Are You A Baptist Brider??
I was recently visiting an Internet web site where this question was asked the author of the page, "Are you a Baptist Brider". He spent quite a bit of time trying to define what the body of Christ, (the church) is. He wanted to take a position somewhere between a protestant and a Baptist, but it won’t work. You have to be one or the other. He stated up front that he was not a "Baptist Brider", and went on to conclude that he believed all the saved would be part of the bride. This man is considered, by many, to be an outstanding example of a fundamental independent Baptist preacher. Though I have enjoyed many articles from his web site he has missed the mark. In fact, I would say that Philipians 3:13-14, " Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.", reveals the very "Mark" he along with many others have missed. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I am a "Baptist Brider"!
I am sure you realize the term "Baptist Brider", is a derogatory term used by Protestants to make fun of the idea that God only has one people that will be allowed to marry His Son. In other words, all the saved are not going to make up the bride of Christ. The term is much like that put on our forefathers when the Catholics called them "heretics" and "Ana-Baptist", killing them for the truths they held that were so offensive to the doctrines of the state church. Today God’s people are not being killed for the truth but they are still being made fun of by people’s ignorance of the truth.
The author, of the article I mentioned, made this statement, "there is endless speculation about the bride of Christ, but the bible says very little about it." When I read this statement I was quite surprised. The doctrine of Christ’s bride is well documented with scripture, and quite clear about who will and won’t be in it. I realize, of course, how difficult it is for Protestants to see the bridal scriptures because they fail to understand what the New Testament reveals about His church. It is not a universal church (made of all saved), it was not started on the day of Pentecost, it is always local, visible, engaged to Jesus Christ, and by His authority carries out His commands.
The division between Protestants and Baptists has always been the issue of authority. The Protestant says, "we do not need a historical link to the church Jesus established to be scriptural and approved of God", the Baptists say, "without the authority established by a link to that first church, your church is not recognized or empowered by God." Just as the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper must have a perpetuating authority to make it scriptural today, so brideship must have the link that takes us back to the engagement of Christ to that first church. The church was given the position to act as His representatives, by Christ’s authority, during His earthly ministry? Of a necessity, that church had to perpetuate for there to be an engaged bride here today. He did not declare Himself to be the bridegroom to all the saved but only to that church He said the gates of hell would not prevail against. Matthew 16:18-19 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This church not only had the authority exemplified by Christ as it’s foundation, she was also given the authority to bring people into her and to put people out of her. To be clear this has nothing to do with the church making anyone saved or lost. Christ started this church and all the saved were not in it, Jesus gave them the authority to administer His commandments.
When John’s disciples asked him about Jesus baptizing, his response was, "Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:28-29. John, by the inspiration of God, referred to the church (not all the saved, and not even himself) as the bride, and Jesus as the Bridegroom.
John’s disciples came to Jesus to question Him about why He and His disciples (the church) did not fast. Listen to His answer, "And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Matthew 9:15. Jesus said as long as he was with His church (the engaged bride) they would have no reason to fast, but a time was coming when the church would be without Him bodily and they would have reason to fast, longing for His return. In every age each church, that can trace her existence back to the body that Jesus engaged himself to, has been looking and longing for the return of the Bridegroom.
Jesus made a promise to His church, (they were burdened about His leaving them) John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." His promise was that He was going away to prepare a special place for Him and His bride. Notice he was talking to His church (the engaged ones), He told them there are many mansions in His Father’s house, but He was going to prepare one for her, (His bride). This makes sense! When you marry you want to take your bride to a special place where you will live together for the rest of your lives.
Revelation 21:2, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Here we see the "place" Jesus said He was going to prepare back in John 14. The city is described as a bride. Listen also to Revelation 19:9-10, "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," Again, the New Jerusalem is described as a bride. Some take these scriptures to try to disprove that the church is the bride of Christ. They say, "the bride is not made of people, it is just buildings, walls, gold streets". Jesus was not talking about material things, such as walls and gold, when He talked of the bride who would not fast. Neither was John the Baptist, as he talked about a bride with the bridegroom. Cities are not made with buildings, streets, and other structures but with people. The structures are secondary to the city. Even as we look at the description of the city made with gold streets and precious stones for walls, we are reminded of how the righteous works of the saved are described at the judgement seat of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
That New Jerusalem is described by articles that God uses to describe the righteous works of His faithful children. Even the foundations of that city are represented by the members of that first church of Jerusalem. Revelation 21:14, "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." If we see the foundations of the walls of that great city, that only the bride will live in, to represent the first church, then possibly the gold silver and precious stones of that new city represent the righteous works of the churches who have remained faithful down through time. I may be speculating here but it is clear from the scriptures that the bride of Christ is not just a building but a faithful people. 1 Peter 2:5, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" Even the bridal garment that the bride will wear is first depicted as fine linen and revealed to be the righteous works of His engaged bride. Revelation 19:8, "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
What about this city that is described as a bride? Who will live in it? Will all the saved or only His bride? Remember Jesus promised His church, His engaged bride, that He would prepare a place for the two of them to live in John 14. Real Baptist say, "only His faithful church will live in that city." Protestants say, "all the saved will be married to Jesus and live in that city with him." What does God’s word reveal? Revelation 22:1-4, "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." The description of this city is given at a time when only saved people will dwell on this "new heaven and new earth". Satan and all his angels have been cast into the lake of fire and the lost of all ages have been judged and they too have been cast into this lake which burns with fire for all eternity. The description of this new city reveals the tree of life which produces twelve different kinds of fruit for the inhabitants of the city. This tree also produces leaves which are said to be for the "healing of the nations". I am not going to get into what the leaves and the healing is about in this article, but if you are interested in my opinion, email me. There are leaves for "nations", who are these nations? The lost are all gone! Could there be some who get fruit to eat in the eternal ages and others who get leaves? Is it possible that there are some of the saved who live in the New Jerusalem with Jesus and other saved people who do not live in that special city?
