Two Brides

[winifred]

Christophercbm
Dan p
Bro in Christ
Dispy
Joe Gath
Bekakimonkey
Annier

Dispy:
The Church, the Body of Christ, cannot be found in the book of the Revelation.

When The Church, the Body of Christ, is raptured it will be in heaven "...to ever be with the Lord." The marriage supper of the Lam will be on the earth.

* We are in agreement, Dispy.

* I just wish the word 'rapture', which seems to cause so much dispute, were not in use, for it is not a word found in Scripture is it, Dispy? The word which cannot be disputed is 'resurrected', so I will stick with that.

 

[Jack Terrence]

Hi , and I just noticed that , that I had posted a similar thread .

There are many believers that believe the Body of Christ is " the Bride of Christ ".

We , know from Jer 3:8 that Christ was married to Israel , Divorced Israel , and in the Gospels tried to get together Acts 3:19 and 20 !!

But will remarry Israel !!

In the Body of Christ , I have nor seen a Wedding Ceremony for the Body .

Even some Dispensationalist , say that the Body of Christ is the Bride of Christ .

It is easy to rebut !!

Israel and Gentiles will always be Separate as Num 23:9 reveals !!

God will not have to Brides , tht I can see !!

Even in the Millennium Gentiles and Jews will be separate !!

dan p

Amen! Only the twelve tribes of Israel are members of the Bride. God has only ONE Wife! Only the names of the tewlve tribes of Israel are written upon Her (Rev. 21:12). Dispensationalists say that ethnic Gentiles are members of the Bride because in Ephesians Paul likened marriage to Christ and the Church, and because they think that the "Gentile" believers in the church at Ephesus were ethnic Gentiles.

But they were NOT ethnic Gentiles. There were two classes of Gentiles in biblical times. The first class was the Jews of the Diaspora who were uncircumcised and secularized. They were the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." The second class was ethnic Gentiles. The Gentiles at Ephesus were the first class, that is, they were the Jews of the Diaspora. They were Israelites by race.

In 2:17 Paul explicitly said that Christ came and preached to them. This is how we know that the Gentiles in the Church at Ephesus were the first class because Christ came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Furthermore, in 3:1 Paul said that he was a prisoner "for you Gentiles." The book of Acts shows us CLEARLY that Paul was imprisoned for preaching the "hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).

Supporting Scriptures:

Romans 9:24-26,

24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As He says also in Hosea:
“I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Hosea 1:10,

10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘You are sons of the living God.’

The "Gentiles" Paul was speaking about was the first class (the Diaspora, the lost tribes of Israel). Hosea says that it is said "to them," the children of Israel, "You are not my people," and, "You are the sons of the living God."

As you said it is easy to rebut the myth that ethnic Gentiles are members of Christ's Bride. Fortunately, that myth is now being exposed.

 

[IvinViljoen]

Some thoughts come to mind. Israel is old and isn't in God's new plans, as for Jerusalem, Christians are the 'New Jerusalem'. That's what I've heard some preach.

 

[Dispy]

Some thoughts come to mind. Israel is old and isn't in God's new plans, as for Jerusalem, Christians are the 'New Jerusalem'. That's what I've heard some preach.

Israel still has a glorious future in store for them. It appears to me that you are listening to the wrong preachers.

 

[Jack Terrence]

Israel still has a glorious future in store for them. It appears to me that you are listening to the wrong preachers.

Jesus said that the kingdom was "taken away" from them. It appears to me that you are NOT listening to the Master teacher.

Besides, biblical Israel no longer exists. Ashkenaz Jews are not biblical Israel.

 

[Dispy]

Jesus said that the kingdom was "taken away" from them. It appears to me that you are NOT listening to the Master teacher.

Besides, biblical Israel no longer exists. Ashkenaz Jews are not biblical Israel.

Biblical Israel is in a temporary slumbering eye condition (cf. Romans 11:7-12) until "...the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written. There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Rm. 11:25, 26).

 

[Danoh]

Jesus said that the kingdom was "taken away" from them. It appears to me that you are NOT listening to the Master teacher.

