2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Paul here is not saying the church, the body of Christ, is the bride of Christ. Paul is using espousal to illustrate the faithfulness and purity of the church unto Christ Jesus.
[2Corinthians 11:3-4 KJV] 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
In the above verses Paul is admonishing the church for following other apostles and another gospel. He was exhorting them to remain faithful to Christ as they received him from Paul.
[Ephesians 5:23, 32 KJV] 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. ... 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The relationship the church has with Christ is expressed by marriage. Christ is the head of the church just as the husband is head of the wife.
[Isaiah 62:4-5 KJV] 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. 5 For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.
[Isaiah 54:5 KJV] 5 For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
[Hosea 2:19-20 KJV] 19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
A number of verses express a marriage relationship with Israel as seen above.
[Revelation 21:2, 9-10 KJV] 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... 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 holy city, the new Jerusalem is described as being the bride, the lamb's wife; this is the bride of Christ, not the church, the body of Christ.
[Rev 21:12 KJV] 12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
The twelve tribes of Israel are written on the gates.
[Rev 21:14 KJV] 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The names of the twelve apostles of Israel are written in the foundations.
[Rev 21:24 KJV] 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Some Gentile nations will be saved to enter the kingdom on earth depending on how they treated Israel in the tribulation (Matthew 25:31-34); the nations that will enter the holy city will do so as a result of the ministry of the priesthood of believing Israel in the kingdom on earth (Zechariah 8:22-23 Exodus 19:6 Revelation 5:10 20:6).
Paul here is not saying the church, the body of Christ, is the bride of Christ. Paul is using espousal to illustrate the faithfulness and purity of the church unto Christ Jesus.
[2Corinthians 11:3-4 KJV] 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].
In the above verses Paul is admonishing the church for following other apostles and another gospel. He was exhorting them to remain faithful to Christ as they received him from Paul.
[Ephesians 5:23, 32 KJV] 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. ... 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The relationship the church has with Christ is expressed by marriage. Christ is the head of the church just as the husband is head of the wife.
[Isaiah 62:4-5 KJV] 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. 5 For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.
[Isaiah 54:5 KJV] 5 For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
[Hosea 2:19-20 KJV] 19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
A number of verses express a marriage relationship with Israel as seen above.
[Revelation 21:2, 9-10 KJV] 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... 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 holy city, the new Jerusalem is described as being the bride, the lamb's wife; this is the bride of Christ, not the church, the body of Christ.
[Rev 21:12 KJV] 12 And had a wall great and high, [and] had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
The twelve tribes of Israel are written on the gates.
[Rev 21:14 KJV] 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The names of the twelve apostles of Israel are written in the foundations.
[Rev 21:24 KJV] 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
Some Gentile nations will be saved to enter the kingdom on earth depending on how they treated Israel in the tribulation (Matthew 25:31-34); the nations that will enter the holy city will do so as a result of the ministry of the priesthood of believing Israel in the kingdom on earth (Zechariah 8:22-23 Exodus 19:6 Revelation 5:10 20:6).
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