Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives and Husbands

The similarities between Christ and the church and husband and wife

Fun fact: Marriage is the greatest area of conflict among human beings.

Verse 22-24

v21- Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ
In the Revised Standard Version, v24 says "As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives be subject in everything to their husbands."
v22-24 is the application of the above principle. As Christian husbands and wives, the subjection is not merely on the part of one alone but it is to be done by both husband and wife.

The method of subjection for each other is different for both the husband and wife but the principle is the same for both.

So the question is: How does the wife subject herself to the husband, and how does the husband, on the other hand, subject himself to the wife, out of reverence for Christ? That is what we will find out today.

Definition of Submit/ Subject is to adjust yourself to the to the authority or will of another. So Paul is trying to say to the wives to "Adapt yourself to your own husband, adjust to him.". This is the fulfillment of the initial word of the Creator when he said of the woman that she was to "be a help meet for man" (Gen 2:20). Be a help definitely does not mean to be a slave or rival but a willing and loyal helper to accomplish his aims and goals as led by God. It is in this role that woman finds fulfilment.

Verse 22-23

Key phrase is "as to the LORD". The wife is subject to her husband not because her husband is such a wonderful creature, but because she has a previous and primary relationship to her Lord. It is not for wives to worship the husband! She is just to yield herself to the will and aims of her husband.
The submission of a wife to her husband in the proper areas of his authority is the gauge of her submission to Christ.

It is a matter of headship and headship means authority. 1 Cor 11:3 states "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." Focusing on the last part "The head of Christ is God", there are 4 elements involved in the headship of the Father.

1) Identity as to nature
"I and my Father are one" - John 10:30
When a man and a woman are married, they become "one flesh" - Gen 2:24/Matt 19:5-6, Mark 10:7-8

2) Cooperation as to work
"My Father is always at work to this very day, and I, too, am working" - John 5:17
We cooperate together

3) Honor as to person
"I always honor my Father" - John 8:49 and "It is the Father who honors me" - John 8:54
There is the mutual sharing of honor.

4) Subservience as to final decisions
"My father is greater than I" - John 14:28
Despite the identity of the person, there is a difference of authority for he says "I always do what pleases Him" - John 8:29

Verse 24 "Wives should submit to their husbands in everything", this definitely excludes moral wrong. Other than that, the husband is expected to encourage the wife to express her desires, soeak her viewpoint, or to bring out what she feels is the right way. But, ultimate decision is to honor his choice.

How is the church subject to Christ?

The Bible is the Lord's word to the church, the hymn book is the church's word to the Lord. The hymns reflect the hungerings and yearnings of the church subject to it's Lord.

Verse 25-32  can be summarized into one phrase and that is "Husbands,love your wives, as Christ loved the church"

Definition of love is grossly misused nowadays. Paul not only says that we should love but the extent at which we love is to be like Christ giving up himself for her (church). This are how husbands should love,by giving himself up for her. NOTE: It is not to give in but to give up himself for the wife.

The Lord gave himself up for the church with certain purposes. There are 3 factors listed in these passage.
1) Sanctification
Jesus gave himself up on the cross  in order that the church can be redeemed by His grace and that men and women might be called back to the original function and purpose of humanity. Similarly, husbands should
give himself up for the wife so that she might fulfil her womanhood.

The purpose of womanhood is twofold.
1) To be a helper to her husband. Husbands should not neglect their wives and exclude them from his thinking.

2) To contribute beauty into his life. Not only beauty of the physical form but a spiritual form as well. Just as Peter puts it clearly in 1 Peter 3:4. This is what the woman can uniquely contribute to life but it is the husband who opens the door to opportunity for a woman to do this by sharing himself with her.

Husbands can help their wives fulfil womanhood by giving himself up, sharing with her, discussing with her, talk about things. It is the husband's responsibility to open up and share with her.

2) That He might present the church to Himself in splendor (as a radiant church) - Verse 27
Just as Apostle Peter said in 1Peter 3:7. Similarly, the husband must give himself up to the end to honor his wife, glorify her and exalt her in the family circle.

3) He might fulfil the mystery of His own being. v30 - For we are members of His body
Christ loves us and continually gives Himself up for us because He cannot help it, we are part of Him and we belong to Him. v31 - And the two shall become one. This can be seen through how blended the lives of the husband and the wife are. Moreover, when conflict arises, what huts the wife damages the husband and if he is bitter towards the wife, it will eat him like a cancer in his own life and heart.