Besides, biblical Israel no longer exists. Ashkenaz Jews are not biblical Israel.

Matthew 21:
43. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Luke 13:​

32. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Danoh
Eph. 4:16

 

[Danoh]

Amen! Only the twelve tribes of Israel are members of the Bride. God has only ONE Wife! Only the names of the tewlve tribes of Israel are written upon Her (Rev. 21:12). Dispensationalists say that ethnic Gentiles are members of the Bride because in Ephesians Paul likened marriage to Christ and the Church, and because they think that the "Gentile" believers in the church at Ephesus were ethnic Gentiles.

But they were NOT ethnic Gentiles. There were two classes of Gentiles in biblical times. The first class was the Jews of the Diaspora who were uncircumcised and secularized. They were the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." The second class was ethnic Gentiles. The Gentiles at Ephesus were the first class, that is, they were the Jews of the Diaspora. They were Israelites by race.

In 2:17 Paul explicitly said that Christ came and preached to them. This is how we know that the Gentiles in the Church at Ephesus were the first class because Christ came only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Furthermore, in 3:1 Paul said that he was a prisoner "for you Gentiles." The book of Acts shows us CLEARLY that Paul was imprisoned for preaching the "hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20).

Supporting Scriptures:

Romans 9:24-26,

24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As He says also in Hosea:
“I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Hosea 1:10,

10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There it shall be said to them,
‘You are sons of the living God.’

The "Gentiles" Paul was speaking about was the first class (the Diaspora, the lost tribes of Israel). Hosea says that it is said "to them," the children of Israel, "You are not my people," and, "You are the sons of the living God."

As you said it is easy to rebut the myth that ethnic Gentiles are members of Christ's Bride. Fortunately, that myth is now being exposed.

Given your instincts, you'd make for a really sharp Acts 9 Dispensationalist, but for now, respectfully, you are off on the above.

Romans 9-11 is about what happened between God and national Israel that the salvation of God promised upon the Gentile nations through the rise to glory of Israel as a nation one day has now been put on hold by God and why He is now dealing with Gentiles directly.

Towards that, Paul has been laying out the history of all this, including God's prior holding off of His impending wrath towards His fulfilment of His promise of blessing upon the Gentile through that nation: Israel.

Israel is depicted as taking God's patience as His being slack concerning His promise, blamed for and questioned as to His will, all the while Israel takes advantage of His patience.

Paul reminds them of this, in Romans 9, as he begins to lay out where their own way once more ended them up for now:

18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?​

22. What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people;
there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Paul has just covered all issues inlcuding the fact that God will one day call Israel His people once more. That out of the way, he returns to the topic he began with - Israel's present fall:

30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.​

32. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

In other words, because, their profesion of faith had been mere outer display:

Romans 2:​

24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

You might believe these Jews are Gentiles, but they are so only after Israel's fall, when they were then concluded in uncircumcision by the Holy Spirit through Stephan at Acts 7, per Matthew 12:

Matthew 12:​

30. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
33. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Acts 7:​

51. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:​

53. Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Paul - one apostle too many to God's purpose through the Twelve Apostles - is then called to announce to Israel God's pronouncement against national Israel throughout the balance of Acts. He does so through a "but now...no respector of persons" gospel.

Acts 13:
​

38. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Of course, this is the Acts 9 Perspective, so I doubt you might have studied it out when you studied Acts 2's "Dispensationalism."

Danoh
Eph. 4:16
​

​

 

[notreligus]

God the Father will marry Israel
JC will marry the church

Surely you are kidding. You could not possibly be serious about this, or could you?

Israel is on the Earth.

The Church is in the New Jerusalem which is planetary to Heaven.

God is a polygamist.

MAD is truly MAD!

 

[Bro in Christ]

Christophercbm[/COLOR]
Dan p
Bro in Christ
Dispy
Joe Gath



I agree that Christ Jesus our risen Lord is the Head of the Church which is His Body: that we are members of His Body, and not 'the Bride.'

john 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

The term 'The Bride of Christ' is not found anywhere in Scripture, yet it is used so generally among Christians, isn't it?

luke 5:35 But 1161 the days 2250 will come 2064 , when 3752 2532 the bridegroom 3566 shall be taken away 522 from 575 them 846, and then 5119 shall they fast 3522 in 1722 those 1565 days 2250.

bridegroom is Jesus Christ do to sitting at the right hand of the Father ...

