Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Senior
Of Note: Unless I searched incorrectly I could find no other thread on the Song of Solomon in the PB archives.
I have always loved the older interpretations of the Song where it is taught that its purpose is to describe and to encourage a deeper understanding of the bond between Christ and the Church. Right now I am mostly through John Gills 340,000 word commentary, where he never hints that the Song is anything except a love story between Christ and the Church, including Old Testament Israel and Yahweh.
And we have the Apostle in Ephesians 5:31, 32 who states that marriage is "a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
But modern commenters usually say that it is a kind of textbook of romantic and sexual love in marriage. But then there's that Ephesians 5 verse again.
Is it an allegory like Pilgrim's Progress? No, not really.
Is it simply a series of love poems between Solomon and his new (perhaps first) bride? I think it's more.
But what is it? Serious help please since I will be discussing it briefly at a small group I lead this Wednesday.
Here's what must be a very condensed version of Gill on the Song.
I have always loved the older interpretations of the Song where it is taught that its purpose is to describe and to encourage a deeper understanding of the bond between Christ and the Church. Right now I am mostly through John Gills 340,000 word commentary, where he never hints that the Song is anything except a love story between Christ and the Church, including Old Testament Israel and Yahweh.
And we have the Apostle in Ephesians 5:31, 32 who states that marriage is "a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
But modern commenters usually say that it is a kind of textbook of romantic and sexual love in marriage. But then there's that Ephesians 5 verse again.
Is it an allegory like Pilgrim's Progress? No, not really.
Is it simply a series of love poems between Solomon and his new (perhaps first) bride? I think it's more.
But what is it? Serious help please since I will be discussing it briefly at a small group I lead this Wednesday.
Here's what must be a very condensed version of Gill on the Song.