Verse 33

This verse is the basis of each person in the marriage relationship fulfilling his responsibility to Christ regardless of what the other does. You do not wait for the other partner to love you/ submit before loving him/her.



Ephesians 5:1-21

Ephesians 5:

Hi guys, Alex here. This week’s lesson for the kids is on Ephesians 5. Rayner and I recently came to the conclusion about how we should focus on the first 21 verses of the text first. As the later part of the chapter should be taught separately and in a different manner.

Recall:
Chap 1-3: Position in the Heavenly places (Doctrine)
Spiritual Blessings that we have received à Resources we need for living à God’s desire for us is that we display and manifest the Glory of God and that we walk in the resources that He has given to us.

Chap 4-6: Our practice in this earth (Application)
Spiritual Walk that is rooted by spiritual wealth. We are His workmanship. We have been created in Christ Jesus for good works.
The application can only be done if we are rooted by the doctrine in Chap 1-3

In the previous chapter; chapter 4, Paul was talking about how as Christians we are now Children of the light and what it means to walk in the light. How we are now able to put of our former self because of what Christ has done. He continues this topic in the beginning of chapter 5. 

Purity/ Forsaking the darkness (verses 1 to 21):

Verse1 and 2:
Be imitators of God because we are no longer orphans but now children. We imitate because we have been adopted into the family. We imitate because as children you learn from your parents. God has already given the perfect example to follow when he sent his Son down to walk this earth. But Christ is not only the example. His death on the Cross is the only reason why we have the power to walk as how he did- a walk in love.

Verse 3 and 4:
Paul gives a contrast of what a walk in love or a life in love does not look like. 
A life in love should not have sexual immorality, impurity or covetousness.
Sexual immorality is sexual sin.
Impurity includes spiritual and emotional purity. Includes defiling your own or your brother’s or your sister’s purity.
Covetousness or greed includes lust 

Verse 5 and 6:
The emphasis must be made that it is not that we avoid the sins mentioned above so that we can become a saint. Rather it is because we are saved/children of God/ you are made a saint by Jesus’s blood therefore now live and have the power to live in a manner fitting for a saint.
David Guzik: “ If God's kingdom is alive in them, a transformation has occurred so that they cannot rest in the habitual practice of these things.”
God’s wrath will come upon those who are disobedient.

Verse 7:
Therefore it is right to assume that Christians will not have their lives habitually filled with the above mentioned sins. Those who are Christians should not be partakers with those who do such things. Partakers means to be a part of or to share.

Verses 8 to 12:
Once you were darkness, once you were sons of disobedience. You practiced a form of fornication, impurity or covetousness.  But now you are light in the Lord. God by his grace has shined his light on your ways, you have been enlightened. You recognised your ways to be wrong and his ways to be right. Therefore you are children of light. Who should be marked of the fruit of the light consisting in goodness righteousness and truth. We can explore these fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Comparing these fruits with what was seen in Ephesians 5: 3
Similarly in verse 7, verse 11 implores us to have nothing to do with the fruitless DEEDS, not the people who are in darkness. In verse 7, Paul also says don’t partake in the actions. He says nothing about avoiding the people.

Rather in verse 11, Paul says we should expose these deeds. We should bring to light that these deeds are wrong.

Verses 13 to 14:
This light is God’s searching judgement. It exposes unfruitful works of darkness even works done in secret. When Jesus shines upon us, he resurrects our dead spirit. Spiritual regeneration.

Verses 15-17:
Since this light was given to us, we should walk wisely not as fools. We should make the most of every opportunity for Jesus Christ for the days are evil. Evil times can be refered to Matthew 24:11-12

Verse 18:
Do not be drunk but be filled with the Spirit

David Guzik:” Paul contrasts the effect of the Holy Spirit with the state of drunkenness. Alcohol is a depressant; it "loosens" people because it depresses their self-control, their wisdom, their balance and judgment. The Holy Spirit has an exactly opposite effect. He is a stimulant; He moves every aspect of our being to better and more perfect performance.”

Verses 19-21:
Filled with the spirit:

1) It is not a one time thing, rather it is a constant filling

2) When we are filled, we desire to worship God and encourage others in their worship of God. 

3) One of the products of being filled with the spirit is a thankful heart.

4) Mutual submission to each other in the fear of God. Mutual submission is having a team mindset, a mindset which thinks of others.