The “Bride of Christ”
is not a term found in the Bible.
There, I said it.
Someone is bound to
take umbrage, because it’s an expression very commonly heard in Christendom.
Even the very useful GotQuestions.org assumes its validity in
asking the question “What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ?”
and in going on to note that “In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has
sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride”.
Is that quite right? Let’s have a look.