7/01/18 Ephesians 5:22-33 “The example set is of Christ and His body, the Church”
Much of this
passage is concerned more with the comparisons that assist in defining the relationships
between people. The marriage relationship between husband and wife is used as
an example of the relationship between Christ and the Church. This is the
emphasis of this passage, rather than set of rules on how to run a marriage.
And, when being subject is discussed, it must not be inconsistent with the
major theme of Ephesians, that of the unity of all those who are the body of
Christ, the Church. Christ is one with His Church; husbands are one with their
wives.
Ephesians 5:22 – Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
submit – hypotasso (to be arranged under;
subject one’s self; obey; yield to admonition or advice. A Greek military term
meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the
command of a leader".) It was more to do with your position in the troop
(that is, the part you played) than whether or not you were in charge or not. It
means to be put into a certain place.
unto your own –one’s own; belonging to one’s self. Not
someone else’s husband! This passage today emphasises this “own”-ness of
husband and wife, not one belonging to another!
This passage is one
which many militant feminists say is wrong with the traditional church. They
cannot see that everyone must be subject to everyone else within the church,
anyway – see Ephesians 5:21. And they also cannot see that in order to have
unity there must of needs be those who lead and those who follow. For if all
led, there would be anarchy, while if all followed, there would be chaos. Every
good organisation (even those who claim to be feminist!) have lines of authority
that require some to be subject to others. And women are not necessarily better
than the men they claim to be “chauvinist pigs” in that their idea of a
properly run organisation is usually to have women bossing the men around.
Nothing really changes! That is, while it’s unacceptable to have people you
despise in charge, it’s OK to have acceptable people in charge, especially if
they allow you to run things your way! Most minority groups consider their own
people as the most able to run an organisation. To be sure, most organisations
have incompetent people in authority somewhere (both male and female),
according to the saying that a person is promoted to the level of his or her
incompetence!
So, we’ll leave
that matter of subjection there as it is written here in Ephesians: that the
proper place of wives in marriage authority is not necessarily lesser but with
different responsibilities!
Wives are to submit
to their own husbands as to the Lord (as it is fitting in the Lord).
That is, because it is the right thing to do.
Colossians 3:18 – Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
it is fit in the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23 – For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and
he is the saviour of the body.
(or “: He being the Saviour of the body – that is, of the Church”)
1 Corinthians 11:3 – But I would have you know, that the head of every
man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of
Christ [is] God.
Because the lines
of authority (without which there would be chaos) are that Christ is the head
of the church, and that the same pattern applies to husband and wife. The
Church is the bride of Christ and the wife is the bride of the husband.
Ultimately someone must make the final decision or else no-one ever decides
anything!
Another point to
note is that 1 Corinthians 11:3 gives us a pattern of this authority, seen in
the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. If the head of Christ
(the Son) is God (the Father), then we’re talking about lines of authority, not
superiority of one over the other. So, according to this pattern, man has
authority over the woman, yet is not superior to the woman.
I don’t entirely
agree with everything Barnes says here, but his points are worth considering: In everything, except that which relates to
"conscience and religion," he (the husband) has
authority. But there his authority ceases. He has no right to require her to
commit an act of dishonesty, to connive at wrong-doing, to visit a place of
amusement which her conscience tells her is wrong, nor has he a right to
interfere with the proper discharge of her religious duties. He has no right to
forbid her to go to church at the proper and usual time, or to make a
profession of religion when she pleases. He has no right to forbid her
endeavoring to exercise a religious influence over her children, or to endeavor
to lead them to God. She is bound to obey God, rather than any man (Acts
5:29); and when even a husband interferes in such
cases, and attempts to control her, he steps beyond his proper bounds, and
invades the prerogative of God, and his authority ceases to be binding.
1 Timothy 2:13 – For Adam was first formed, then Eve. Also note Genesis 2:18.
Ephesians 5:24 – Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to
their own husbands in every thing.
Therefore, in the
same way that the church is subject unto Christ (clearly this means in all
things – Colossians 3:23), so likewise should the wives be subject to their
husbands in all things. Note though that this assumes that the husband is
completely scriptural in all things (as Christ would be for the Church), for if
the husband were to require that the wife run over the next person to cross the
road, then she would be quite correct in refusing to obey! The assumption is
that the husband is acting toward the wife in the marriage relationship, as
would Christ toward the Church. This assumes that perfect subjection is based
upon perfect authority!
their own
husbands – this line of
authority lies within the marriage, not outside it!
Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
gave - paradidomi (to give into the hands
[or power or usage] of another; to deliver up to custody, to be judged,
condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death; to deliver up
treacherously; by betrayal cause to be taken)
love – agapao (Used 7 times in today’s
passage, contrasting with the other forms of “love” in the New Testament. The
most used form of “love” in the New Testament.)
agape
– the love of God for man. Eg John 3:16
phileo
– to treat affectionately or kindly, to be fond of. Eg. John 21:17
storgos
– a natural affection, something you feel good about. Used with phileo
in Romans 12:10 (philostorgos) to mean the mutual love of parents and
children and wives and husbands. (Used as astorgos in Romans 1:31
to mean “unloving”)
eros
– erotic love, passionate love, for self-satisfaction. Not used in the New
Testament.
There is also a
strong implication of the sacrificial love of Christ for His Church being
applied by the husband for his wife. It’s hard to imagine some of those minority
group leaders (feminist or otherwise) being sacrificially loving toward the
members of their particular minority group!
Ephesians 5:26 – That he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
sanctify – hagiazo (dedicate, set apart for
God; make holy; consecrate; sanctify; a sense of ceremonial or Levitical
purification)
washing – bathing; bath; the act of bathing.
word – rhema
(that which is uttered by the voice; thing spoken; word) Not logos, thus
not referring specifically to the word of God (usually represented by logos).
Note John 17:17 where “word” is “logos” – Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth.
“That He (Christ) might sanctify it (make it holy), and cleanse it with the washing (bathing) of water by (means of) the uttered word.”
Some say that this
refers to the baptismal font, but the meaning, according to the context, is
clearly a spiritual washing or cleansing, and cannot be used to justify the
washing away of sins via a physical baptism (or christening).
Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost;
That Christ might
achieve this by giving Himself sacrificially for the body (the Church) – see previous
verse. If the parallel between Christ & the Church, and husband & wife
is to be followed here, then husbands are to love their wives in the same way,
that they might present their wives to God glorious, not having spot nor
wrinkle, holy and without blemish (see following verse) for so should men love
their wives (see Vs 28). The comparison between Christ & Church and husband
& wife must be applied to the end of this passage, with the assumption that
what Christ does perfectly, the husband will in all probability do imperfectly.
Ephesians 5:27 – That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
2 Corinthians 11:2 – For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for
I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste
virgin to Christ.
glorious – endoxos (held in good esteem; of
high repute; honourable; glorious; splendid; figuratively: free from sins)
without blemish – see its use in the following:
Hebrews 9:14 – How much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Ephesians 1:4 – According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love:
Jude 24 – Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy,
“That He (Christ) might present it to Himself (make it ready for Himself) as a glorious church (a church arrayed in glory) not having spot (fault; moral blemish) or wrinkle (implying the breakdown of age) or any other such thing (any other imperfection of
mortality that might oppose the glory of the Church in any way) but that it should be holy (separated for service to God;
set apart for God) and without
blemish (as a
sacrifice without blemish; faultless; unblameable).”
Ephesians 5:28 – So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself.
ought - to owe; to owe money; be in debt; metaphorically:
the goodwill due.
In many ways this
is the same as doing to others (in particular, your wife) as you would have
them do to you.
Luke 6:31 – And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye
also to them likewise.
Galatians 5:14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even]
in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
from Leviticus 19:18 – Thou shalt not avenge, nor
bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself: I [am] the Lord.
Christ loves the
Church as His own body (the body of Christ, the Church!); thus, we
should follow His example. He that loves his (“own”) wife loves himself
(his “own” self); He (Christ) that loves His body, the Church, loves
Himself.
There is emphasis
on “his own wife” and “his own self”. (“their own”, “his” and
“himself” are basically the same Greek word.)
Ephesians 5:29 – For no
man ever yet hated his own flesh (body); but
nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
hated – miseo (hate; pursue with hatred;
detested) cf “hate” as a comparative term.
Note Romans 9:13 – As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated.
Compare Luke 14:26 – If any [man] come to
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and
brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
with Matthew 10:37 – He that loveth father
or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
where “hate not” is
the equivalent of “loveth more”.
In Ephesians 5:29
above, miseo clearly means hate or detest, yet may still include
allowance for being a comparative term. The sense may be to show at least as
much love and care for the wife as he would show to himself.
nourish – nourish or bring to maturity; nurture;
bring up from childhood.
cherish – to keep warm; cherish with tender (warm)
love, with tender care.
Note the comparison
once again between the husband & wife, and Christ & His body, the
Church, where the latter example (Christ) should be followed by the former (the
husband).
