The concept of the "wedding-garment" is primarily derived from the Parable of the Wedding Banquet found in the Gospel of Matthew. In this parable, Jesus uses the imagery of a wedding feast to convey spiritual truths about the Kingdom of Heaven and the necessity of being properly prepared to enter it.

Biblical Context:

The key passage concerning the wedding-garment is Matthew 22:1-14. In this parable, a king prepares a wedding banquet for his son and sends out invitations. When the initially invited guests refuse to come, the king extends the invitation to anyone found on the streets, both good and bad. However, when the king enters the banquet hall, he notices a man without a wedding garment and asks, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?" (Matthew 22:12). The man is speechless, and the king orders him to be bound and cast out into the outer darkness.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

The wedding-garment symbolizes the righteousness required to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In the cultural context of the time, it was customary for the host to provide appropriate garments for guests. Thus, the absence of a wedding-garment indicates a lack of preparation or refusal to accept what is freely offered by the host.

From a theological perspective, the wedding-garment represents the righteousness of Christ, which believers must "put on" to be acceptable before God. This is supported by passages such as Isaiah 61:10, which speaks of being clothed with "garments of salvation" and "a robe of righteousness." The Apostle Paul echoes this in Romans 13:14, urging believers to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ."

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:

1. Preparedness and Readiness: The parable emphasizes the importance of being spiritually prepared for the coming of the Kingdom. Just as the guests needed to be ready with the appropriate attire, believers are called to live lives of holiness and righteousness.

2. Grace and Responsibility: While the invitation to the wedding feast is extended to all, acceptance of the invitation requires a response. The provision of the wedding-garment signifies God's grace, but wearing it reflects the individual's responsibility to live in accordance with God's standards.

3. Judgment and Accountability: The fate of the man without the wedding-garment serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of divine judgment. It underscores the necessity of genuine faith and transformation, rather than mere outward association with the Christian community.

Related Themes:

· Righteousness and Sanctification: The wedding-garment is closely linked to the themes of righteousness and sanctification, as believers are called to be set apart and live in a manner worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1).

· The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: The imagery of a wedding feast is also found in Revelation 19:7-9, where the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is described. Here, the bride, representing the Church, is granted to clothe herself in fine linen, symbolizing the righteous acts of the saints.

In summary, the wedding-garment in the parable serves as a powerful metaphor for the necessity of spiritual readiness and the transformative power of Christ's righteousness in the life of a believer.Wedding-Garment

See GARMENTS.

The Wedding Garment.
... THE WEDDING GARMENT. There was a certain King who gave a great feast upon the occasion
of his son's wedding. ... [Illustration: WITHOUT THE WEDDING GARMENT.]. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the new testament/the wedding garment.htm

The Wedding Garment
... The Wedding Garment. A Sermon ... Many a time the question has been asked: "What was
the wedding garment?" It is a question which need not be curiously pried into. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the wedding garment.htm

The Wedding Garment
... LXXIV THE WEDDING GARMENT. Matthew xxii.11-14. ... He does not wear the wedding
garment and therefore is not fit for the wedding feast. ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/lxxiv the wedding garment.htm

On the Wedding Garment
... Third Series Sermon 120 On the Wedding Garment. "How camest thou in hither
not having a wedding garment? Matt.22:12. 1. In the verses ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 120 on the wedding.htm

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the ...
... 11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man [this one
man is a type of many"see verse 14] who had not on a wedding-garment: 12 and ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cviii in reply to the 4.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Mark viii. 5, Etc. , Where the Miracle ...
... The Master of the house who had invited them, as it is written, "found there a man
which had not on a wedding garment." [3143] For to the marriage had that ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xlv on the words.htm

Parable of the Marriage Feast of the King's Son. (Matt. , xxii. ...
... Those who have a just sense of the honour done them by the invitation, and come
in a wedding-garment, represent such as fit themselves for membership of the ...
/.../section 255 parable of the.htm

The Marriage of the King's Son.
... But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on
a wedding-garment: and he saith unto him, 'Friend, how earnest thou in hither ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the marriage of the kings.htm

The Prophets were Sent from one and the Same Father from whom the ...
... But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man not having on a
wedding garment; and he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou hither, not ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxvi the prophets were sent.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xxii. 2, Etc. , About the ...
... bad," [2994] that they should be reckoned among the number of the bad, who we have
heard were shut out in his person who was found not to have a wedding garment ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xl on the words.htm

Wedding-garment (2 Occurrences)
Wedding-garment. Wedding, Wedding-garment. Wedding-robe .
Multi-Version Concordance Wedding-garment (2 Occurrences). ...
/w/wedding-garment.htm - 7k

Garment (143 Occurrences)
... Matthew 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man
which had not on a weddinggarment: (KJV ASV DBY WBS RSV). ...
/g/garment.htm - 37k

Wedding (24 Occurrences)

/w/wedding.htm - 13k

Wedding-robe (1 Occurrence)
Wedding-robe. Wedding-garment, Wedding-robe. Weddings . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(WEY). Wedding-garment, Wedding-robe. Weddings . Reference Bible.
/w/wedding-robe.htm - 6k

Dumb (34 Occurrences)
... The speechlessness of Saul's companions (Acts 9:7) was due to fright; that of the
man without the weddinggarment was because he had no excuse to give (Matthew ...
/d/dumb.htm - 20k

Beheld (95 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS YLT). Matthew 22:11 And the king, having gone in to see the guests,
beheld there a man not clothed with a weddinggarment. (DBY). ...
/b/beheld.htm - 33k

Camest (27 Occurrences)
... Camest (27 Occurrences). Matthew 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest
thou in hither not having a weddinggarment? And he was speechless. ...
/c/camest.htm - 15k

Clothed (153 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV). Matthew 22:11 And the king, having gone in to see
the guests, beheld there a man not clothed with a weddinggarment. (DBY YLT). ...
/c/clothed.htm - 37k

Hither (84 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS YLT). Matthew 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou
in hither not having a weddinggarment? And he was speechless. (KJV ASV WBS YLT) ...
/h/hither.htm - 34k

Behold (1513 Occurrences)
... Matthew 22:11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there
a man who had not on a wedding-garment: (ASV). Matthew ...
/b/behold.htm - 35k

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the parables of fasting at the wedding feast, the old cloth, and the wineskins? | GotQuestions.org

Why does Christ's righteousness need to be imputed to us? | GotQuestions.org

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