What Is the Church? (Part 1)
It Is
the Bride of Christ
(Ephesians 5:25-33)
Have you ever believed something that you thought was true for a good part of your Christian life, only to discover that it wasn’t real? That is the feeling I now have concerning my understanding of the doctrine of the “church.” This is not a trivial matter, as I fear that the majority of believers in America today labor in organizations called “churches” that bear very little resemblance to the “church” that we read about in the New Testament. I believe that God is doing a mighty work in our day, and part of that work of His Spirit is bringing His people back to a correct understanding of His “Church.”
This is the start of a four-part series. In each article, we will seek out a different biblical answer to the same question: “What Is the Church?” In this first part, the answer we see is, “It is the Bride of Christ.”
In his discussion on how being “filled with the Spirit” affects our relationships (vv. 18-21), Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (NIV). Paul’s use of Christ as an example of a Spirit-filled husband’s love for his wife shows how seriously God views marriage relationships. If this command was obeyed by every Christian man in America, I believe that the divorce rate among Christians in our country would be very close to zero percent! And yet, this important topic of marriage takes a back seat to what the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is trying to teach us in this passage.
In verse 32, Paul writes, “This is a profound mystery (literally, a ‘mega mystery’) - but I am talking about Christ and the church” (NIV). Christ’s relationship to His Church is pictured to us as a marriage relationship. It is a relationship in which Christ paid the highest price for His Bride. Jesus said in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (NIV). Of Christ’s love, His Bride can be certain.
In seeing that the “church” is the “Bride of Christ,” and in understanding that it is something for which Christ died, we can also see clearly what the “church” is not. First of all, it cannot be a building, because Jesus never died for a building! And yet, if I were say to most Christians, “I’ll meet you at four o’clock at the church,” they would immediately assume that I was talking about a building. But to be fair, the English word “church” DOES refer to a building. Am I contradicting myself? No, I am referring to the English word itself, and not to the word in the Greek language of the New Testament.
It is helpful at this point to understand the difference between a word that is translated from Greek to English and a word that is simply transliterated. To “translate” means to give us the English word that most closely represents the meaning of what the Greek word says. To “transliterate,” on the other hand, means that the “translators” simply substituted English letters for Greek letters in the word they were “attempting” to translate. Perhaps the following examples of transliterated Bible words will give you a better idea:
βαπτίζω – baptizo – baptize
αποστολος – apostolos – apostle
The Greek word that is translated “church” is εκκλησια (or “ekklesia”). And yet the translators decided to transliterate another Greek word as their translation of this word, which is κυριακος (kuriakos). The Old English form of this word is “chirche,” from which we get the modern English word “church.” “Kurkiakos” or (“chirche”) means “belonging to the Lord” or “house of the Lord.” In order to understand why this happened, we need to take a brief look at “church” history, particularly around the time of the translation of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible (which was published in 1611).
The Church of England at the time was a state church, with King James as head of both church and state. In commissioning the translation that bears his name, the King tasked Archbishop Richard Bancroft with oversight of the translators. Bancroft established his “rules of interpretation” that the translators were bound to follow, which ensured that this Bible would conform to Anglican doctrine (Bancroft himself making fourteen changes to the translation just prior to its being published). This is why, for example, “baptizo” is transliterated instead of properly translated “immerse,” as this would be contrary to Anglican church practice.
There were also various groups at that time in England who were not agreement with the doctrine and practices of the Anglican church. The Puritans were trying to “purify” the Church of England from within. The Separatists, on the other hand, had given up trying to change the church and began meeting in various places outside the state church, including homes.
The Greek word “ekklesia” (which literally means “called out ones”) is probably best translated “assembly” or “gathering.” The emphasis of this word is not upon the place, but the people themselves who were gathering together. A proper translation of “ekklesia,” in Bancroft’s eyes, would then lend legitimacy to these “illegal” assemblies of the Separatists. Using “chirche” instead would then ensure that the readers of the KJV would associate the “ekklesia” with a place – the buildings of the Church of England. So, you see, the English word “church” can properly be applied in describing a building, as long as we understand the literally meaning of the word.
Sadly this error of translation perpetuated itself in almost all of the modern English versions of the Bible, with the exceptions of the rarely read translations of Young and of Darby. Interestingly, William Tyndale, in 1526, published an English translation of the New Testament in which he translated “ekklesia” as “congregation.” He was rewarded for his hard work by the Church of England in 1536 by being strangled and then burnt at the stake as a heretic.
I recommend that we seek to employ the Tyndale’s word for “ekklesia” whenever we can. Every time we use the word “congregation” in place of “church,” we will always know that we are talking about people and not about a building. The next time you read the New Testament and come upon the word “church,” try to change it to “congregation,” and see if the verse you are reading does not make more sense.
Again, it is obvious that Christ did not die for a building, but that He died for a congregation.
