How come the church is the body of Christ?

[iaskquestions]

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. " (Eph 5:23)

“Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:28-32)

Now, we see that the wife is the body of her husband just as the church is the body of Christ.

But there’s a problem here. The church is the bride of Christ and not as yet his wife. Look what the scripture says,

"“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; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure” – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. " (Rev 19:7-8)

The marriage of Christ and the church, his bride, is yet to take place. So **the church, as of now, is not the wife **of Christ, but his bride. But we see from Ephesians 5 that it is the wife who is her husband’s body and not the bride. So how is it that Paul says that the church is the body of Christ?

 

[thistle]

Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. All Catholics should read it.

THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST

The Church is communion with Jesus

CCC 787 From the beginning, Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to them, and gave them a share in his mission, joy, and sufferings. Jesus spoke of a still more intimate communion between him and those who would follow him: “Abide in me, and I in you. . . . I am the vine, you are the branches.” And he proclaimed a mysterious and real communion between his own body and ours: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”

CCC 788 When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time; he sent them his Spirit. As a result communion with Jesus has become, in a way, more intense: “By communicating his Spirit, Christ mystically constitutes as his body those brothers of his who are called together from every nation.”

CCC 789 The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.

“One Body”

CCC 790 Believers who respond to God’s word and become members of Christ’s Body, become intimately united with him: “In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification.” This is especially true of Baptism, which unites us to Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the Eucharist, by which “really sharing in the body of the Lord, . . . we are taken up into communion with him and with one another.”

CCC 791 The body’s unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: “In the building up of Christ’s Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church.” The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful: “From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice.” Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

 

[Todd_Easton]

My :twocents:…

The analogies of ‘bride and bridegroom’ and ‘husband and wife’ are used to explain different aspects of the relationship between Christ and his Church. The analogy of ‘husband and wife’ is used to explain the present mystical union of Christ and his Church.

When Paul encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This self-identification of Jesus with the Christians, whom Paul was persecuting at the time, seems to be the origin of the concept of the Church as the mystical Body of Christ.

The general principle seems to be that a body is identified with the spirit that animates it. If the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit) mystically dwells within you, then you are part of the mystical Body of Christ. Since the Spirit of Christ mystically dwells within those (in the state of grace) who make up the Church, the Church is the mystical Body of Christ.

 

[Philthy]

iaskquestions:

The marriage of Christ and the church, his bride, is yet to take place. So **the church, as of now, is not the wife **of Christ, but his bride. But we see from Ephesians 5 that it is the wife who is her husband’s body and not the bride. So how is it that Paul says that the church is the body of Christ?

A couple things:

I would be careful attempting to draw the type of conclusion you are drawing from a comparison of a pastoral letter (Ephesians) with Revelation. Paul was speaking to a specific community of people in real time. John’s Revelation is prophetic and is not bound by time in quite the same context as Pauls words.

The Church exists in both time and eternity - simultaneously. It is divided into 3 groups:

• Those who have passed from this life and are with God are The Church Glorious. They are, eternally, the body of Christ and his Bride.
• Those who have passed from this life and have been judged as worthy to spend eternity with God, but who need to be purified (through Purgatory) of any earthly or selfish attachments before they can enjoy that eternity in God’s presence are know as The Church Suffering. They too, are the body of Christ and His Bride, though not yet to the extent that the Church Glorious is.
• Lastly we have those of us still doing battle here on earth - The Church Militant. We have yet to finish the race and “persevere to the end”. Although the promises of God remain, we have yet to complete His will and partake fully of the marriage as the above groups have done.
  So the Church is an entity that exists in both time and eternity simultaneously and parts of the Church have entered into that marriage fully while other parts have not. Perhaps that explains why it can be simultaneously said that “The Church” is the bride and “The Church” also is yet to become the bride.

Just my thoughts, however. Is there a point to your question beyond the observation of an apparent contradiction? Does it have any impact on your faith, hope or love?

 

[iaskquestions]

So the Church is an entity that exists in both time and eternity simultaneously and parts of the Church have entered into that marriage fully while other parts have not. Perhaps that explains why it can be simultaneously said that “The Church” is the bride and “The Church” also is yet to become the bride.

This opinion answers my question. But is this the Catholic opinion? Could you provide me with a link where the Catholic Church has taught this?

Also, please don’t confuse “bride” with “wife”. A bride is a woman who is engaged to a man and is about to marry him. But a wife is one who has married him.

 

[Todd_Easton]

My :twocents: …
As you suggest, the analogy of ‘bride and bridegroom’ and their wedding feast seems to be used to explain the relationship of Christ and his Church after death and/or at the end of the world.

 

[thistle]

This opinion answers my question. But is this the Catholic opinion? Could you provide me with a link where the Catholic Church has taught this?

Also, please don’t confuse “bride” with “wife”. A bride is a woman who is engaged to a man and is about to marry him. But a wife is one who has married him.

Didn’t you read post #2. That is the Church teaching on the subject.

 

[iaskquestions]

Didn’t you read post #2. That is the Church teaching on the subject.

I was talking about Philthy’s statements.

He said

*“So the Church is an entity that exists in both time and eternity simultaneously and parts of the Church have entered into that marriage fully while other parts have not. Perhaps that explains why it can be simultaneously said that “The Church” is the bride and “The Church” also is yet to become the bride.” *

I want a reference to this.

 

[thistle]

I was talking about Philthy’s statements.

He said

*“So the Church is an entity that exists in both time and eternity simultaneously and parts of the Church have entered into that marriage fully while other parts have not. Perhaps that explains why it can be simultaneously said that “The Church” is the bride and “The Church” also is yet to become the bride.” *

I want a reference to this.

The Church teaching:

The Church is the Bride of Christ

CCC 796 The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. The Lord referred to himself as the “bridegroom.” The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride “betrothed” to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her.” He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body:

This is the whole Christ, head and body, one formed from many . . . whether the head or members speak, it is Christ who speaks. He speaks in his role as the head (ex persona capitis) and in his role as body (ex persona corporis). What does this mean? “The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church.” And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union, . . . as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself “bride.”

 

[Nita]

Also, please don’t confuse “bride” with “wife”. A bride is a woman who is engaged to a man and is about to marry him. But a wife is one who has married him.

Actually, “bride” and “wife” are synonymous - “bride” being a woman who has recently been married.

You would never introduce someone you were not married to, as your bride. You might say she is your “bride-to-be”---- but not your bride. Only after you have married her can you correctly refer to her as your bride.

Nita