Ignatius Loyola teaches that the Bride of Christ is the hierarchical Church, or the ruling magisterium, and that this ruling Bride Church has the 'same spirit as Christ our Lord... which governs and directs us for the salvation of our souls.' It is true that the church or Bride has the same mind and Spirit as Jesus Christ, but the true church is NOT the hierarchical magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The bride of Christ is the assembly or congregation of born-again believers; those who are saved by His blood through faith and trust in His word and abide in it. See the following:
1 Corinthians 2:
6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
In the above passage Paul tells us that 'we have the mind of Christ.' So who are 'we'?
We, the congregation of believers, ARE the Bride of Christ that has His mind and Spirit in us. See the following passages about the Bride:
Isaiah 61:10 (New King James Version)
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Ephesians 5:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
2 Corinthians 11:
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity[a] that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
Rev 5:
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“ You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us[d] kings[e] and priests to our God;
And we[f] shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 19:
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
These passages tell us that Christ has purchased or redeemed the Bride with His blood by which the believers are washed clean from their sins and clothed with His righteousness. The believers are called and made new creations to walk in good works and be 'kings and priests' to reign on the earth when He returns. Believers are warned against listening to those who would preach a different gospel and a different Jesus which departs from the simplicity of the gospel preached by Jesus and His Apostles. We are told that we have the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ as we are taught by the Spirit through His word: "that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church."
If the assembly of believers 'have the mind of Christ' then why do we need a heirarchy to tell us what is 'white' or 'black' as Loyola taught? If the hierarchy is teaching that something is 'black' which I as a believer (indwelt by the Spirit and taught by His word) know is 'white' or vice versa, then I flee from that false shepherd's voice as Jesus said His sheep would do who know His voice.
Again:
Isaiah 5
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
8 comments:
Hi Jennie,
"We, the congregation of believers, ARE the Bride of Christ."
I totally agree with that. Amen! Here are some other passages of scriptures (part of some you have quoted already) that confirm that we the believers make up the body of Christ, and that His body is the community of believers, and His bride.
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. FOR THE BODY IS NOT ONE MEMBER, BUT MANY" (1 Corinthians 12: 12-14, caps
supplied).
Please note how Paul did not separate Jewish Christians from Gentile Christians, but included them both as part of the one body of Christ.
" There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Ephesians 4:4-7).
Notice that grace is given to us individually ("unto every one of us"), and how God the Father is in us all individually.
"For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:29-32).
I quoted the rest of this passage to show the scriptural analogy between the human marriage of a husband and wife compared to Christ's relationship between Himself and the church, which He describes as His body (of which we are members).
Who then are God's people? Are they people just from one church denomination? Are they people from a certain church organization, excluding all else?
"BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1: 12-13).
ALL who have received Christ in faith, and who have been born-again by the Spirit of God, are God's people.
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, BUT ARE NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10).
I hope this wasn't too long :)
Daughter of Wisdom,
No it wasn't too long at all. Thanks for all the passages and good points.
It's good to have your help and insight.
Another point I would like to make about the 'Church' deciding what is white and what is black, is that the church doesn't decide this. God decides it and tells us in His word, the scriptures, what is white and black, or good and evil, or dark and light.
Hi Jennie,
I am leaving just a quick note because I will be off to work soon. I am a little off topic here but I don't know where to place this comment. Just to say that although Roman Catholics take deep pride in their church, and its deep historic roots, we must remember that ALL CHRISTIANS have a common heritage/history.
The root of Christianity is founded in the New Testament era (1st Century AD), starting in Jerusalem, and growing rapidly throughout much of the Roman Empire, and perhaps beyond. From its beginning, there were many splinter groups within the Christian church.
Roman Catholicism did not become a separate entity until the early middle ages, after the Roman rulers accepted Christianity as the state religion. The Roman Catholic church became very powerful due the backing of the Roman government, which helped to spread Catholicism worldwide (including Greek Orthodoxy), and also knowledge of God.
Time forbids me to tell of the also prevalent Prostestant history which came up through history alongside Roman Catholicism. Protestantism also spread the knowledge of God in the world as well, even in the midst of fierce persecution.
Here is the thing: Now is the time for us all to get back to the roots of our faith, regardless of church history or affliation. We need a simple faith that depends upon every living word of God as truth. "Thy word is truth" says Jesus (John 17:17). A faith, that is not based upon the doctrines of men, but upon the word of God.
Daughter of wisdom,
You're right, and this is the same thing I learned when reading different historical sources. Do you have references to your sources?
Jennie,
Thanks. We must be reading some of the same books! Here is an excellent reference, which was written in late 18th Century.
"The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon.
There are a total of 8 volumes to this book collection.
This is an excellent source because it records the struggles of the early, primitive Christian Church under the Roman empire and the persecutions, and the gradual inclusion of doctrinal errors and heresies into the doctrine church. It also records how Christianity became the state religion of Rome and how paganism crept in the church when the pagan Roman government took over the religion. Throughout this book you will see the persecution of those who opposed the changes in doctrine by the Roman government.
That's a famous work, but I've never read it. I'll look into it and see if I can find it online or get it at the library.
Great, glad I could be of help. You should have no problem finding that book in the library.
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