Bride of Christ/ Body of Christ

I did a bible study that taught the church is the "Bride of Christ", but now i have read elsewhere that the church is the "Body of Christ"....so i need some guidance. Thanks.
 

Almost Heaven

Well-Known Member
We are the body of Christ while here on this earth to continue with the job of evangelism. Paul gives us a clear picture of how the body of Christ is to operate in Ephesians 4:14-16.
We are also the Bride of Christ after the Rapture and the Church leaves this earth.

It is not an either or. The Church is both, just depends upon whether we are still occupying on this earth, or we have been :rapture to our heavenly destination and the marriage supper of the Lamb which occurs in Heaven just before Christ's second coming to the earth.
 
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mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
We are the body of Christ while here on this earth to continue with the job of evangelism. Paul gives us a clear picture of how the body of Christ is to operate in Ephesians 4:14-16.
We are also the Bride of Christ after the Rapture and the Church leaves this earth.

It is not an either or. The Church is both, just depends upon whether we are still occupying on this earth, or we have been :rapture to our heavenly destination and the marriage supper of the Lamb which occurs in Heaven just before Christ's second coming to the earth.
Indeed. :thumbup Excellent!
 

Love His Appearing

Well-Known Member
This is something I have struggled with over the years because I believe there is strong Biblical evidence that the Bride is a smaller, more intimate group than the body. Lots of types and shadows from both the old and new testaments...A group that has been called out from among the camp...the rib portion of the body.

But I don't think we are allowed to talk about it on RF cuz I usually get shut down pretty quick when it comes up. :)
 
A different website explains very convincingly that the Church(believers) are the body of Christ and that redeemed Israel is the Bride. This is what I have come to believe.
 

Steve53

Well-Known Member
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/body-or-bride/
Q
I’m having trouble distinguishing from Scripture if we are the Body of Christ or the bride of Christ. I have a pastor who teaches we are the Body and Israel is the Bride of Christ according to Scripture. Can you please lead my to Scripture to distinguish between the two?

A
There is no Scripture to distinguish between the two because they are one and the same. Your Pastor is mistaken in saying that Israel is the Bride of Christ. While on Earth the Church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:17) and is His betrothed (2 Cor. 11:2). At the rapture we will become His bride. (Rev. 19:7)

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/body-bride/

The Body And The Bride
Q

Where does it say that the Church, the body of Christ, is the bride of Christ? It says in revelation 21 starting v9, come let me show you the bride of Christ and John is shown the holy city of Jerusalem adorned as a bride. I would just like to know are we the body of Christ or the bride of Christ or both?

A
In 1 Cor. 12:27 Paul wrote, “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.” And in Ephesians 4:11-12 he spoke of special abilities being given to those among us to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. From these examples it’s clear that the Church is the body of Christ.

As for being the bride of Christ, you have to read all of Rev. 21 to realize that when the angel said, “Come, I will show you the bride , the wife of the Lamb” in Rev. 21:9 he then spent most of the chapter describing the Bride’s dwelling place. (The phrase, “prepared as a bride” in Rev. 21:2 indicates that just as is the case with a bride on her wedding day, no expense has been spared to make the New Jerusalem look as beautiful as possible.)

Nothing in the Bible allows us to conclude that Jesus will marry a structure, but there are several places where it’s implied that He will marry the Church, even though the actual phrase “Bride of Christ” does not appear n Scripture.

For example, speaking of the Church Paul said, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised (espoused, betrothed) you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him” (2 Cor. 11:2).

In Ephesians 5:25-27 he wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

And in Rev. 19:7 we read, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteousness of the saints.)

The implication of these verses is clear. Jesus will marry the Church. And sure enough, near the end of his description in Rev. 21, the angel shifted from the structure to those who dwell within it.

In Rev. 21:27 he said, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book Of Life.” This description can only refer to the redeemed and perfected church.

Therefore it’s reasonable to conclude that the Church is both the body and the bride of Christ.
 

Steve53

Well-Known Member
Here is a link to an article that explains the difference between the Bride and the Body.
I made it halfway through that article and counted 5 contextual errors of misinterpretation before I even knew I was counting....Just one example: The author's statement that New Jerusalem comes down "onto" Earth is incorrect. New Jerusalem will be a near Earth satellite.
The other errors I noted are of a similar type, in other words, close, but no cigar.

I'd elaborate more, but am on my phone ...

ETA - Did some looking around on that site and noticed they are enamored with Les Feldick. Major red flag. Les is a hyper-dispensationalist who gets many things right but too many things wrong. A little leaven spoils....
ETA #2 - Yeah, that whole site is a hot mess of hyper-dispensation rubbish and Pauline mishmash. Best to avoid it altogether.
 
