Yes — Paul describes the church as a chaste virgin because he has espoused believers to one husband, Christ, and desires to present them to Him pure.
In 2 Corinthians 11:1-2, Paul tells the Gentile believers at Corinth that he is jealous over them with godly jealousy because he has espoused them to one husband. He wants to present the body of Christ as a chaste virgin to Christ. Les Feldick distinguishes this from Israel, which is pictured as the adulterous, restored wife of Jehovah.
2 Corinthians 11:2 — This is the verse where Paul uses the exact phrase 'chaste virgin' and explains that he has espoused believers to one husband, Christ.
Scripture gives the key text in 2 Corinthians 11:1-2. Paul writes to the believers at Corinth with godly jealousy, saying, "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." The language is that of betrothal: the church is pledged to one husband and is to be presented to Him pure. Scripture also shows Christ's purpose in loving the church in Ephesians 5:25-27. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, so that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, and present it to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish. The Old Testament picture in Hosea is different. Hosea is told to take a wife of whoredoms because the land has committed great whoredom against the Lord. That pictures Israel's unfaithfulness, not the virgin purity of the church.
Les Feldick points directly to 2 Corinthians 11:1-2 and says Paul's statement "I have espoused you to one husband" identifies the Lord Jesus as that husband. Paul's goal is to present the body of Christ as a chaste virgin to Christ. This is the role of every believer: the church is in the body of Christ, which is pictured as the bride of Christ, and He is the husband. Les stresses that these are positional pictures, not literal marriage, so there is no conflict with Israel being called the wife of Jehovah. In the Old Testament, Les explains, there is no hint of a Gentile bride of Christ. Everything is Israel as the wife of Jehovah. The book of Hosea pictures Israel as the wife who goes after other gods and is later restored. The church, by contrast, is the virgin, pure bride of Christ. Les also shows from Ephesians 5 that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, so that He might present it to Himself without spot or wrinkle. That is why Paul urges believers to live in purity and separation, and why he warns the Corinthians not to take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute.
In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is speaking to Gentile believers. Les Feldick says Paul's phrase "I have espoused you to one husband" identifies the Lord Jesus as that husband. Paul's goal is to present the body of Christ as a chaste virgin to Christ. The picture is one of betrothal and purity: the church is engaged to one husband and is to be presented to Him without being drawn away.
Les Feldick contrasts the two pictures. The church is the virgin, pure bride of Christ. Israel is the adulterous, restored wife of Jehovah. This is not bigamy or sexuality; it is a positional picture. Hosea was told to marry a woman of the street, and Israel's history is like that wife who goes after other gods yet is eventually restored. The church, on the other hand, is pictured as the virgin bride, espoused to Christ and to be presented as pure.
Les teaches that because believers are in union with Christ, they are to be as careful about fidelity to Him as a husband or wife should be to each other. Paul had to confront the Corinthians' immoral lifestyle, and Les connects this to the 1,000 priestesses of Aphrodite who came down into Corinth at night. Paul's warning, as Les reads it, is that believers must not take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute. The goal, from Ephesians 5, is for Christ to present the church to Himself holy and without blemish.
Israel as the Adulterous Wife of Jehovah
Les explains that the Old Testament has no hint of a Gentile bride; Israel is pictured as the wife of Jehovah who repeatedly goes after other gods, as illustrated in Hosea.
Church as the Virgin Bride, Israel as the Restored Wife
Les makes the central comparison: the church is the virgin, pure bride of Christ, while Israel is the adulterous, restored wife of Jehovah — and these positions are not literal marriage.
Paul's Espousal of the Corinthians to Christ
Les identifies the exact verse: Paul says he has espoused the Corinthians to one husband, Christ, and wants to present the body of Christ as a chaste virgin to Him.
Christ's Purpose to Present a Spotless Church
Les points to Ephesians 5:27, where Christ's goal is to present the church to Himself as a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish.
Fidelity to Christ as Head
Les teaches that because believers are in union with Christ, their fidelity to Him should be as careful as marital fidelity between husband and wife.
Do Not Join the Members of Christ to a Prostitute
Les uses Paul's warning to Corinthian believers to show why the church must live purely: the body's members belong to Christ and must not be made members of a prostitute.
The Body of Christ and the Marriage Picture
Les explains that Paul calls the church the body of Christ and uses marriage in Ephesians 5 as a picture of Christ and the church, just as Eve was Adam's complement.
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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.
This is the verse where Paul explicitly uses the phrase 'chaste virgin' for the believers he has espoused to Christ.
Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he 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.
This passage shows Christ's purpose in loving the church: to sanctify and present her to Himself without spot or wrinkle.
1 Corinthians 6:15: Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
Paul warns believers not to use their bodies, which are members of Christ, in sexual immorality.
Hosea 1:2: The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Hosea's marriage to a wife of whoredoms is the Old Testament picture of Israel's unfaithfulness, which contrasts with the church's virgin purity.
No. Les Feldick sees this as a picture of position, not a literal marriage. The church is the body of Christ and is pictured as His virgin bride, while Israel is pictured separately as the restored wife of Jehovah.
Paul expresses godly jealousy because he has espoused these believers to one husband, Christ. His concern is that they remain faithful and may be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Les explains that Ephesians 5 uses marriage as a picture of Christ and the church. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, and His purpose is to present it to Himself as a holy, unblemished church.
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