Revelation 21:23-26 "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it." Wow!, there are nations of saved people who live on the outside of the city and they have kings over them. These kings that are over the nations of the saved that live on the outside of the city will bring the glory and honor of their subjects into the city to present it to their Savior. It seems like these nations of saved cannot go into the city where Jesus lives, only their kings can go in. It says their are nations (plural) and kings (plural) which would indicate a large population that do not live in the city.
The twenty first chapter of Revelation declares the size of the city to be 1500 miles square. It also says that there are three gates on each side. If the gates are equally spaced and are not on the corners, they would be three hundred and seventy five miles apart on each side. Assuming all twelve gates are being used by these kings who are over the nations of the saved, we are looking at some pretty big numbers that do not live in the city. There will be an area, on ground level, of 2,250,000 square miles in the city. I do not have a clue how much area will be occupied by the nations of the saved on the outside. It has been my experience as a pastor for over 30 years that saved people who are either not serving the Lord or are not in a church that is engaged to Jesus, out number the Lord’s faithful people by a vast amount.
Does being in the bride of Christ really require a faithful commitment in a true church that can trace her engagement back to the church that Jesus built while on earth? I believe the answer to this is found by looking at who all the promises connected brideship and the new city are made too. A good example of this would be a consideration of the promises made by Jesus to the "overcomers" found in Revelation the second and third chapter. I will not spend a great deal of time trying to prove that overcomers are not all the saved. First, salvation is by grace, not by works. Second, our salvation is secure because it is a birth made by the sinless seed of God, we did not have to work to get it and we cannot work to keep it. Thirdly, the message to the seven churches clearly states "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;"
The message to the overcomers is one that addresses saved, baptized, members of true Baptist churches. Again, I will not take time in this article to address why real Baptist today are the only true churches. I know that they were called by some other names during the dark ages, (i.e. Paulicians, Bogomils, Cathari, Paterins, Novations, Montanist, Albigenses, ect.) The point is that only the churches that had a historical, doctrinal link to the first church in Jerusalem were addressed here in Revelation chapters two and three. What are the promises to these overcomers in the church? To Ephesus, Verse 7, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Wow! seems like we are repeating ourselves but only overcomers will be in that new Jerusalem eating the twelve manner of fruit from the tree. To Smyrna, Verse 10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." A crown of life, all those who are married to Jesus will wear a crown. There are only two that wear a crown in a kingdom, the King and His Queen. To Pergamos, Verse 17 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." A new name, won’t that be exciting for the new bride! How do women get new names in our present day? When they marry they take the name of their new husband. To Thyatira, Verses 26-29 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Power over the nations. Can there be any doubt that these verses are to His faithful church (bride), who will rule and reign with Him. Isn’t the admonition of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:1-4 to be faithful over keeping the church purged of sin in this age because of the promise of power over nations to the faithful in the future? " Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church." To the church in Sardis, Verse 5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." The white bridal garment is promised to the overcomers. Notice what Revelation 19:7-9 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." Isn’t it plain that the bride had to make "herself ready", (overcome), and that she was arrayed in a fine white garment that was made of the righteousness of the saints. We are not saved by works of righteousness which we have done but according to God’s mercy. All our righteousness are as filthy rags and yet God tells us there are lawful acts of righteousness that are accomplished by faith that He receives. Overcomers are going to get the white raiment. To the church at Philadelphia, Verse 12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." To become a pillar in the new Jerusalem, to have the name of the city of God written upon them, this is some promise. The city is described as the bride in Revelation 21:2 "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." No matter what the name is, the significance is that the overcomer will be Christ’s bride. Finally, to the church of the Laodiceans, Verse 21-22 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Can you imagine the privilege to sit with Jesus on His throne? I emphasize again that these are messages to real, local, visible churches that belong to Christ. These are churches that actually existed and the message of Christ is a message to us. There is something worth sanctifying our lives for.
Paul said in I Corinthians the second chapter that some of the things God has prepared for His faithful children are difficult to understand. Listen to verse 9 & 10 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Paul was speaking to a local visible church about how the Holy Spirit is a teacher in the church. He reveals the deeper truths to those who have become a part of the body of Christ (the church). The message here is not to all the saved but to Christ’s church. Without a proper understanding of the church that Jesus built and the authority that He gave her, some of these things will not make sense. I believe Romans 8:16-18 talks about the bride as well. The term bride is not used here but a promise is made to those who will suffer for Christ’s sake. If they suffer as members of His body, they will be "joint heirs". "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Every born again believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. Every saved person is an heir of God. But in verse seventeen it says that those who suffer with Him will be glorified together with Him. The term joint heir is a legal term that usually refers to a husband and wife owning something equally. Like the term "overcomer" we hear of those who will suffer for Christ, denying themselves that they might be joint heirs with Jesus. Not works for salvation, but the opportunity to live with Jesus in the place He has prepared for His bride.
I believe Paul knew what the Great prize was that God has for those who love Him and keep His commandments. Paul spoke to the Corinthian church that he had planted as a missionary, knowing the importance of a local visible church keeping herself pure from allowing sin in her body. He was concerned that she might miss out on being in the marriage. 2 Corinthians 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." In closing I direct you to Phillipians 12:12-14 "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Yes, I am a "Baptist Brider"! I believe the Bible teaches there is an opportunity to be in the Bride of Christ, that not all saved will be in it, and that only those who are in a church that can identify herself with the one Jesus engaged Himself to will be in it. I don’t believe that every Baptist will be in, but only those who are faithful to Him in His church. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at, denwhar@pacbell.net.