'The Bride, the Lamb's wife' - Rev.21:9 - This is explained as 'The Holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God' - it is described in detail. This is the city for which Abraham looked, isn't it?
The twelve apostles are mentioned in relation to the Bride, for they will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28) during the 1,000 year reign.

* Those who inhabit this city will be the 'Overcomers', who like Abraham 'Overcame' in his generation, similarly, the believing remnant, who overcame during the Acts period. and those who take part in the first resurrection, spoken of in Rev. 20:5,6.

1 john 5:5 Who 5101 is 2076 he that overcometh 3528 the world 2889, but 1508 he that believeth 4100 that 3754 Jesus 2424 is 2076 the Son 5207 of God 2316?

This is worth spending more time on, when time allows.

In Christ Jesus
Wings

eph 5:23 For 3754 the husband 435 is 2076 the head 2776 of the wife 1135, even 2532 as 5613 Christ 5547 is the head 2776 of the church 1577: and 2532 he 846 is 2076 the saviour 4990 of the body 4983.

if a husband has a wife what are they before getting married ... Bridegroom and bride.... not difficult

Matt 25:10 And 1161 while they 846 went 565 to buy 59 , the bridegroom 3566 came 2064 ; and 2532 they that were ready 2092 went in 1525 with 3326 him 846 to 1519 the marriage 1062: and 2532 the door 2374 was shut 2808

notice here the bride is not mentioned because she is a mystery of the church!

 

[Interplanner]

The church is not a mystery. The mystery was the method by which the nations would come into the new Israel (Eph 3:6). That mystery is over with. The OT always expected the nations to be given the message to be saved, and for what was coming through Israel to bless them. Even before there was Israel.

The church is treated as though a bride/wife in Eph 5. There is no point in being too fussy about body v. wife.

 

[MWood]

How could anyone after reading Rev:21 9-10 dispute or argue The Truth of the Living Word of God? These verses plainly tell you who the Bride of Christ is. They cannot be disputed, when they say, "come let me show you the "Bride", the Lambs wife." How can you argue with that? Then in verse 10 through the Word you are shown who the 'Bride' is. 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, How do you argue with that?

May the Holy Spirit open your mind to a greater understanding of God's word. Turn loose the teachings of man. Read and study your own Bible and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you the things of God.

 

[Danoh]

Agreed, though it is equally clear that the Spirit does that through those "words which the Holy Ghost teacheth." In other words, which the writers of Scripture He gave said words to, to guide them unto all truth by, which they then wrote down, 2 Sam. 23:2, John 16:13, 1 Cor. 2:10-16; Col. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21.

You arrive at an understanding of His will through His Word, be not wise in your own conceits, but instead, rightly divide His Word, as His Word teaches you HOW TO - through how He Himself rightly divides His Word. By that His Spirit teaches you - through - His - Written - Word - believed.

Danoh
Eph. 4:16

 

[Bro in Christ]

The church is not a mystery. The mystery was the method by which the nations would come into the new Israel (Eph 3:6). That mystery is over with. The OT always expected the nations to be given the message to be saved, and for what was coming through Israel to bless them. Even before there was Israel.

The church is treated as though a bride/wife in Eph 5. There is no point in being too fussy about body v. wife.

Mystery was during the Law ... they had no clue of a better salvation offer to the Gentiles... and this is good news for us.. eph 2:11-13

stating we are apart of the Jewish promises is very dangerous... rev 2:9,3:9

 

[Jack Terrence]

God the Father will marry Israel
JC will marry the church

First, your term "JC" is irreverent. Please call Him by His name. Second, your theory is outrageous. There is only ONE Husband and ONE Bride. Paul told the Jewish believers at Rome that they had died to the law that they might be married to another which is Christ (Rom. 7). So they were formerly married to someone else.

