-1

Are there any Christian teaching that address What will happen to the Trinity when the “Bride of Christ” is established, will it then be a Quadrinity?

Revelation 21:9 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 shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Caleb
  • 37,337
  • 24
  • 150
  • 289
Rick
  • 3,269
  • 5
  • 20
  • 31
  • 4
    I think it would be closer to polyandry than a quadrinity. What makes you think that marrying someone makes them God? – Affable Geek Jun 25 '13 at 19:49
  • Good Question: However, "after their own kind is Biblical" – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 19:52
  • I guess it depends who you believe the Bride to be? The Church or the "Heavenly Mother". Could you define your context a little bit? Maybe mention a specific denomination or belief system? – The Freemason Jun 25 '13 at 20:12
  • Revelation 21:9 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 shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 20:17
  • And who is that to you? Is the book of Revelations literal? – The Freemason Jun 25 '13 at 20:20
  • 1
    Is this another question? perhaps you should post it as such! – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 20:24
  • 3
    Rick, what I think Dan is getting at here is that you've failed to give sufficient context to answer this. What are you trying to learn? Whose perspective is desirable? – wax eagle Jun 25 '13 at 20:31
  • Is there any teaching that would identify the Godhead after the revelation of the Bride of Christ? – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 20:33
  • 4
    Why should the Godhead change? – Andrew Leach Jun 25 '13 at 21:34
  • The Godhead couldn't change, however, our understanding of it could! – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 21:44
  • 3
    If nothing can happen to the Godhead, then it can't become a quadrinity. The Bride of Christ doesn't proceed, isn't begotten. Anyway, the Bride of Christ is the Church and has already been revealed. – Andrew Leach Jun 25 '13 at 21:47
  • Not in Glory! If Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World then who was He slain for? – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 21:49
  • Begotten of Christ! 1 Corinthians 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet [have ye] not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel – Rick Jun 25 '13 at 21:56
  • 1
    @waxeagle I think that anyone who has a belief in God as defined in the trinity, could answer this question. I believe that this question is getting downvoted because of people disagreeing with the thought that this provokes, not because of the content. – Ryan Jun 25 '13 at 22:31
  • This question should be "Who is or will be the Bride of Christ as mentioned in Revelation?" Currently it assumes that there will be a change to the Godhead/Trinity, which is not necessarily [read: not] the case. – Andrew Leach Jun 25 '13 at 22:37
  • This sounds like a mormon idea Perhaps your looking for the mormon perspective somehow? –  Jun 25 '13 at 23:50
  • @caseyr547 No, Certainly I am not promoting a Mormon idea, the Trinitarian perspective is formulated from the Word of God, does the current paradigm allow for the Bride? – Rick Jun 26 '13 at 12:04
  • @ryan I think it's being downvoted because it isn't a good question. It isn't a good question mainly because there is no set context for the question. It is hard to determine what is actually being asked and what a good answer would look like. What you allude to is a change because of some future event that you understand differently that the orthodox (not a bad thing at all). However if the "bride" would change the Trinity, then why wouldn't Mary change the Trinity? She didn't. – The Freemason Jun 26 '13 at 13:28
  • @DanAndrews It would seem the easy answer is that Mary was not divine. – Rick Jun 26 '13 at 13:40
  • @Rick You assume that "The Bride" is? – The Freemason Jun 26 '13 at 13:43
  • Your Right! Ephesians 5:27 proves it for me: "That he (Christ) might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." – Rick Jun 26 '13 at 13:56

2 Answers2

7

No, at least in the context of mainstream Nicene (including Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox) I don't think there is any teaching about this. The reason being simple: it is a non issue. The very idea of this is not based on a classic understanding of the Trinity at all and therefore is not a problem for normal Trinatarian theology.

The basic idea here is that God is ONE being. Never mind the person aspect of his nature for the moment, that is irrelevant to the difficulty you are posing. You have one being, then a separate entity and a relation between them. The one being (esp when that being is God!) doesn't fundamentally change in nature based on the state of relationships with other beings. It is what it is.

Now you can throw the three persons of the Trinity back in the equation, but nothing changes. They are still God and God still has a relationship with his chosen people, his bride.

Caleb
  • 37,337
  • 24
  • 150
  • 289
  • Here is an interesting perspective that I believe allows for both: Scott Hahn's book First comes Love. He quotes Pope John Paul II: "In the light of the New Testament it is possible to discern how the primordial model of the family is to be sought in God Himself, in the Trinitarian mystery of His life...God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself Fatherhood, Son-ship and the essence of family, which is love." – Rick Jun 26 '13 at 11:56
1

You don't specifically identify a denomination perspective, but in a comment you reference Scott Hahn (a Catholic). I will likewise take a Catholic perspective.

Ultimately, nothing can happen to the Trinity based on those verses. God is immutable (Summa Ia Q9 A1) and thus the Divine Essence cannot change, nor can an additional Procession (Person) occur. There are exactly 3 Persons in the Trinity (Summa 1a Q30 A2) and nothing created can be taken up into it to become another Person.

"God in His deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since He has in Himself Fatherhood, Son-ship and the essence of family, which is love." - Scott Hahn

The traditional understanding of this is somewhat more metaphorical than you seem to be interpreting it. We can call it a family because there is true paternity (fatherhood) and true filiation (sonship), but there is no marriage and no maternity. Love is the double-procession of the Father and the Son as the Holy Spirit.

eques
  • 3,099
  • 11
  • 19
  • I have heard Mary put forth as spouse of the Holy Spirit as well as Mother of God. – Mike Borden Jun 17 '21 at 11:47
  • Yes and what does that have to do with the topic at hand? – eques Jun 17 '21 at 12:58
  • Because you said, "We can call it a family because there is true paternity (fatherhood) and true filiation (sonship), but there is no marriage and no maternity." – Mike Borden Jun 18 '21 at 10:55
  • Mary is referred to as the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God, but I'm speaking about the Trinity itself because the OP's question is about what will happen in relation to the Bride of Christ. – eques Jun 18 '21 at 13:01
  • If Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit (a member of the Trinity) is she not "one flesh" with her spouse as we are with Christ? – Mike Borden Jun 24 '21 at 11:31
  • No. It is a metaphorical not literal marriage. The Holy Spirit does not have flesh with which Mary could be "one flesh" – eques Jun 24 '21 at 13:24