The Bride of Christ
Paul said to the Corinthians, I have espoused you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians
11:2).
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall
be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great
mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians
5:31-32).
While in this case Paul was speaking of the corporate body being the Bride
of Christ, there are many instances where he used marriage language to
describe individual saints being in Christ and Christ being in saints.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye
be reprobates (2 Corinthians 13:5).
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own (1
Corinthians 6:19).
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body?
For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the
Lord is one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:16-17).
|