Tuesday: The Church as the Bride of Christ ~ Part 2
How does Paul use elements of the ancient wedding in appealing to Christians in Corinth? When does the presentation occur? (1 Corinthians 11:1-4).
Using one final element of the ancient wedding, in Ephesians 5:25-27 Paul portrays Christ as the One who: (6) presents the bride (to Himself!). In ancient times the bride would be given away by the best man, best men, or her father. Never by her groom! Here, though, Paul imagines Jesus presenting the church as bride to Himself.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing from GoodSalt.com
Paul uses marriage customs and roles to highlight Christ’s relationship to the church in an unfolding, chronological pattern: 1. Betrothal. Christ offered Himself up for the church (as “bride price”) and so became betrothed to her (Ephesians 5:25). 2. Preparation for the wedding ceremony. The attentions of the bridegroom continue in his present efforts to sanctify and cleanse the bride (Ephesians 5:26). 3. The wedding ceremony itself. Christ’s present attentions are in view of the “presentation” of the bride at the wedding (Ephesians 5:27). This last element looks to the grand wedding celebration at His return when Christ, the Bridegroom, will come to claim the church as bride and present her to Himself (Ephesians 5:27; compare 2 Corinthians 11:1-2; Colossians 1:21-23, Colossians 1:28).
Ancient weddings often began with a nighttime parade (see Matthew 25:1-13). The groom and his entourage would gather at the groom’s home — the couple’s new home — and with grand ceremony begin a procession. Lit by torches and accompanied by joyful, lilting music and great rejoicing, the crowd jostles toward the home of the father of the bride. Gathering up the bride there or meeting the bride’s own procession on the way, the parade would convey the couple to their new home, where the guests would settle into a weeklong feast, culminating in the wedding ceremony, when the bride would be presented to the groom.
When Paul portrays Christ presenting the church to Himself, he alludes to this grand parade and to the moment of presentation. In doing so, he provides a moving portrait of Christ’s return as a future wedding ceremony, when the long betrothal between Christ and His church is complete and the wedding celebrated.
| What message should we take for ourselves from all this positive, happy, and hopeful imagery? |
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I saw a Christian movie film (if you remember that technology you must be old) many years ago about a family in Polynesia. I cannot remember all the details so I will have to ad lib on the story. The family had three daughters. The two older daughters were married and the men who had married them had paid the bride price. The older daughter had been worth 3 cows, and the next one had been purchased for 4 cows. Both girls looked down on their younger sister and they used to make jokes about her. She was going to go cheap because they thought she was ugly and socially inept. They told her that she was only worth a poddy calf (don’t ask if you don’t know what that is – it’s a bit of an insult). Anyhow a fine young man turned up on the scene and after surveying the prospective bride, he sat down with the family to negotiate the bride price. The family was shocked when he offered 10 cows for the youngest sister. Then before they could answer, he said, “No, that is not right! I will make it 20 cows!”
And of course, she turned out to be the most beautiful and faithful wife because she had been valued so highly. I know it sounds a bit of a fairy tale these days, but back in the 1950s that was typical of the films shown at church socials. The moral of the story was that the more we value one another the more beautiful we become. And it's not just about the number of cows you can afford to give either.
The spiritual parallel is that Jesus gave his life for us – not just for some forensic fulfillment -but because he loved us, while we were still sinners. He did not bargain to get the lowest price for us. He paid the lot. How many of us husbands are willing to make that sort of sacrifice for our wives?
And while the parallel in this lesson study is between the Christ-Church and the husband-wife relationships, there is an open invitation for us to consider what this means to our relationship to those we call, “the least among us”.
what a nice story!
Thanks for sharing Mr. Ashton.
can you tell us the name of the movie.
I am sorry, It was many years ago and my memory has holes in it.
I watch the movie in ‘80s, at Monterrey, Mexico Adventist Academy, every year between 1990-2005, this film was watched for students in first year of high school. The title is Johnny Lingo
Thanks, Sandra. Barbara beat you to it, but it's good to get confirmation that my brain is working at least a little bit. I had forgotten the film's title, but I remembered the main storyline. Carmel is my 20-cow wife!😄 But don't tell her that - she might get the wrong idea!
A bride eagerly awaits for the coming marriage day,so should we.We are waiting for a fuller fellowship with Christ as believers forever.When Christ appears,that will be our blessed hope.We should be thrilled that Christ has love for us.As part of the bride,we should be very much delighted.
Are you excited and thrilled by the prospect of the coming of Christ?Are you ready?
The issue is not about who you are, but whose you are.As believers,we are immeasureably valuable to Christ.
Maurice, I think the movie was Johnny Lingo.
You are right Barbara. I looked up the name with the help of Google and Wikipedia and it all came flooding back. Made in 1969, I must have seen it at a Christian film preview in the early 1970s while Carmel and I were still almost newly weds! Hmmm! I wonder what else I have tucked away in the hollow of my brain. Thanks for the memory jog, Barbara!
For me, the focus of Paul’s comment is: “... as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be hole and without blemish.” Eph.5:25-27.
Paul mentiones that the cleansing, the sanctifying of the church is done by the word. I do not see much similarity between the husband and Christ other than that he should be selfless and allow her and his children to participate in the meetings of the Ekklesia in a meaningful way; to benefit from the washing by the 'Word'.
For me, the focus of these two lessons is on the washing of the bride by the Word. Christ’s Love for the Ekklesia goes so much further than just to bring us to His home to enjoy the wedding feast. He first chose us and then engages in patiently, lovingly, preparing us for the wedding by washing us with His Word – Himself - as we are found in Him.
The Holy Spirit’s life-giving power contained in the Word is the water which removes all former residue of the old nature and so prepares the Ekklesia to be presented without ‘spot or wrinkle’ that we might be holy and without blemish, because the Bride of Christ becomes one with Him and in Him.
"The Golden Rule," came to me first and foremost by Sunday Keeping Christians. Jesus said that this rule is all about "The Law and the Propheets." It is about doing to others what you would like others to do for you. This rule goes beyond just a bride and and groom an how a groom should deal for his bride. It is about how we deal in business and how we deal with each other. I gave one of my Seventh Day Adventist brothers a knife that only cost me about $12.00 for Christmas. Before the year was over he gave me a "Log Cabin Bank," that he makes and sells for over $20.00 depending on what a person wants on it up to $30.00 plus. I had no idea that he makes these and sells them because it cost me nothing but he outdid me with my Christmas Gift to him. But when one of my in-laws saw my gift they wanted one and they were willing to pay up to $27.00 just for his minimum $20.00 one. Eventually I bought all my in-laws each one of them so that he ended up making over $100.00 for making those and finally he got one customer from me and he then made that one for that customer for free. This is how all our churches should be exemplifying the Golden Rule in all our Churches and in all our dealings with each other and not just with how we deal with our husbands and our wives.