Bride of Christ – Post #6

Taken from my handwritten journal, dated Sunday, January 12, 2025

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. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3

I am grateful for the salvation that allows us to be referred to as “chaste”, Jesus exchanging His own perfection with our corruption!

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is writing to the Corinthians who are being led toward the legalization of Judaism as it was practiced (formerly by Paul!). Would you help me understand more about this bride-of-Christ verse?

Abba: Paul is relating his (and My) affection and sense of fatherly responsibility toward the Corinthians. In the culture of the day, fathers arranged marriage for their daughters. The daughter was expected to respect the wisdom of her father to act/choose in her best interests. The method you are used to has the daughter choosing a mate for herself, often based on how she feels about it emotionally. In Paul’s culture, the daughter would not have been regarded as having enough experience to make a good decision and the emotional aspect would have been seen as obscuring potential trouble, due to the rationalizations that can accompany strong desire. You should see, therefore a sense of the father’s responsibility to protect his daughter. Paul is expressing this same desire for protection of the Corinthian believers from being deceived. Paul is reflecting My jealousy that my children have an unsullied relationship with Me.

Not all fathers are wise. Not all arranged marriages were truly in the best interest of the daughter. There were marriages to establish political (and other) alliances. I AM not like that, which Paul knew well.

Old Covenant expressions of this desire incorporate an aspect of punishment for disobedience (Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, Nahum 1:2) but the aim is for relationship:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:5)

All the punishment for sin has been borne by Jesus. Yet, those who are determined to stand on their own righteousness, can have whatever they say (Mark 11:24, Romans 3).

Me: Thank You Father, that the New Covenant offers a way through Jesus to break the natural “passing down” of iniquity to children (Exodus 20:5).

Abba: In Jesus, this generational contamination is broken for those who accept salvation and walk in it.

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!