“The Expectations of The Bride”

THE STUDY – 5:27
Expectation of Her Glory
GOD’S SPECIAL SECRET

THE STUDY

“The Expectations of The Bride”

THE STUDY – 5:28-31
Expectation in Her Groom
GOD’S SPECIAL SECRET

THE STUDY

V. CHAPTER 5 - The Church As The Bride Of Christ
    A. The Spiritual Engagement of the Bride 5:1-17
    B. The Spiritual Experiences of the Bride 5:18-26
    C. The Spiritual Expectations of the Bride 5:27-33
        1. Expectation of Her Glory 5:27
        2. Expectation in Her Groom 5:28-31


5:28-31 [MAC]
28 So also

husbands are obligated to love their [own] wives in a godly manner, as they would their own bodies.

He who loves His wife in this manner is really loving himself, 29 for no one ever hated his own body, on the contrary he nourishes it and cherishes it,

just as Christ does with the Church, 30 because we are members of His Body. 

31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother behind, and shall be faithfully devoted to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.

5:28-31 [NASB]
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

 
THE COMMENTARY

As you can see from the [Mac] version above, I’m breaking this set of verses into four sections – not necessarily as the 4 translated verses.

Section 1,

:28 “So also husbands are obligated to love their [own] wives in a godly manner, as they would their own bodies.”

A quick note about the inclusion of the words “their own wives.” The picture we find in our Scriptures is of the Bride of Christ as a single unique Bride. He only has one bride. Yes, there are millions upon millions of people in that assembly, but it is pictures as a single “Bride.” Also, this “Bride” belongs only to the Christ. He does not look at or for another – Just to be clear… married believers are expected to be married to a single other spouse at any one moment, and they are expected to be “in love” with each other and submitted to each other… etc.

Now it may not be immediately apparent why the verse starts off with “So also.” The preceding verse is all about the Love of God the Father, the Love of the Groom, Jesus The Son, and the Love of God the Holy Spirit – the enabler – even though the word love is not used in that verse.

Paul is telling us that Husbands are obligated to Love their Wives in just the same way that God loves the Husband. Remembering also that the Husband of the intended Bride – is Jesus Christ. So the image is that, if you are a husband – then you are to love your wife in the same way that Jesus (God) loves you – or perhaps it should be said, “Jesus loves you – whether you feel it, acknowledge it, trust it or believe it, because of who you are today – but He does. You are to love your wife in the way that it says that “Jesus Loves You.”

Section 2 –

“He who loves His wife in this manner is really loving himself, 29 for no one ever hated his own body, on the contrary he nourishes it and cherishes it,”

MacCorkle clarifies that Paul, speaking of the one who loves His (own) wife IN THIS MANNER…. Obligated to Love His Wife in a Godly manner.” Loving Her in “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 3:22-23).

Paul goes on to say that loving a wife in this manner “is really loving himself.” His comment that no one ever hates his/her body is a comment about an ideal situation – certainly, at certain times in our lives, are not totally pleased with our physical bodies due to genetics, sickness, and our human feelings about ourselves.

 
Section 3 –

“just as Christ does with the Church, 30 because we are members of His Body.”

 This is another one of those places where having a little age on you helps you to understand just how much Jesus loves you (as a member of His Church Body). Over the years I have experienced many hurtful, mean, and evil things – however, looking back at those things… I now see the many faceted kinds of love that were at work as the results of those very negative things. In the long run I can also see at least a sample of the evil, cruel, devilish, things that my Lord Jesus was put through. I can more identify with Him and His pain endured for you and me – and love Him all the more for it. Then, as a married man I can see His purpose in telling each of His married men to be a loving husband – Like Christ is to us, His Bride. When we love our wives in this way, we enter into a kind of loving relationship with her that will return to us and love us – a cycle that Paul calls, “We are really loving ourselves,” and in this case… that’s a really good thing.

Section 4 -

:31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother behind, and shall be faithfully devoted to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.

 We spoke of this a couple of lessons ago. Way back at the beginning God created a man. God realized that this new man was alone in a world full of other new creations. So, He took a rib from this new man and created a woman, a companion, from it. This is a part of an image God was building concerning an eternal relationship in the future – but it was only part-1.

Part-2 comes along as the man and the woman become united in “marriage” and become “One Flesh,” and thus repairing the separation of the man and his rib.

Then Part-3 comes along and we find that Jesus is pulling together and repairing marriages, and as Paul makes the point that Jesus is The Man and He is alone (metaphorically) and those He has assembled are to become His Bride and thus forecasting the bringing together the final two parts of His story.

Part-4 does just that as on That Day when Jesus comes for His Bride we will not just see but experience the union of Christ and His Bride… which will finally expose Paul’s meaning in this verse. We and Christ, finally sealed together for all eternity and seeing that the wholeness of Jesus’s love for us also gives our love back to Him – so, “the man (Jesus) shall love his wife – The Bride, and in loving her with the Love of God, is demonstrating His Love that is in Himself. 

