Is the church the bride of Christ or not?
This is the question that inspired the study presented in the following pages. It was with some hesitation that I set myself the task of writing a study on this subject. Not because its outcome is so uncertain, but because practice shows that there is indeed a kind of taboo on this subject. More than once I have been saddened to find that the answer to the above question is often accompanied by strong emotions and rarely based on Scripture. The idea that the church is the bride of Christ seems in many cases to be the starting point when reading and studying the Bible. Especially in the explanation of certain types, such as Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Ruth, this view is assumed with-out any scriptural evidence. And this is not the way it should be. As soon as we open the Scriptures, we should be ready to question our assumptions and test them against the inspired word of God. These pages have been written only for believers who are prepared to do so.
In this study, I have deliberately limited myself to those issues that are directly related to the question posed. Perhaps this leaves many questions unanswered. Questions about the relationship between the old and the new covenant. About the Mosaic Law. About typology. But I thought it better not to complicate the issue of the bride and the bridegroom any more than it already is because of all the human feelings and emotions. Let us simply open the Scriptures, first the Old Testament and then the New Testament, so that the Lord can lead us into all truth by His word and by His Spirit. To build up our faith. But above all, to the glory of His great name.