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Love His Appearing

Well-Known Member
Im not sure what you mean with the above statement. Care to expound.
I would love to expound because it is something I still go back and forth with, but unfortunately it is against board rules. :)

But since it is not a salvation issue and I believe sticking to the rules is what makes this forum so much different than any others I have visited. The rules and guidelines (and the moderators who so faithfully keep us on track) is what makes this board special. Very few arguments that turn to virtual fisticuffs keeps everyone civil and on the same page. That's a good thing.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
 
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cavalier973

Well-Known Member
There is a teaching (with which I disagree) that the Bride of Christ is a select group of Christians taken from out of the whole Church (the Body of Christ), based on their faithfulness, to be the Bride of Christ. They point to Eve being taken out of Adam's body as a type.
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
There is a teaching (with which I disagree) that the Bride of Christ is a select group of Christians taken from out of the whole Church (the Body of Christ), based on their faithfulness, to be the Bride of Christ. They point to Eve being taken out of Adam's body as a type.
But "they" are wrong. Their misuse of Eve as a supposed type cannot be supported by other Scripture ... unless we take it out of context and proof text isolated verses or fragments of verses. The whole cloth of NT Scripture demonstrates that ALL who are in Christ are part of His Body here on earth and are espoused to Him as a Bride in an intimate union to be consummated in the future when we all --those dead in Christ and those alive in Christ-- are taken to be with Him.
 

AnewcreationinJesus

Soon and very soon ....
I don't believe there is a difference between the body and the bride just as you said above, Matt five four ..in the "whole cloth" of scripture, the body and the bride are the same thing....all those in Christ, the bride isn't some select special bunch!

Looking at the whole of scripture, it never says there is a "rib" portion - this reminds me of latter rain teachings about the elite end times church and reminds me of some of the websites I used to go on that made the 144,000 about the church, not the Jews as in context, and also tried to make Isaiah 60, and indeed Joel 2 (joels army teaching) about some elite end times church "remnant" ...

I would avoid any teaching about a "select few" , all in the body of Christ are indwelt by the holy spirit, the bride of Christ are the same people, those sealed by the Spirit for the promised marriage supper of the lamb ...
 
I made it halfway through that article and counted 5 contextual errors of misinterpretation before I even knew I was counting....Just one example: The author's statement that New Jerusalem comes down "onto" Earth is incorrect. New Jerusalem will be a near Earth satellite.
The other errors I noted are of a similar type, in other words, close, but no cigar.

I'd elaborate more, but am on my phone ...

ETA - Did some looking around on that site and noticed they are enamored with Les Feldick. Major red flag. Les is a hyper-dispensationalist who gets many things right but too many things wrong. A little leaven spoils....
ETA #2 - Yeah, that whole site is a hot mess of hyper-dispensation rubbish and Pauline mishmash. Best to avoid it altogether.


Thanks Steve.
Never heard of Les Feldick before.
On the Rapture Ready website Who's Who in Prophecy they have a very favorable bio page of him. Is he an approved teacher from their perspective?
 

Steve53

Well-Known Member
Thanks Steve.
Never heard of Les Feldick before.
On the Rapture Ready website Who's Who in Prophecy they have a very favorable bio page of him. Is he an approved teacher from their perspective?
You're welcome!

The RR main page is a clearing house of sorts. The main site strives to present a broad spectrum of views centered around the pretrib rapture as it's viewed through the Christian evangelical lens.

The downside is that sometimes errant teachers get promoted and their teachings interpreted favorably simply because they were published on the site.

Expressing the core tenets of Evangelical Christianity is the only real litmus test for inclusion on the main site.

The RR message board however, adhered to a much stricter standard. And it was within the confines of the message board that the pros and cons of particular viewpoints were discussed with the goal being to fellowship while edifying the Body, and all to the Honor and Glory of God.

RF has long been RR's sister forum and both forums share essentially the same posting rules and mission statements. Sadly, the RR forum software became corrupted and the problems so severe that posting became hit or miss so we asked all of the RR only members to migrate here.

With so many theologically diverse branches of Christianity represented, it's only natural that in this fallen world, some things are misunderstood. After all, we see only darkly through the lens...And so we strive to be as the Bereans and test the things we're told against the full counsel of God's Word. We actually practice what others preach about sound exegesis and hermeneutics and applied discernment.

And we're glad to have you here!

And we hope you find our fellowship as comfy as well worn slippers!
 
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