Spiritual Marriage
Eric Lui read Patrick J O’Banion's translation of Girolamo Zanchi's book, "The Spiritual Marriage Between Christ And His Church and Every One of the Faithful", and summarises for us Zanchi's treatise.
To appreciate Girolamo Zanchi’s approach in developing his treatise on the spiritual marriage between Christ and His church, we have to understand his theological method. He describes “theology” as “doctrine of God taken from the Word of God”, in which Scripture is the foundation of the whole of theology, upon which the whole body of Christian doctrine is established and built up. In other words, the whole Christian doctrine is gathered from Scripture and joined together out of the Scripture. His method is, therefore, twofold: analytic (or resolutive) and synthetic (or compositive).
Using this method, Zanchi analyses in great detail the passage in Genesis 2:21–23 concerning the first marriage of mankind between Adam and Eve. Also, using this passage, he analysed “the great mystery of the marriage between Christ and His church” as highlighted by Paul in Ephesian 5:32. He then synthesised his findings into his doctrine of spiritual marriage.
THE CREATION OF EVE AND HER MARRIAGE TO ADAM
First of all, citing Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, the author wants us not to consider Adam and Christ as private individuals, but as two “first principles”. This is because from Adam proceeds all of mankind, and from Christ is born the church.
Secondly, we should consider those things that Adam did prior to his sin, not so much as a matter of history but as a matter that will give us a hint to unravel the “mystery” that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5:32. Eve was created from Adam while he slept and she was brought to Adam once awake, that he might take her in matrimony. Zanchi’s analytical questions pertaining to these events are:
Why did God not want Adam to be alone?
Why did He create Eve from Adam and specifically from his rib?
Why did He give Eve to Adam in marriage?
From the answers to these questions, he developed (or synthesised) the principles of carnal marriage:
1. The material cause of the union is the male and the female of the same species and nature, and of adult age. Also, they must conform to the law of consanguinity and affinity prescribed in Leviticus 18:6-18.
2. The efficient causes of the union, the first of which is God, whereby, the wife is given to the man and the husband to the woman, and “what God has united, let not man separate (Mk 10:9). But there are three more, which is parental consent, the bridegroom’s consent and the bride’s consent.
3. The formal cause of the union, which is a legitimate joining together of male and female to become one flesh. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24)
4. The final causes of the union: First, that man be not alone but rather have a companion and helper; in turn, that the woman not be alone, but rather have a man and head, by whom she might be guided and protected throughout her whole life. Secondly, there might be some offspring and legitimate heirs, by whom humankind might be propagated upon the earth. Thirdly, subsequent to the entrance of sin, wandering lusts and sexual immorality might be avoided.
THE DOCTRINE OF SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
From the principles of carnal marriage between Adam and Eve, Zanchi then developed the following doctrine of spiritual marriage between Christ and His church.
1. The Material Cause
The first condition must be that the union is between a male and female of the same species and nature. In the case of the spiritual union, on one side is Christ in the place of the male, and on the other side is the holy church in place of the female. As Eve was created from Adam’s rib when he was in deep sleep, the church was created with blood and water from the side of Christ when he was dead on the cross (Jn 19:34). As to be of the same species and nature, it was for this reason that the Word was made flesh in order for the Son of God to be made the true bridegroom. For the church to be the bride with the same nature as the bridegroom, she was implanted in her soul of the seed of His Holy Word and the Holy Spirit.
2. The Efficient Causes
Just as the wise counsel of God had brought about the marriage of Adam and Eve, it was also His wise counsel that brings about the spiritual marriage between Christ and His church. God also acts as the Father to give away the bride to the bridegroom. As for the consent of the man and the woman to the marriage, it is clear that Christ voluntarily died on the cross in order to redeem His bride to Himself. As for the church’s consent, the author considered that members of the church (i.e. as a body of Christ) must be of adult age, in order to participate in this union with Christ. Also, as Adam’s bride was created from Adam’s own rib, it is necessary for a believer who is destined to be Christ’s wife and bride to be washed of his/her sins and regenerated from Christ’s side, whence flow blood and water. For the Father does not lead anyone to Christ except those who have been created holy out of Christ’s holy rib.