Believing Israel was formerly married to someone else, but died to the law and became married to Christ. Gentiles are added. Unbelieving Israel has no husband but is a harlot.

 

[Danoh]

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Just as the "fruit" in the passage is not literal, neither is the marriage. Paul is using figurative language (a figure of speech). His sense is that a member of the Body of Christ is just that - a member of His Body - joined (as in JOINT-heirs WITH Him) joined to Him. Two verses previous to that one he speaks of the woman having been "loosed" from the law or principle holding her to who she has been joined by the law of marriage to. The opposite of that is "joined."

You three continually conclude what you do, do not think it through properly, and thus end up with marriage to Christ along the normal use of that word. Having placed it in YOUR context, you fail to see that what you are really saying is that Christ not only has all these wives, but is married to SONS of God!!!

Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

The loosening is from the Law principle of sin and death, the Law held them to, Rom. 8, to be free now, to serve from the principle or law of the Spirit of life IN Christ Jesus. This only one aspect of the Mystery first revealed to and through the Apostle Paul, and has to do with truth about how the church (assemby of people) WHICH IS HIS BODY functions.

It is NOT the same Grace Israel's prophets prophesied concerning Israel (that church, or assembly of people which began in the Exodus wilderness, the elect of which, the Lord later noted He would build His new assembly of people out of THAT nation from, Luke 12:32, Acts 3:24-26; Acts 7:37, 38. And their grace was, and is, conditional, Heb. 3.

Not that Scripture matters on any of this, as, for some, it ia just some book to twist to their own notions, but, the church in early acts is the one spoken of "SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" Acts 3:21. And that assembly and its expectation of the Lord's return to Israel, has, per this new Apostle - of the Gentiles: Paul - been placed on hold "til the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" Rom. 16:25-27. This is why Eph. 2 declares Israel as "them that WERE nigh." Paul's point in light of the above points being that what God is now building is a new man out of both, Jew and Gentile. When the fulness of that be come in, He will once more turn His attention to Israel "for that is my covenant unto them, WHEN I shall take away their sin."

Danoh
Eph. 4:16

 

[Jack Terrence]

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Of course the marriage in Romans 7 is not literal. The Church's marriage to Christ is also not literal. So what's your point?

Paul was speaking to Jewish believers saying "You died to the law that you might be married to another, even [Christ]." So they were married to someone else prior to their being married to Christ. They died to their former husband so they could be married to "another." Paul was saying that they were previously married to Moses. They died to the law (Moses) that they might be married to Christ.

Gentile believers were NEVER married to Moses prior their to being married to Christ. For them Christ is their FIRST and ONLY husband. Moreover, the Gentile believers NEVER died to the law because they did not have the law (Romans 2:14).

Btw, the Lamb's wife has the name of the twelve tribes of Israel written upon her gates (Revelation 21:12). Gentiles are not even mentioned. Thus, the Dispensationalist theory that God marries Israel and Christ marries the Church fails. Furthermore, Christ is the God of both the old and new testaments.

Israel and the Church are one and the same.

 

[Danoh]

Boxer, apparantly you and yours just read into things as you go - Mid-Acts Dispensationalism believes the Body of Christ is
NOT His bride. It believes the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb, Rev. 21.

You are confusing us with Acts 2 Dispensationalism - THEY believe the Body is the Bride of Christ.

If you compare Romans 6-8, 1 Cor. 6, and Eph. 5 PROPERLY, what you find is that we are MEMBERS of His Body, JOINED to Him IN His death, then, raised together with Him IN His newness of life. The issue there is not marriage, rather, of having BEEN (PAST TENSE) joined together with him, having been made MEMBERS of His Body. You see this in the example in 1 Cor. 6:16's "What? Know ye not that he which is JOINED to an harlot is ONE body? For two, saith he, shall be ONE flesh."

Was he addressing the issue of marriage? Of Husbands, and or of wives? No. In other words, just because he uses the word "marriage" or "husband" or "wife" or "chaste vigin" and so on, that does not mean he is talking about a husband and a wife.