Ephesians 5:30 – For we
are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Genesis 2:23 – And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken
out of Man.
members – limbs; parts of the body
2 Corinthians 12:27 – Now ye are the body of Christ, and members
in particular.
If we are members
of Christ’s body, the Church, then we should walk (conduct our lives)
accordingly. Paul warned the Corinthians that they, as members of Christ’s
body, should not then pervert themselves to become the members of a harlot.
1 Corinthians 6:15 – Know ye not that your bodies are the members
of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make [them] the
members of an harlot? God forbid.
“For we (the saints) are members of Christ’s body (the Church) and spiritually of His flesh and His
bones.”
This then leads
into the next verse where Genesis 2:24 is quoted almost word for word.
Ephesians 5:31 – For this
cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his
wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
leave – leave behind (including dying and leaving
behind those who yet live); depart from; forsake; abandon; leave in the lurch.
joined – to glue upon; glue to; join one’s self to
closely; cleave to; stick to.
two shall be one – literally “two shall be into only one”
This clearly
defines the relationship between the members of the church and Christ as a
spiritual marriage, the Bride and the Bridegroom, the spiritual form of the
more physically oriented marriage between Adam and Eve, and so on. Thus, the
members of the body of Christ, the Church, join themselves to Christ, and the
two shall be made into only one spiritually, something that all Christians
should strive for.
John 17:21-23 – 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art]
in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou
gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou
hast loved me.
To be one
spiritually is one of the major themes of Ephesians, using so many of the syn
(together) words that we’ve come across to demonstrate “many into one”.
Note Ephesians 4:3 – Endeavouring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Which then leads into the following passage emphasising that unity:
Ephesians 4:4-6 – 4 [There
is] one body,
and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One
Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all,
who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.
Ephesians 5:32 – This is a
great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
great – megas Thus, a mega-mystery! This
on its own might make the calvinists happy; it appears to say that we shouldn’t
know everything. However, Paul has already shown that such mysteries can be
known. Eg Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-4.
Such a mystery may
only be made known to those initiated into the group, that is, the members of
the body. It doesn’t mean that it cannot be known, nor understood, but that
only those who need to know will know. (Maybe calvinists don’t
need to know?) Ellicott says that mysterion (= mystery) was translated
“sacramentum” (= oath) in the Vulgate which is why we call it the marriage
sacrament today.
but – the emphasis has effectively been changed
from the human marriage of man and wife to a focus upon the spiritual marriage
between Christ as the Bridegroom, and the Church as the Bride of Christ. In
other words, Paul is saying that the mystery can best be understood from the
point of view of Christ and the Church.
“This is a great
mystery (This
mystery is a great one) but I
am speaking concerning (with reference to)
Christ and the Church.”
Ephesians 5:33 – Nevertheless
let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the
wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.
Nevertheless – Moreover; nevertheless; although. While
the main emphasis in this passage is on Christ and the Church, here we look at
the practical application of the spiritual example set by Christ to the Church.
in particular so – according to this manner or example
reverence – phobeo (put to flight by terrifying, to
scare away; put to flight; flee; to fear; be afraid; struck with fear; seized
with alarm; struck with amazement; to reverence; venerate; treat with deference
or reverential obedience) Appears to have the sense of extreme emotion, either
fear, amazement or reverence. A holy respect?
This verse is the conclusion (or summary?) of today’s passage.
“Nevertheless, let every one of you (spoken to the husbands here) according
to this manner or example (that is, the example set by Christ toward the Church) love his
(own) wife even
as (like; the
same as) he loves himself; and that the wife see that she reverence (have a holy respect for) her
husband.”
We are still heading toward that classic passage on taking up the whole
armour of God in order to fight the spiritual battle that should be upon all
those who desire to be godly Christians (2 Timothy 3:12). It is important for
Christians to know that they are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) and that
all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). However, this must assume that
such a Christian is walking reasonably according to God’s will, and hasn’t
given place to the devil in his life (Ephesians 4:27), for to give place to the
devil would be to put aside the above promises for godly Christians.
Today’s passage emphasises the necessity of the husband being like
Christ in the home, and the wife being like the Church in the home. Our daily
walk will determine whether we are going to have the resources in order to
effectively oppose the enemy, or instead to give place to the enemy’s planning
in our lives, which could lead to our destruction.
Ephesians 5:15 – See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise
where “circumspectly” means dotting every “i” and crossing every “t”.
There are no short cuts to a victorious Christian life, and never will be any.
It is hard going, tough going, and, as the saying goes, When the going gets
tough, the tough (here the godly Christians) get going.