Introductory remarks:
Paul continues with the doctrines of how to live the Christian life. "Follow God as children, avoiding the sinfulness of the children of disobedience. Forsake the works of darkness and walk in the light of the Spirit. Don't live foolishly, but in the knowledge of the Lord's will. Sing and give thanks and be submissive to each other. Wives obey your husbands as your leader. Husbands love your wives. This symbolizes the relationship between the Church and Christ. Christ gave Himself for the Church to make it glorious and pure" (A Survey of Ephesians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: Rules for the new life continued vv. 1-5: Walk as children of light vv. 6-20: Wives and husbands vv. 21-33.
Rules for the New Life
Verse 1, "Become therefore followers of God, as dear children."
LGT "Become then imitators of God, as beloved children."
Become then imitators of God: the particle then connects this verse with the preceding clause in chp. 4:32, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you, become then imitators of God. Take pleasure in possessing a forgiving spirit towards one another. This does not mean that we should do the impossible of imitating God in our daily walk; it simply is in this particular case of forgiveness. As beloved children: as being part of God's family because of the finished work of Christ, and now loved by God with the same wonderful love He has for His only Son. "To institute an action against one who has injured us is human; not to take revenge on him is the part of a philosopher: but to compensate him with benefit is Divine, and shows men of earth to be followers of the Father who is in heaven" (Eadie - quoting the Epistle to Diognetus, cap. 10).
Verse 2, "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."
LGT "And walk in love, even as also the Christ loved us, and gave up Himself for us, as an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell."
And walk in love: live life motivated by Divine love. Even as also the Christ loved us: this love is embodied in our wonderful Savior, who loved us enough to give His life as He died, and shed His blood for you and me. And gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell: "It makes the death of Christ more than the public execution of a criminal. The cross was the brazen altar where the Lamb of God was offered as the burnt sacrifice. That sacrifice takes away the sin of the world. It identifies Christ with every sacrifice that was offered in the Old Testament by God's command. They all pointed to Him.
It is with a view of the substitutionary, vicarious [that He died in our place] death of Christ upon the cross that the believer is to attain to such an exalted plane of love. The believer cannot walk with a grieved Holy Spirit, for only the Spirit can bring forth this fruit in the life. Remember that love is first on the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22" (McGee).
Eadie notes:
"Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice in its completest sense - a holy victim, whose blood was poured out in His presentation to God. In the meantime it may be remarked, that the suffering involved in sacrifice, such unparalleled suffering as Christ endured as our sacrifice, proves the depth and fervor of His affection, and brightens that example of love which the apostle sets before the Ephesian church."
Verse 3, "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."
LGT "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, even as is becoming to saints."
Paul now speaks about sins that were prevalent in Ephesus, and that even some in the church were participating in them. A true believer may go into these sins for a while, but they cannot remain in them; if a believer can sin and be comfortable in the sinning, it would be questionable that he is a believer. I'm not saying that a believer is not capable of any sin; it just would be uncharacteristic for a believer to sin and enjoy it. The unbelieving world sin as a way of life, and they take pleasure in it, and also in those who also participate in their sins. When a believer sins he or she should immediately want to confess it to the Father and not let it fester in their soul. We should desire to fellowship with the Lord the maximum amount of time, and as Paul says, not even have our names associated with sin. But fornication: this is having sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Now this is the way of life today; young people think it is a good thing as long as two people consent; however, God says different. And all uncleanness: these are all types of sexual sins and perversion. Or covetousness: this is seeking to acquire any thing for self-promotion, whether money, position, or power over people. Let it not even be named among you: this means not speaking of these sins with approval or desire. "Not only were these sins to be avoided in fact, but to be shunned in their very name. Their absence should be so universal, that there should be no occasion to refer to them, or make any mention of them. Indelicate allusion to such sins should not soil Christian lips" (Eadie). Even as is becoming to saints: remember, all Christians are saints, and not only the super-duper ones. One does not attain to sainthood by good works, they become saints by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, for Christ has already finished the work, and has imputed on us His own righteousness; so as McGee says, "There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the ain'ts. If you are a saint, then you are not an ain't. If you ain't and ain't, then you are a saint." Our lives should testify to the world that we belong to Christ.
