Originally posted by sonship
Its irrelevant really, to the truth as taught in the Word of God.
Okay, say I have cronies. Say I have real friendly cronies.
Let's see if it changes anything:
[b] " For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone who believes into Him may not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Doesn't ...[text shortened]... have no effect on John 3:16 whether I have cronies or not. Herein is the main thing. No?[/b]Does "perish" mean 'be tortured forever by burning'?
The Bible conciudes with a marriage. That is the marriage of all of His redeemed people throughout the ages of His operation.
They are redeemed, regenerated, transformed and sanctified, conformed to Christ and transfigured in the divine life. They are resurrected, glorified, and built together in love to be a aggregate collective Body for Christ the Son of God.
They are His Wife for eternity and His Bride. They share a divine / human romance in a new heaven and new earth.
The New Jerusalem is communicated to us in terms we should be able to appreciate. She is a WIFE for the incarnated God. She is a romantic other, a helpmeet, a corrresponding companion who God can say "She is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh."
Individually, Paul said each one of the believers was a chaste virgin in the spiritual sense to Jesus Christ. He was jealous over each one of them that they would be dedicated to their one and only Lover Redeemer Christ.
"For I am jealous over you with a jealousy of God; for I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:2)
Some LDS believe Jesus is wedded to multiple wives, an optional belief to hold within LDS although some have condemned it. In my opinion, Sr. Hayes, if she is keeping her name, sacrifices the marriage vocation. She cannot claim precisely to being married. The article is obviously from a secular liberal source so to be sure I wouldn't trust its context. Too much importance has been given in evangelism to having personal relationships.