Section 6
entering into us and making us a part of Himself. We all are parts of Christ. As parts of Christ com posed together, we are the bride of Christ, His in crease. Both salvation and regeneration are for this purpose, for the bride as the increase of Christ.
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
BEING HIS INCREASE
The bride of Christ is the increase of Christ. All of the reborn people are the increase of Christ, and this increase is the bride which be comes the counterpart of Christ. The bride is the church, the composition of all the regener ated people. All those who are regenerated are composed together as the corporate bride to match Christ. Without regeneration, Christ can not have a bride as His increase.
The bride as the increase of Christ is like Eve who was the increase of Adam. When Adam was first created, he was single—a so-called bache lor. In Adam's single state there was no increase. After God took a rib out of Adam and built a woman with it, this woman was married to Adam (Gen. 2:21-24). Once she was joined to Adam, she became the increase of Adam. Adam then had an increase and was no longer single.
Christ also was single, and so He made a bride