Images of the Church

*Bride of Christ

*In Scripture, the most common analogy for God’s love for his
people is the spousal analogy

*Scripture begins with natural marriage - Adam and Eve - the two

become “one flesh”

*Sacramental marriage is meant to be a reflection of Christ’s love
for the Church

*the love of a bridegroom for a bride

*Christ and the Church are "one flesh"”

*The Church is both body of Christ + bride of Christ

*Jesus describes the kingdom as a marriage feast + refers to
himself as the bridegroom (Rev. 19:7-9)

*Heaven is described as the “wedding supper of the lamb”

*Christ and His Bride will be fully united

*Bride will be made pure – wearing clean garments

*Example: John 2, The Wedding at Cana. Jesus came to marry

his people.

Image 2: Family of God
*Just as Abraham was the “Father of

Nations”,
*Jesus allows us to call God our Father

(Abba→ “Daddy”)
*The Father, who is in a sense ‘external’

from us, guides us, disciplines us, helps
form our character
*“No one can have God as his Father

who does not have the Church as his
mother” - St. Cyprian (181 A.D.)

Images 3: People of God

*Through Moses, God delivered Israel from slavery.

*Through Jesus, the Church is freed from sin.

*Sin and death are the world’s eternal enemy (not
world powers; think the Romans, Greeks,
Babylonians, etc from the Old Testament).

*God gathered them together (qahal) to be a
kingdom of priests

*As God’s people, Israel has common worship (on
the Sabbath + other feast days),

*a common priesthood (Levites),

* and a common destiny (the Promised Land)

Image 4: Kingdom of God

*Jesus regularly referred to the Church as
“the Kingdom of God” (Mt. 13 parables)

*In the Davidic kingdom, the Gebirah (Queen
Mother) held a place of honor, and
interceded for the people.

*Who is the New Testament Queen Mother?

*In the Davidic kingdom, the prime minister
(chief steward) held the power of the keys

*Who is the New Testament Prime Minister?

*The Eucharist is the new Thank Offering

Mystical Body of Christ

*The Church is an organism, not a club

*All members function together because of Christ - like a
vine and the branches

*What is revealed about the Mystical Body in 1
Corinthians 12:12-20, 26?

*How do we remain in Christ, according to John 6:56-57?

*When we receive God’s grace, He can transform us →
experience transformation

become "partakers in the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).

*“God became man so that we might become like God”

*St. Joan of Arc = “Christ and the Church are one thing,
and we shouldn’t complicate the matter”