The church is the bride Bible verse

2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(A) to Christ, so that I might present you(B) as a pure virgin to him.

Cross references

1. 2 Corinthians 11:2 : Hos 2:19; Eph 5:26, 27
2. 2 Corinthians 11:2 : S 2Co 4:14

Revelation 19:7-9 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.   (Read More...)

Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Isaiah 54:5 - For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Revelation 21:9 - And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

2 Corinthians 11:2 - 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.

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.

Revelation 21:9-11 - And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.   (Read More...)

Isaiah 62:5 - For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Matthew 25:1-46 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.   (Read More...)

Ephesians 5:27 - 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.

Mark 2:19-20 - And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.   (Read More...)

Matthew 25:1-18 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.   (Read More...)

Hosea 2:16-23 - And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.   (Read More...)

Jeremiah 2:2 - Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

Ezekiel 16:8 - Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

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In the Old Testament, God was the first to initiate relationship with His people, the children of Israel. A covenant was established with Abraham (Genesis 15, 17), confirmed through His son Isaac (Genesis 26:3), and reaffirmed through Isaac’s son Jacob (renamed Israel) and his descendants forever (Genesis 28:13).

As part of this contract, God agreed to be faithful and promised to set the nation of Israel apart as His holy people (Leviticus 20:26; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 26:18-19). In doing so, they were instructed to consecrate themselves to the Lord and serve Him alone (Exodus 20:2-6; Deuteronomy 6:13).

The people of Israel, however, frequently broke their vows and walked away from their contract with God to serve other gods and pursue their own interests. But in every betrayal, God remained faithful and never broke His promise to Israel.

• “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
• “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
• “Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; you established the earth, and it stands” (Psalms 119:90).
• “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Hosea and Gomer: A Picture of God’s Faithfulness

God even used the life and marriage of his prophet Hosea to deliver a powerful message to the people regarding their unfaithfulness. As Hosea’s wife Gomer was unfaithful to her husband, returning to a life of prostitution, so God felt betrayed by Israel’s infidelity (Hosea 1).

This, however, was not the end of the story or relationship. In this love story, God promised that if His people would return to Him, He would be faithful to always forgive them and welcome them back into His loving arms.

- Joel 2:13

- Hosea 14:4

- Zechariah 1:3

- Jeremiah 24:7

- Nehemiah 1:9

- Ezekiel 16:8-14

So even though Jesus Christ, the Messiah, had not yet come to redeem the earth, God was already using the symbolism of a broken marriage and relationship to communicate with His people, who He loved.

Throughout the biblical narrative, God has pursued His people with a relentless passion and do whatever He had to do to win them back. Sin may have ruined any chance of intimacy with the Father, but God had a plan for redemption and a means to restore a broken relationship.

The Church Is the Bride of Christ

As it is written in John’s gospel, “for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

With Christ’s life, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus became the living embodiment of the bridegroom and a faithful husband who was willing to give up His life for the one He loved.

As it is written in 2 Corinthians, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Through Christ’s sacrifice, intimacy with the Father can be restored and sins forgiven. Through Christ’s atonement, we are presented to God with the purity of a virgin on her wedding day. 

While God’s covenant relationship with the Israelites remained, through His son, He formed a new covenant with all who believed in Jesus Christ and surrendered to His lordship. Those who believe are called the church.

And as Christ promised to be faithful to the church, He described His expectations for the church’s relationship as His bride.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes, “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:21-24).

This passage naturally applies to the relationship between a husband and wife but also extends to the relationship between the church (the bride) and Christ (the bridegroom). The church must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and surrender to His lordship. 

Furthermore, husbands are called to love their wives, “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

The Bride of Christ Awaits the Promised Reunion

Scripture also promises a final reunion between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. When Christ returns in the prophesied Second Coming, He will celebrate with His bride in a wedding ceremony where the two will be united forever.

“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. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Revelation 19:7-8).

Until then, members of the church are encouraged to be faithful and be ready, waiting with anticipation for the glorious day in which they will be united with Jesus Christ and live in harmony with Him as His beloved bride (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 21:1-2).

Joel Ryan is an LA-based children’s and young adult author who teaches writing and communications at Life Pacific University. As a former youth pastor, he has a heart for children and young adults and is passionate about engaging youth through writing and storytelling. His blog, Perspectives Off the Page, discusses the creative and spiritual life through story and art.

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Gianni Scognamiglio