Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo S
Gnosticism is documented history, it's not a theory.
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Yes, but I was talking about your idea that the church being the bride comes from Gnosticism. Do you have any scholarly proof that this is the case?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo S
God does not refer to the people of Israel as a "she" in the Old Testament however he does refer to the city of Jerusalem as a woman in the Old Testament which further supports the view that the New Jerusalem is the bride.
Look at the language in Lamentations 1:1;
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!
and also Ezekiel 16;
1 "And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3 and say,....'
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Ezekiel 16:1 must refer to the people. Because a physical city does not do detestable practices.
Also, this verse makes no sense if the bride is not the church:
Revelation 19:7-8 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for
the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
The Bride made herself ready is clearly the saints, who have clothed themselves in righteous deeds. The clothing of Christ's bride is the righteous deeds of the saints. This makes no sense if the Bride is the physical city.