In light of this bloody death for His Bride, there are two other things that the “church” cannot be. First, the “church” cannot be an organization, since Christ did not die for an organization. And yet, how many times have you heard the term “church business meeting” or hear about churches that have constitutions and by-laws? Just because an organization calls itself a “church” does not make it a congregation in the biblical sense.
The only thing that can make something a New Testament congregation is the Presence of Christ Himself. In the context of congregational discipline, Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst” (NASB). It is not the size of a group that matters, it is not the “officers” that are present, nor anything else that makes a group a congregation, except for the Presence of Christ. Remember this!
The final thing that a church cannot be is a “meeting” or an event. Jesus did not die for something that we “attend.” I’ve heard it said in the past, “Boy, we really had ‘church’ today, didn’t we?” But, “church” is not something we attend or necessarily experience, it is what we are – His Bride, His congregation. Someone once said, and rightly so, “Don’t go to church, be the church!”
I want to focus the rest of this article upon the truth that “the Church is the Bride of Christ.” Frankly, as a man married to a woman, it has often been hard for me to think of myself as a bride. But, we need to remember that the Bride of Christ is not an individual but a congregation of individuals. I don’t need to view myself as being Someone’s wife, but that I am part of something larger than myself that is itself the Wife of Christ. I believe that this reference to the “church” as Christ’s Bride is meant to express some very significant things about the relationship Christ has with His congregation.
It would be helpful at this point to understand the marriage customs we see in biblical times. In Genesis 29:18 (the story of Jacob working seven years for his wife) we see that the groom needed to pay a dowry. We also see in Matthew 1:18-19 (the story of Joseph and Mary and Incarnation) that a betrothal (or “engagement”) was a binding covenant, which required a divorce to break.
For the wedding feast, we see in Isaiah 61:10 that a groom would be decked out like a king. The bride herself would be very elaborately adorned, as we see in Jeremiah 2:32 (described as “wedding ornaments”). When the day of the wedding arrived (which was usually some time after the betrothal), the groom would come and bring his bride to the feast (as we see in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25). We see also in Matthew 22:11-12 that everyone in attendance at the feast was required to wear a wedding garment.
Did you know that God referred to His people in the Old Covenant as His Bride as well? It appears that Israel became His bride in the wilderness (Jeremiah 2:2). If you read Ezekiel 16:8-13, you will see a good description of how the Lord made Israel His Bride.
We also read in the Old Testament about God breaking His marriage covenant with Israel through a divorce (Jeremiah 3:8). Hence, there would be the need now for a New Covenant, which is prophesized in Jeremiah 31:31-34 (God even refers to Himself as a “husband” in verse 32). We see this clearly in the New Testament.
In the text upon which this article is based (Ephesians 5:25-32), we see in the New Covenant that God has a new Bride – His Congregation. In this new covenant we see that Jesus has already paid our dowry (Ephesians 5:25) with His precious blood (Acts 20:28). We also see that Jesus has made a New Covenant with us, as pictured in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:25-26).
We also see in the New Covenant that Christ, our King, is adorning His Bride (Ephesians 5:26-27; Rev. 21:2), which He is presently accomplishing through our sanctification. Just like the groom must come and bring his bride to the wedding feast, so also will Jesus come and get us, just as He promised in John 14:2-3. This wedding feast will be held in heaven when Christ returns. Let us gaze with amazement at these words recorded in Revelation 19:6-9:
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7) Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8) Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 9) Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
We who know the Lord through saving faith in Jesus Christ are called “blessed” because we have been “invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb”! This day will come. We know Him can rejoice in these, “the true words of God.”
As we conclude our study in Ephesians 5:25-33, notice again that Paul refers to this relationship as a “profound (or mega) mystery” in verse 32. While verses 29-30 describe Christ’s care for His Bride, I believe this “mystery” is described in the quotation of Genesis 2:24 that Paul gives in verse 31: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” No wonder it is called a “mega mystery” – we are one flesh with Christ! Why? Because we are His Body (v. 30).
Remember that the Bride of Christ is a corporate reality (that is, it is an entire congregation, not just individuals), and that it is the congregation (and not just individuals) that is one flesh with Christ. There is a union between Christ and His congregation that we can hardly begin to fathom.
Remember what I said that the “church” is not? Well, add this reason to why the “church” cannot be those “things.” Buildings can never become “one flesh” with Christ. It is impossible for organizations to ever be “one flesh” with Christ. And meetings and events cannot be “one flesh” with Christ.
Every believer who is reading this is part of that Bride who is “one flesh” with Christ. Are we truly walking together in “one flesh” with Him? Do we think together His thoughts, or rely on our human wisdom and “psychology”? Do we share His desires in our hearts, or do we, as a congregation, follow our own desires – the things that the world calls important? Do we together have His interests in mind, or do we follow Him only in the areas that benefit us?
These are tough questions. But Christ is coming soon for His Bride. It’s time that the congregation of Christ in our community stop living for herself and become adorned with holiness for her Royal Groom. Oh, may we all truly “hear what the Spirit says to the congregations”! (Rev. 2:29)
Dave Lilligren
January 2007