3. The Formal Cause
This is a legitimate joining of the male and female to become one flesh. How will this happen between Christ and His church? The author postulated the following theses:
i. Neither is our soul alone united with Christ’s soul alone, nor is our flesh alone united with Christ’s flesh alone. Rather, the whole of every faithful person is truly united with Christ’s whole person and coupled by the bond of this spiritual union and joined to him. The first reason is that Adam was coupled (body and soul) with the whole person of Eve, as declared by God. Another reason is that Christ being Head and Saviour of the church disperses life and salvation to the church as the whole Christ, i.e. His deity, His soul, and His flesh, not just His deity, or His humanity of soul and body. Similarly, it is neither the soul alone of the faithful nor the body alone subject to Christ, but rather both, i.e. the whole faithful man. No one is made a partaker of salvation except through such a union.
ii. But how is a believer to be united to Christ in His flesh, as He is now in heaven and we are on earth? To address this question, the author referred to an explanation given by Cyril of Alexandria (376 to 444) on John 6:56, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks of my blood abides in me, and I in him.” This clearly indicates that we can only “eat” Christ’s flesh and “drink” Christ’s blood in faith during the Lord’s Supper. This is further clarified by Christ himself in John 6:62-64, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” The manner (i.e. how) in which we are united to the flesh of Christ is by the Spirit of Christ and by our faith. (These are supported by the verses in 1 John 4:13, “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”; and in Ephesians 3:17, “Christ dwells in our hearts by way of faith.”) For we eat Christ’s true and natural flesh in the same way we pass into His true and natural flesh, and we abide in Him and He in us.
iii. Since Christ consists of a divine as well as a human nature, to which are the faithful first joined? This is not a trifle question, as some believe that we are united only to His divine nature. The author answered that we are first united with His flesh, that is with His human nature, and then with His divine nature. He provided several reasons from Scripture, but the most cogent one is that no one can be united with God except through a mediator. So, no one can be united with Christ’s deity except by way of His flesh, wherein the office of the mediator was fulfilled. This argument is strengthened by what Christ said in John 14:6, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Also, in John 14:9, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” He spoke of Himself insofar as He was a man, and in that man. His deity is like a fountain from which flows all blessings, life, and salvation. But His flesh and humanity are like the channel whereby we receive all these blessings and graces.
iv. Our union with Christ and Christ’s union with us is essential, substantial, true and real. From Ephesians 5:30, Paul says Christ is the head of the church, and we are His body and members. Obviously, the union of the members of the body with the head is essential and substantial to enjoy motion, life, energy and nourishment. In John 15:5, Christ says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
4. The Final Cause
In carnal marriage, the final causes were (i) that man might not be alone, but have a helper like him so as to lead a happy life; (ii) that he might beget children; and (iii) after sin has entered the world, that man might be able to avoid wandering lusts and sexual immorality. We can see all these ends are met in the spiritual union between Christ and the church.
i. The First End
Just as Adam was the first man on earth, Christ was the first man in heaven after His ascension. It is not good for Him to be alone there. Therefore, God ordained that Christ will have fellow human brothers and sisters with Him in heaven. God created the church from the side of Christ while he was asleep (dead) on the cross. When He awoke (resurrected), He gave the church to the Son in matrimony, so that they might live together most happily forever in the glory of heaven.
ii. The Second End
From the seed of Christ, that is His Word and Spirit, the church, His bride, begets spiritual children for Him, who will be the heirs of the kingdom of heaven. These are the faithful believers, since they are conceived from the spiritual and incorruptible seed of the womb of the church. They are born sons of God by the washing of regeneration and by the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
iii. The Third End
Two kinds of wandering lusts were mentioned by the author. One is idolatry, or playing whore with creatures, and the other is sexual immorality. Those who commit such sins deliberately will not be incorporated into Christ by way of true faith. For whoever remains in Christ will always have the Spirit of Christ to restrain him from serving the devil and serving his evil desires. His desires will always be to seek God alone and is zealous to do His will.
CONSUMMATION OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE
In concluding his thesis, the author asks, “What shall I say concerning the blessing that pertains to the eternal blessed life of the next age? Surely, it is altogether fitting that the Bridegroom’s palace becomes the Bride’s common property.” Christ says in John 17:24, “I desire that where I am, they [i.e. Christ’s bride] may also be.” And again, He says “I will return to you and I will take you to myself.” (Jn 14:3)
Furthermore, the author expresses that the quantity and quality of the blessings that await us there cannot possibly be explained: “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9) But we, who are made one flesh with Christ will know for certain that we will see those blessings, as Christ says in Matthew 25:34, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