V. CHAPTER 5 - The Church As The Bride Of Christ
    A. The Spiritual Engagement of the Bride 5:1-17
    B. The Spiritual Experiences of the Bride 5:18-26
    C. The Spiritual Expectations of the Bride 5:27-33
        1. Expectation of Her Glory 5:27
        2. Expectation in Her Groom 5:28-31
        3. Expectation of Her Greatness 5:32-33

5:32-33 [Mac]
32 This is a secret of great magnitude,

but I am talking principally about Christ and about the Church.
    33 Nonetheless let each husband also
        personally love his own wife
            in a godly manner,
            as he does himself, and
    let his wife respect her husband.

5:32-33 [NASB]
32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
    33 Nevertheless,
        each individual among you also
            is to love his own wife even as himself, and
            the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

THE COMMENTARY

 This is the revelation of a great and wonderful secret. It’s the answer throughout the centuries as to why the Bible has always stressed the importance of the marriage between a man and a woman. That secret was The substitutionary death of the Son of God in order to obtain the perfect wife. He died for Her! A wife who has willingly, without evil or wrong motivation, committed herself, based only on the leading and indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God and His constant revelation of things about the Son that surpass all knowledge. A wife who loves Him because she wants to be His Bride, and to be His Wife forever. The finished product of a story told from the very beginning of existence.

5:27 “It is His personal purpose to present the Church to Himself as glorious, not having a spot or wrinkle or any of such things, but that it should be holy and blameless.”

What is Jesus’ personal purpose found in the Bible - beginning to end?
From Genesis 1:1 to the end of “these last days,” His personal purpose has been the gathering together of men and women who have willingly chosen to love and obey Him – to love Him with all their Heart, Soul and Might – to be His Glorious Bride.

5:28 “So also husbands are obligated to love their wives in a godly manner, as they would their own bodies. He who loves His wife in this manner is really loving himself,”

What is the “manner” in which a Husband it to Love his Wife?
Husbands are to Love their wife in a Godly manner. God has chosen to love His Children through teaching them to love each other, and teaching them obedience, and teaching them Knowledge that surpasses itself in expectations. God chose the finest way possible to express His love for you by sending His willing Son to die for you – freeing you from the pain and penalty of your sinful life, forever. He has set you free, and you are free indeed, to love in a Godly manner.

The key to the rest of the verse is the words, “in a godly manner.” Perfection only comes from a perfect offering. If you want your life and/or your marriage to become “perfect,” then the manner in which you live must match that perfection. Learning to “Love” each other through mutual submission and Godly love, will, if followed through, result in the best possible marriage in our daily earthly existence. As I’ve learned to say to myself, “Perfection doesn’t come easy!”

5:29 “for no one ever hated his own body, on the contrary he nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ does with the Church,”

What does Paul mean the “no one has ever hated his own body?”
Again, this thought from Paul is about the “perfect” situation. When one comes to the point of absolute “hate” for their body they are in a psychological crisis – often leading to suicide. That’s not Paul’s intention while expressing the love Christ has for His Bride.

5:30 “because we are members of His Body.”

What is Paul’s intension for using such a harsh wording in verse 29?
Because…There is another wonderful word we need to be mindful of and consider it’s meaning. “Because.” Here it refers to the dynamic change in the middle of the previous sentence. “on the contrary.” Right there is a complete reversal of meaning: A man hating his body… NO… he nourishes it and cherishes it. And that’s the point! “Just as Christ does with the Church.” He Nourishes it and Cherishes it! Thus the real reason for using the man’s “hate” word about his body – to provide the stark reversal of meaning. Verse 30 goes on and complete the thought; why does Christ nourish and cherish the Church? Because we are members of His Body!

5:31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother behind, and shall be faithfully devoted to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.”

In this verse we need to understand that Paul is now moving on to his next thought. He’s not commenting on “Because we are members of His body.” The reason is embedded in in verses 31-33.

First: Verse 31 “a man shall leave his father and his mother and be faithfully devoted to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh?”
– Why is it that?

Second: Verse 32 – “This is a secret of great magnitude, but I am talking principally about Christ and about the Church.”

Because: This Special Secret is of Great Magnitude (a word usually reserved for earthquakes) – The human marriage between a man and a woman – is about THE CHURCH.

Third: Verse 33 – ”Nonetheless let each husband also personally love his own wife in a godly manner, as he does himself, and let his wife respect her husband.”

Here’s an interesting word, “Nonetheless.” This relationship… of Jesus the bridegroom (husband to be) and His Bride (the Church) is, for eternity, a loving, kind, gentle, and graceful eternal relationship. Now Paul is saying that the Christian Marriage is to reflect Christ’s marriage to US – in exactly the same way – in a none the less way. How?

Just read the verse!!