We, His Body are neither His Bride, nor His wife, we are made members OF His body, by the fact that, the moment we trust the gospel of our salvation, we are baptized by the Spirit INTO His Body, 1 Cor. 12:13.

Dano
Eph. 4:16

 

[notreligus]

Boxer, apparantly you and yours just read into things as you go - Mid-Acts Dispensationalism believes the Body of Christ is
NOT His bride. It believes the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb, Rev. 21.

You are confusing us with Acts 2 Dispensationalism - THEY believe the Body is the Bride of Christ.

If you compare Romans 6-8, 1 Cor. 6, and Eph. 5 PROPERLY, what you find is that we are MEMBERS of His Body, JOINED to Him IN His death, then, raised together with Him IN His newness of life. The issue there is not marriage, rather, of having BEEN (PAST TENSE) joined together with him, having been made MEMBERS of His Body. You see this in the example in 1 Cor. 6:16's "What? Know ye not that he which is JOINED to an harlot is ONE body? For two, saith he, shall be ONE flesh."

Was he addressing the issue of marriage? Of Husbands, and or of wives? No. In other words, just because he uses the word "marriage" or "husband" or "wife" or "chaste vigin" and so on, that does not mean he is talking about a husband and a wife.

We, His Body are neither His Bride, nor His wife, we are made members OF His body, by the fact that, the moment we trust the gospel of our salvation, we are baptized by the Spirit INTO His Body, 1 Cor. 12:13.

Dano
Eph. 4:16

Doesn't this show just how silly the Ultra-Dispensational belief system is? You divide yourselves based on where you are in the Book of Acts. Acts is a book of history, not church doctrine. If you base your Biblical concepts on where you are in Acts it's no wonder that you come up with these far-fetched concepts. I know I would be embarrassed to describe my beliefs based on where I pick up my theology within the Book of Acts.

Are you of the division which believes that the New Jerusalem is the dwelling place of the Church and that the New Jerusalem remains planetary to the Earth because Israel will be on the Earth and the two (Israel and the Church) cannot have the same eternal destiny?

 

[Jack Terrence]

Boxer, apparantly you and yours just read into things as you go - Mid-Acts Dispensationalism believes the Body of Christ is
NOT His bride. It believes the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb, Rev. 21.

You are confusing us with Acts 2 Dispensationalism - THEY believe the Body is the Bride of Christ.

My bad. I have not followed the thread too closely.

If you compare Romans 6-8, 1 Cor. 6, and Eph. 5 PROPERLY, what you find is that we are MEMBERS of His Body, JOINED to Him IN His death, then, raised together with Him IN His newness of life. The issue there is not marriage, rather, of having BEEN (PAST TENSE) joined together with him, having been made MEMBERS of His Body. You see this in the example in 1 Cor. 6:16's "What? Know ye not that he which is JOINED to an harlot is ONE body? For two, saith he, shall be ONE flesh."

Romans 7-8 is addressed SPECIFICALLY TO JEWISH BELIEVERS.

1 Corinthians is addressed ENTIRELY TO JEWISH BELIEVERS.

Ephesians 5 is addressed to JEWISH BELIEVERS AND BELIEVING JEWS OF THE DIASPORA known as "Gentiles." No part of Ephesians is addressed to ethnic Gentiles.

So using your logic we must conclude that there is nothing for you and me in any of the epistles.

Was he addressing the issue of marriage? Of Husbands, and or of wives? No. In other words, just because he uses the word "marriage" or "husband" or "wife" or "chaste vigin" and so on, that does not mean he is talking about a husband and a wife.

The New Jerusalem is not about a husband and wife either. It is all metaphor. So what's your point?

We, His Body are neither His Bride, nor His wife, we are made members OF His body, by the fact that, the moment we trust the gospel of our salvation, we are baptized by the Spirit INTO His Body, 1 Cor. 12:13.

Paul was speaking to JEWISH BELIEVERS. The Church at Corinth was EXCLUSIVELY Jewish. It was JEWISH BELIEVERS who were baptized into the body of Christ.