Who is The Bride of Christ?

By Arthur J Licursi

This is a Seven-Part Study Series, potions adapted from Shawn Brasseaux

There are many misconceptions among believers, most being rooted in “replacement theology” where it is erroneously thought that the church today has replaced Israel in God’s pan of the ages. This Satanic lie then wrongly assumes that all the Biblical promises for Israel can be appropriated by “the church, the body of Christ” today. This then leads to many false understandings that actually rob “the church, which is the body of Christ” of its unique riches of the inheritance that they actually do possess in their Spirit-union with Christ.”

“Wherefore I [Paul] also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: ¹⁸ The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what The Riches Of The Glory of His Inheritance In The Saints,” “Ephesians 1:15-18 (KJV)

This article is mainly to propose questions for sincere believers to arrive at the correct answers by letting the Scripture interpret the Scripture … rather than blindly believing the ‘traditions’ of the manmade human viewpoint of man’s religion.

Part 1 – Are We His Bride or His Body?

Most Christians falsely believe Christ is “the Bridegroom” of “the Church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) is “the lamb’s wife.” This has been heard many times. But is it the truth? The uses of these phrases “the Church, which is his body” as “the lamb’s wife” is an obvious mixing of metaphors that is confusing and raises serious and revealing questions.

The fact is that “the Word of God” is more precise than man’s religious views suppose. For instance, how can Christ fulfill His role as “Bridegroom” and also a role as “the Head” of the “His body,” the head of the “Church, which is His Body” at the same time when both refer to Him? Can “His Body” also be “the Bride” The answer is an emphatic No! The Biblical fact is that the “BODY of Christ” has Christ as the “HEAD of the BODY” (Col. 1:18). There is NO “Bridegroom” for or related to “His Body” in any way.

To be a member of “His Body” is a ‘closer relationship’ with the Lord than to be “the bride” or counterpart of the “Bridegroom.” Married men can ask themselves, “Is my body closer to me than my wife?” The obvious answer is; “Yes, because ‘you’ and ‘your body’ are “one.”

There’s little doubt that the Lord’s Bride is not “the body of Christ” because it’s a clear Biblical fact that Israel is “espoused” to the Lord as His “betrothed” (cf. Hosea 2:19, below). Israel is to be “Lamb’s wife” (Rev 21:9). Believing Israel will have Christ as her soon coming “bridegroom” (below). In fact, the Lord’s most repeated accusation against Israel was her ‘spiritual adultery’ in departing from her true “husband” (The Lord, below); having false love for the idols of the heathens.

“Turn, O backsliding children [of Israel], saith the Lord, for I am married unto you;” “surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so ye have dealt treacherously with me, 0 house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 3:14, 30; cf. Isaiah 54:4-8; Hosea 2:19-20, Rev. 19:7-8).

The second chapter of Hosea concerns the unfaithfulness of Israel toward the Lord as His ‘betrothed.’ Yet, the Lord says of Israel; “I [the Lord Jehovah] will betroth [marry] thee [Israel] unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.” (Hosea 2:19) 

In John’s Isle of Patmos vision of Revelation 21 we read of “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Note that though the term the ‘Bride of Christ’ as often used by many Fundamental, Pentecostal and Evangelical believers… it is actually unknown in Scripture.

It’s common to hear the erroneous description of “the New Jerusalem” used as a picture of Heaven and the future home of ALL believers. This is not true either. Consider that if this were so, then who would be left to inhabit “the New Earth” that God which going to recreate after the Millennial reign of Christ?

The “kingdom of [from] heaven” that will come “on earth” as promised to Israel, NOT to “the church, which is His body.” Israel was promised to co-reign with Christ forever on “the new earth” (cf. Rev. 5:10, 20:6). If this applied to “the body of Christ,” which it does not, then who would be left to dwell eternal “in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1) as promised to “the church, which is His body”?

The Lord’s “Bride” cannot in any sense of the pure “word of truth” be considered “the Church, which is His Body.”

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Eph. 2:6)
“the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,… ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;” (Col. 1:5)