The following is the mystery of marvel which must be studied and investigated with the focus and determination applied by a master sleuth. It is the mystery of Christ and His Church; the mystery dearest to the Lord Almighty’s heart, for it is about His Son and Christ’s espoused helpmate and wife. Details about her character and destiny are found scattered throughout the pages of the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. It is our favorite theme because it is our fondest hope that we may become Christ’s bride and wife.

The EOE web-pages are specially devoted to the ‘Bride’ section which traverses them so as to identify her with careful consideration, even lending a spiritual eye toward the detail of her life and the rarity of her character and disposition. Though the apostle Paul’s letters come late in the order of inspired scripture, the place best to begin is with Paul’s teaching on marriage to the believers of the city of Ephesus in modern day Turkey. Ephesus was that city where the wonder of the world, the temple to Diana, the Roman goddess of women, motherhood and fertility was located. Where better to dispel ignorance about the meaning of marriage and deliver the profound truth about marriage and the real Bride of God?

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the apostle begins a dialogue about husbands and wives and the necessity of love and reciprocal submission in the matrimonial relationship. He speaks of submitting one to another in the fear of God as he gives directives for wives and husbands and how the husband is particularly responsible to love the wife and the woman is obligated to submit to the man. This was news to those who were steeped in the worship of a goddess. And so Paul’s teaching was received primarily in this light, and has continued down two thousand years in this fashion to be learned by the bulk of bible believers. When read superficially, this is marriage counseling 101. He has talked about being wise and staying away from fornication (that one thing Christ has said is a permissible reason to divorce). Avoid also those who commit such sinful acts without regard for God or Man. Then Paul tells directly, in the simplest terms what husbands and wives ought to do in the matrimonial relationship –

“Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
     Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
     For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
     Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Eph 5:21-24

Simple and clear. Only the worshipper of Diana or Mary, or the modernist or the unbeliever without reverence for God could or can argue with this simple advice, this sound counsel of God. Do the right thing. The advancement of the idea of the full commitment of the man to so love his wife as Christ perfectly loves the church, serves as a hedge against the man abusing his position and lauding it over the ‘weaker vessel’. Both husband and wife are urged, expected, to be wise concerning the dynamics of this spiritual rule for successful marriage. And so, it seems this is the high point made by God in this counsel to the Ephesians.

Then we find out that Paul is talking about a much higher matter, a marriage but one of God and Man, a mystery of Christ and the Church and using the earthly matrimonial relationship to set up His higher point and reveal what is identified as the ‘great’ mystery. Curiously, out of the blue, midway through the dialogue, Paul interjects some specific aims of Christ for His Church and promises that Christ will be the one to fulfill His personal ambitions for the church. He says,

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
     That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
     That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph 5:25-27

Paul had already declared His mission among the believers of Corinth: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Cor 11:2  Of course, it is understood, since he was talking to the city of believers of every age and gender, that the chaste virgin was a spiritual allusion, not literal. He considered Himself a match-maker in the traditional Jewish sense. He was urging the Corinthians (as he did with the Ephesians and all other saints he disciple) to become Christ’s fiancée and to purify themselves in that hope that they are Christ’s espoused, someday to be His beautifully adorned Bride and wife.

Paul explained to the Ephesians what being this espoused and chaste virgin entails, more specifically what Christ and The Father have in mind. Christ gave Himself for the Church to set it apart and make it clean. He will do the purifying work and present it to Himself. It is a church from among the churches which He will perfect and make glorious. Take note, it is not the church but a church. The letters to the churches in Revelation, the epistles addressed to separate churches and two thousand years of history tell us that the church is comprised of church –es, plural. The Bride will be a church from among the church- es. Christ will be able to perfect her by using his ministers, such as Paul and by the guidance and gifts of the Holy Spirit and by washing her in the water of the Word. Christ will do her laundry, iron out her wrinkles by washing her in water by the Word. Her garments are clean and white, the linen of righteousness. (The Washed Bride)  It is Christ’s Bride about which Paul is now talking. Christ is her beautician removing all blemishes. He is her high priest to teach her holiness. His shed blood has won her pardon, paid for her forgiveness. She can now stand before God relieved of her sin by grace. The blood gives her authority over spiritual enemies and has ordained her as a royal priest. The Word is what washes her clean, takes out the wrinkles in her garments as they may become wrinkled by daily business and use. He washes her with the Word to clean off the dirt of the world. The water of the Word is the spa that heals her of blemishes and chaffing from the elements of the world. The washing of the Word is the true holy water. When we dunk under it and are bathed in it we are cleaned and holy by its power, even in proportion to our obedience to the Word. Jesus does this work with patience and love so he may present unto himself a glorious and perfected wife because she is the apple of His eye and the love of His life. As the Son of Man, he does not wish to be alone, but wants a wife, and she must be perfect, as only befits the Bride of Christ.

Paul then relates this prophecy of Christ and the Church back to our current temporary living situation. Since ‘marriage’ in its ultimate form is between God and Man and will be perfect, Paul tells us to emulate the real form;

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
    For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
   For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” Eph 5:28-30

In so relating this to earthly matrimony, Paul once again uses it to make a greater point about Christ and His wife. Christ and the church (that is His wife) through submission to His love are destined to be ONE. They are members of His body, His flesh and His bones. No one can do this for anyone else. No coercion can make bride-ship come to pass. They must desire to be with Christ and the two shall become one – this is done all by themselves. Their parents cannot help, no one can do it for them. Christ will do it for them. The prospective Bride must allow Him to work. Paul quotes the Word to make the point;

“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.” Eph 5:31 

Then, near the end of his dialogue Paul startles us by openly speaking of the mystery of which he had really been talking about all along. It was not so much the matrimonial obligations of husband and wives that he was teaching, but the relationship between Christ and his wife, a church living in this perfect order of love and the espoused wife reciprocating (by submission) that love to Christ. He directly and freely states this is a great mystery, this marriage between Christ and church. The word for church used here, as everywhere in the New Testament is Ekklesia: literally, called out ones.

Ekklesia was a gathering in the Greek world that represented a gathering of import where decisions were made and handed down. It often implied a completion through decisive action. This well represents the church Paul identified as the church of the mystery of Christ and the espoused wife. In this ekklesia (church) of separated ones a matter of the utmost importance was to be brought to perfect completion. The Bride was to be made holy and without spot, wrinkle, blemish or any such thing. She will be completed – perfected and purified. Christ will be married to those truly separated unto Him and who are fully extricated from the world’s grip. It is about Christ’s love for his own Bride and the greater purpose and intent Christ would have for the Church. This great mystery is revealed not just as a benefit that is to be followed after marriage but even more important each believer in the Church ought to behave as the “submitted wife” to Jesus with full understanding of the elevated intent in his heart toward all those He would call into brideship with Himself. He delivers the point to which he has been heading; “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Eph 5:32

Here in review is what Paul said about Christ and the church;

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
     Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
     For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
     Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
     Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
     That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
     That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
     So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
     For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
     For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
     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.
     Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” Eph 5:21-33

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Cor 11:2

“[Christ] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Col 1:2

As the believer proceeds through this section dedicated to the Bride we hope to present Scriptural evidence of the origin of God’s plan to provide His Son with a Bride and how it evolved in His Word and dealings with His people. It has been devised so that as the Christ, Jesus the Man would not have to be ‘alone’ through eternity; but that he would have a perfect Bride, one without spot or wrinkle, that would be holy and without blemish, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. That through obedient submission she would be faithful, devoted, unquestioningly trusting and forever His loving helpmate. We hope those who have ears to hear will gain faith for it – regardless of the skill THE OUTCAST EAGLES give or do this great mystery of the ages the justice it deserves.