Ephesians 5:22-33

Introduction

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1,2

Marriage is the foundation of all family relationships

and shapes us into the image of Jesus

“Any situation that calls me to confront my selfishness has enormous spiritual value…” Gary Thomas

1. Message to Wives

v.22 - “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord…”

“The idea of subordination to authority in general, as well as in the family, is out of favor in a world which prizes permissiveness and freedom. Christians are often affected by these attitudes. Subordination smacks of exploitation and oppression that are deeply resented. But authority is not synonymous with tyranny, and the submission to which the apostle refers does not imply inferiority. Wives and husbands have different God-appointed roles, but all have equal dignity because they have been made in the divine image and in Christ have put on the new person who is created to be like God (4:24).” PT O’Brien

“…as to the Lord.” – is the motivation of the wife to submit to the husband.

“…husband is head of wife…” - Head – kephale – means authority not source!

“kephale here clearly refers to a husband’s authority over his wife and cannot mean “source” as some have argued. In fact, there is no sense in which husbands are the source of their wives either physically or spiritually. In addition in over 50 examples of hephale in ancient Greek literature, with the idea “person A is the head of person(s) B” person A has authority over person(s) B in every case.” ESV Study Bible

1. Message to Husbands

This section that Paul has written to the husbands is 3x longer than that to the wives. Paul is communicating the priority it is for the husbands to love and lead.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

“The husband is bound by love to ensure that his wife finds their marriage a source of rich fulfillment and joyful service to the Lord.” ESV Study Bible

“In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself…” “…no one has hatred his own flesh…”

v.31 – leads us to see that we don’t hate our own flesh and in the context of marriage we become one with each other.

No other relationship on earth symbolizes Christ relationship with the church than the marriage relationship.

“The rule of love, rightly understood and rightly lived, makes beauty, freedom, joy, and the glory of God shine forth.” David Powlison

• Message about a Mystery

“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let his wife see that she respects her husband.”