The marriage metaphor for the relationship between God and His people has roots in the Old Testament. One major passage is Hosea chapters 1–4. With Hosea’s marriage as the background, God’s message to Israel was, “In that day, declares the Lord, you will be My husband. … And I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness” (Hos. 2:16, 19–20). In the lengthy 16th chapter of Ezekiel, God called Israel an “adulterous wife who receives strangers instead of her husband” (Ezek. 16:32).
The marriage imagery carries over into the New Testament where it is used to view the Church as the bride of Christ. The marital image is developed at length in Ephesians 5:22–33 in speaking to the relationship between Christian husbands and wives, simultaneously elevating the image to speak of the present relationship between Christ and the Church. The final chapters of Revelation use the image of marriage to speak about the eternal relationship of Christ and the Church. For example a call for rejoicing declares, “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7). Additionally John heard an invitation addressed to him, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9).
Mutual covenant commitment
What truths about the Church come to us through the image of the Church as the bride of Christ? Basic to the imagery is the fact that the relationship between Christ and the Church is one of mutual covenant commitment. Christ’s total commitment to the Church has been, and is, evidenced in His saving death (Eph. 5:25). Furthermore, in Ephesians 5:29, His care of the Church includes cherishing it (protecting and taking care of) and nourishing it (feeding). The term we read as “nourishes” also conveyed the idea of heating or keeping warm. Sometimes we hear a local congregation described as cold, while another is termed a warm fellowship. What is the difference? It has nothing to do with the heating or cooling system; neither does it rest solely with human friendliness, although such can be a major factor in a warm church. The real issue is Christ’s presence being experienced through the Holy Spirit being active and free in the members’ lives. Christ is the warming factor in a warmhearted fellowship. He makes the difference between spiritual coldness and spiritual warmth.
The Church’s response
In return for Christ’s ministry to His bride, the Church’s response should be one of faithful commitment. This commitment receives various expressions in the New Testament. In 2 Corinthians 11:1–3, the Church as betrothed to Christ must always aspire to offer Him its “sincere and pure devotion” in order to be a pure bride. Like a wife faithful to her husband, the Church should seek always to give to Christ its full subjection and devotion even as He has given His ultimate love and sacrifice to the Church (Eph. 5:22–23). The desire of the Church should be to aspire to become “holy and without blemish” since that is Christ’s ultimate goal for His bride.
The Church presently is a bride in the making, making herself ready for a wonderful future. The present reality of church life should be increasingly making its ambition to reflect something of the future glory that awaits it as the bride of Christ.
Share with others: