Yes, The Church Is The Bride Of Christ: A Pastor's Cancellation just shows that many American evangelicals are theologically ungrounded, which can extend to entire congregations and even denominations.

The Federalist ^ | 03/09/2023 | Nathaniel Blake

[Skwor]

An academic and theologically grounded intellectual should not need to resort to language easily confused with gratuitously sexual innuendo.

I can see the points he was making but language allows many ways to be colorful without it being distasteful, tricky to navigate but not impossible.

I tend to agree the writings are at least not in the best form of a spiritual message.

Not sure it is an edifying way to present the word, but willing to acknowledge some my glean something from the writings.

[ConservativeMind]

I complained to the minister of a church I had attended that had allowed two divorced men to be included on the ballot for eldership.

The Bible clearly states they need to be a man “of but one wife.”

https://biblehub.com/titus/1-6.htm

They had somehow failed to read and understand Titus.

[SubMareener]

Brenda Weltner has pretty much figured out what is going on during these end times. This one is particularly applicable to what is going on in the organized church today. https://youtu.be/iFeyFvIqGGs

[Tell It Right]

In fairness, this neglect of theology arises in large part from the evangelical insistence on the primacy of Scripture, which is often paired with genuine devotion to its study and application. But reliance on the individual interpretation of Scripture has in turn produced an evangelical culture that is awash in entrepreneurial theology as charismatic leaders build movements and megachurches, often on thin theological ice with little accountability.

I respectfully disagree. The primacy of Scripture is what allows the regular folks in the church to hold a standard to the leaders. (See my tagline.) When the leaders push false teachings (lately it's been a lot of hedonism), the primacy of Scripture allows the regular church goers (some churches call them "lay people", but I hate that term) recognize the fault of the leaders and begin the process of demanding repentance.

That's what's been happening in the Baptist convention. Sometimes the leaders choose not to repent and the regular church goers can leave either as an entire congregation (such as been happening with Methodist churches) or as families and individuals (as been happening in many Democrat cult leaning "mainline" churches including the now globalist leaning RCC).

[Skwor]

I do not disagree in concept but I am forced to wonder about such possibilities like an unfaithful and abusive wife, or being so literal a widowed man then remarrying?

[Mr Rogers]

We did that in a church I was in. He had divorced. They both remarried. Then he became a Christian. He lived as a Christian.

Should sin in his life prior to conversion disqualify him? Or should his life AS A BELIEVER be the standard for understanding “one wife”?

[ConservativeMind]

A widowed man is freed of marriage.

There is no marriage in Heaven.

[BipolarBob]

It is accepted that the Apostle Paul had a wife once but probably died early. He remained celibate and was a mighty warrior for Christ.

[ConservativeMind]

Yes, his prior sin does ban him from eldership.

Sins can be forgiven, but when Scripture itself says even that situation means you are banned, you are banned.

It doesn't mean you can't still do other things to glorify God, though. Just not be an elder.

Do you also say presidents are free to run and get third terms of office?

[Skwor]

Again I agree, my caution was being a literalist to the scripture exclusive of other scripture to inform.

[Skwor]

Timothy 1:6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

Note the blameless part. No one is blameless, all have sinned in the eyes of the lord. I am sure you do not need a reference for that.

How do you allow for blameless to be “symbolized” and loosened in content while in the same verse require an etched in stone interpretation of the other part of the same scripture?

I am not being flippant, I am genuinely interested in the interpretation and understanding involved. This has me a bit baffled spiritually to be honest. I am one who does tend to go as literal as I can in scripture but this would pose a impossibility.

[Hootowl]

It has been a while since I studied this but as I recall a “bride” of Christ in only mentioned twice in the NT and both times it refers to the New Jerusalem.

[ifinnegan]

“ It is accepted that the Apostle Paul had a wife once but probably died early. He remained celibate and was a mighty warrior for Christ.”

Yes, but Paul made clear others did not have to be like him.

[ifinnegan]

Perhaps this is an excerpt, but it assumes a familiarity with this to do that most won’t have.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

I can see the points he was making but language allows many ways to be colorful without it being distasteful, tricky to navigate but not impossible.

Well said. I think some priests spend too much time in their enclaves and do not have enough lay friends to help them with their awkward ways. What should have happened in this case is, "Hey, I get what you're saying, but can you re-word this? I fear we will lose people who misinterpret it".

[SeekAndFind]

The Church as the Bride in Ephesians 5:22-33:

The Church is called the Bride of Christ and Christ is declared the Head of the Church, His Bride.

From the NIV TRANSLATION : 👇👇

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 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.”[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

[SeekAndFind]

Also in Isaiah 54:5 ( Old Testament ), the Husband and Wife metaphor is used for Israel :

For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called

[PeterPrinciple]

A few thoughts:

God destroyed the Temple, got rid of the old sacrificial system, got rid of the priestly system and tore the curtain from top to bottom.

We continue to rebuild the old system, the old covenant. This is an example of the problems with the old covenant.

God clearly defines the New Covenant in the OT and NT. I will let the reader do their own research.

[SeekAndFind]

Also, In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist speaks of Jesus Christ as the bridegroom and mentions the bride.

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: thus my joy therefore is fulfilled.[John 3:29 ]

In the Gospels, when Jesus is asked why his disciples do not fast, but the followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees do, Jesus answers with this metaphor:

And Jesus said unto them, Can the friends of the bridegroom fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.[Mark 2:19]