Bible Study Seattle

“But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:20-24

What does it mean they became one flesh? Did they fuse together? Did they lose their identities in each other? Did they lose free will?
Obviously not. Then what?

““Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:4-6

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:15-17

Why didn’t Paul say whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in flesh? Because Christians are to become spirit in the first resurrection just as Jesus is.

“for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:30-32

Jesus will marry the church. They will become one spirit. Does this mean Christians will fuse with Jesus? Will they lose free will? No.
Jesus elaborates about the church:

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” John 17:11

The church is to become one with Jesus as he is one with the Father. Does that mean that Jesus is the same person as God? Or that the church will become the same person as Jesus? No! Jesus is one with God in will, not in person. Likewise, the church is one with Jesus in will, not in person.
Think about it. If we are to fuse with Jesus and lose our free will, are we not conjoined robots? Why would God have let Adam & Eve fall if they would just become fused with God to do his will? Wouldn’t they be like robots? Likewise, when we marry we don’t lose our free will, but when two marry they become one flesh temporarily which results in a baby. The baby is the one flesh from the two. The baby gets half its DNA from mom, and half from dad. Is that not two becoming one flesh literally? So it will be with the church. She will be intimate with Jesus, leading to children! Just as Mary conceived by intimacy with the Holy Spirit, so the church will conceive by intimacy with Jesus. This will reproduce flesh – all those whom God chose not to go to heaven. This is why Paul says it is a profound mystery, Christ and the Church. We do not know all the details, but we can see dimly by the patterns set forth in the scriptures by God!