparently being the church, and the attendants at the wedding the saints of past and future ages.

 

[tony2tall]

Why do you disagree?

I don't believe in a Universal Church here on earth.

 

[tony2tall]

It will include the members of the local visible true chruch. In heaven there will only be one local visible true church which will be made up of all those who are in Christ.

Amen :thumbsup:

 

[Tom Butler]

The Bride in the New Testament is to be understood only in a prospective sense. That's when all believers shall make up the great General Assembly in Heaven. All denominational distinctions will be erased, since we will all know the truth. That's when it will be proper to call it the Universal Church. It will be one body.

Until then, there is only one kind of church--the local assembly.

There is a sense in which the church is referred to generically or institutionally--in the same way we refer to the family. But there are only real families, just as there are only real assemblies. By definition, churches assemble.

Jesus gave the Great Commission to an assembled group (the eleven). This is the same assembly he established during his earthly ministry. He committed the ordinances to a real assembly, not some invisible entity.

The so-called universal church is a fantasy. And its "members" are fractured, with many of them believing error at best and heresy at worst. The universal church sends no missionaries, contributes no money, baptizes no one. And, it never assembles, which is a continuing disobedience to God's command. (Heb 10:25).

And finally, the local congregation is the only entity spoken of as having been purchased by the blood of Christ. (Acts 20:28)

 

[Jarthur001]

No the church is NOT all believers from Abel to the end of the world. The church has its own seperate time period and will end at the rapture. In dealing with the marriage supper one can see that there is a distnction between the church and the OT saints.

There were three major parts of these customs of marriage. First, a marriage contract was consummated between the parents of the bride and the bridegroom, and the parents of the bride would pay a dowry to the bridegroom or his parents. This was called the betrothal period, what we would today call the engagement. This period was the one Joseph and Mary were in when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5).

The second step usually occurred a year later, when the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, went to the house of the bride at midnight with a torchlight parade through the streets. The bride would know this was going to take place, and so would be ready with her maidens, and they would join the parade that would end up at the bridegroom's home. This was illustrated in the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The third phase was the marriage supper itself, which might go on for days as illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-2.

What John’s vision in Revelation pictures is the wedding feast of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church) in its third phase, the implication being that the first two phases have already taken place. The first phase was consummated on earth when each individual member of the Church, the body of Christ made up of believers, placed his or her faith and trust in Christ as Savior. The dowry paid to the Bridegroom’s Parent (God the Father) would be the shed blood of Christ on the cross on the Bride’s behalf. Now the Church would belong to Christ in the sense of betrothal and, like the wise virgins in the parable, all would be watching and waiting for the appearance of the Bridegroom (the Second Coming). The second phase symbolizes the Rapture of the Church when Christ comes to claim His bride and take her to the Father's house. The marriage supper then follows as the third and final step.

The wedding feast to which the saints are invited includes not only the Church as the bride of Christ, but others as well. The "others" include Old Testament saints who are going to be raised at the Second Coming, as well as the martyred dead of the Tribulation who form the multitude. As the angel told John to write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). http://www.gotquestions.org/marriage-supper-Lamb.html

Rev19:9-10 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of Cod. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Following the praise to the Lord and the announcement of the marriage of the Lamb by the multitude, John is now instructed to write that those who are invited to the marriage supper are truly blessed. In this verse, as in verses 7 and 8, the wife of the Lamb is distinguished from the attendants at the wedding, the wife apparently being the church, and the attendants at the wedding the saints of past and future ages.

hello Freeatlast,

Give me your take on Eph 2 and 3 as it relates to the church.

 

[TCassidy]

The three words, "building," "body," and "bride" are metaphors to teach church truth. To try to make them "walk on all fours" is a serious error.

Remember the three rules of bible interpretation:

1. Context.
2. Context.
3. Context.

 

[freeatlast]

hello Freeatlast,

Give me your take on Eph 2 and 3 as it relates to the church.

That is a lot to respond to, but I will try and keep it short. My guess is that you are leaning hard on the last verse of the 3rd chapter which reads '
Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

One could make the argument that all ages past, present and future are considered the church based on that passage, however in dealing with other passages Rev. for example in like manner one could just as easily see the Eph passage as saying that church throughout all ages will praise the Lord for what He has done by the church, and the passage is not holding that all people who are saved are in fact considered as the church, but they in fact have a different places in the kingdom

 

[Jarthur001]

That is a lot to respond to, but I will try and keep it short. My guess is that you are leaning hard on the last verse of the 3rd chapter which reads '
Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

One could make the argument that all ages past, present and future are considered the church based on that passage, however in dealing with other passages Rev. for example in like manner one could just as easily see the Eph passage as saying that church throughout all ages will praise the Lord for what He has done by the church, and the passage is not holding that all people who are saved are in fact considered as the church, but they in fact have a different places in the kingdom

No..not just that one verse, which only tells us that Paul is talking about the church. What does he SAY about the church in chapters 2-3?

 

[Jarthur001]

but they in fact have a different places in the kingdom

Really?

What does he say in chapter 2 of Eph?

 

[freeatlast]

Really?

What does he say in chapter 2 of Eph?

You will have ot be more clear. I am not sure of what you are referencing in those passages
.

 

[Jarthur001]

You will have ot be more clear. I am not sure of what you are referencing in those passages
.

Ephesians 2

WE ALL COME FROM THE DARK KIGDOM.....

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Salvation to the Kingdom of light...

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—M)" class="xref">) by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

FOR WHO???


The book was writen to Gentiles...

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

NOTICE THE WORD COVENANTS

They did not have the covenants in the dark kingdom.

But ....now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

BUT NOW THEY DO HAVE THEM.

FAR OFF...not only from the commonwealth of Israel...but think of the temple how it was divided.
BROKEN DOWN THE WALL....again the temple.

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed IN ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

ABOLISHING ordinances. Not the LAW....but the ordinaces.

...they are DONE ..its over with. No more.

FOR WHO?

OF THE TWO......For both the Jews and Greeks, For the people of the Kingdom of light.

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off (Gentiles) and peace to those who were near (JEWS).

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING PAUL???

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, (to the commonwealth of Israel) .........

but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ..............Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, .....

in whom .........the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple (THE CHURCH) in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

This passage..

 

[freeatlast]

Ephesians 2

WE ALL COME FROM THE DARK KIGDOM.....





Salvation to the Kingdom of light...

FOR WHO???


The book was writen to Gentiles...

NOTICE THE WORD COVENANTS

They did not have the covenants in the dark kingdom.

BUT NOW THEY DO HAVE THEM.

FAR OFF...not only from the commonwealth of Israel...but think of the temple how it was divided.
BROKEN DOWN THE WALL....again the temple.




ABOLISHING ordinances. Not the LAW....but the ordinaces.

...they are DONE ..its over with. No more.

FOR WHO?

OF THE TWO......For both the Jews and Greeks, For the people of the Kingdom of light.


WHAT ARE YOU SAYING PAUL???



This passage..

Yes and I think this makes my point. Those under the law are of a different place in the kingdom. Just like the tribes will inherit things that me as a gentile will not. The church age is totally set a part in service and standing then other ages. We the church are the bride, the OT saints will be the guests to the wedding, but will not be included as the bride.