Verse 4, "Nether filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."
LGT "And filthiness and foolish talking or jesting, which are not becoming, but rather thanksgiving."
And all filthiness: filthiness is any thing that is obscene, indecent and immodest. And foolish talking: lewd conversation, such as, someone bragging about his or her sexual conquests, and speech that is wretched to the modesty of the Christian. Or jesting: in this context, Paul seems to be speaking about wit in connection with lewdness, which should be offensive to any Christian.
Chandler notes on this term jesting:
"Paul doth not condemn the innocent pleasantries and mirth of a cheerful conversation; but that kind of obscene discourse which we mean by the French expression of double entendre; when men, for the sake of merriment and sport, convey lewd sentiments and thoughts to others, under chaste and cleanly expressions. This seems to be the proper meaning of the word jesting, in this place. The original sense of it is, 'an artfully turned discourse.' And accordingly it is used either in a good sense, to denote proper wit; or in a bad sense, to signify any kind of lewd and scurrilous [defamatory] discourse, that artfully conveys an ill meaning. And as it is here joined with 'filthiness and foolish talking,' it is plain that the apostle intended by it such ambiguous forms of speech as are intended to raise mirth by dishonest and corrupt meanings." (Quoted by the editor of Calvin's Commentary on Ephesians)
Which are not becoming, but rather thanksgiving: when one gets carried away with filthy conversation, foolish talking or jesting, it is not conducive to thanksgiving. There is a time for levity and having fun, but it should never be to the degree where thanksgiving to God is the farthest thing from the mind. If one is involved in any thing that leaves God out of their conscience, beware the devil is having a field day.
Verse 5, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
LGT "For this ye know for sure, that any fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God."
For this ye know for sure: ye know this as a matter of fact. That any fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous, who is an idolater: this can only refer to the unbeliever. Paul particularizes the covetous man as an idolater, because he makes money his idol. If you have ever known a man who puts money ahead of everything else, you will know, that to hold an intelligent conversation with them is an impossible exercise; they can only talk of money, or how better to get it, and it seems impossible to change the subject. Has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God: "unless a man be born again, he will never see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3). One of these unbelievers may come to church, but church attendance does not save a man. Basileia [kingdom] is used with perfect propriety here; ekklasia is the church called and collected together, into which one of these bad characters may intrude himself; but Basileia is the kingdom under special jurisdiction of its King, and no one can or dare enter without His sanction" (Eadie).
Walk as Children of Light
Verse 6, "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."
LGT "Let no one deceive you with empty words; on account of these things, for the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience."
Let no one deceive you with empty words: there were those in Ephesus that held that these vices mentioned by Paul were middle matters, and that God was not that concerned with these trivial matters. Even the philosophers taught that if it feels good, it couldn't be wrong. Then there was the Temple of the goddess Diana where the prostitutes worked, and Paul tells the Christians to guard against these things.
Eadie quotes Whitby:
"That the Ephesians stood in need of these instructions [from Paul] we learn from Democritus Ephesius, who, speaking of the temple of the Ephesian Diana, hath much of the softness and luxury of the Ephesians; and from Euacles in his book De Ephesiacs, who saith - 'In Ephesus they built temples to Venus, the mistress of whores;' and from Strabo, who informs us that 'in their ancient temples there were images, but in their new, vile works were done.' Among the heathens, simple fornication was held a thing indifferent; the laws allowed and provided for it in many nations; whence the grave of Epictetus counsels his scholars, 'only to whore - according to law;' and in all places they connived at it. 'He that blames young men for their meretricious amours [loving the whores],' saith Cicero, 'does what is repugnant to the customs and concessions of our ancestors, for when was not this done? When was it not permitted?' This was suitable both to the principles and practices of may of their grave philosophers, especially of the Stoics, who held it 'lawful for others to use whores, and from them to get their living by such practices.' Hence even in the church of Corinth some had taught this doctrine."
On account of these things, for the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience: this is proof that those that practice these things were from the ranks of the unbelievers, for the wrath of God is never meted out against the believer; God does discipline the sons whom He loves, but never in anger. "If you can sin and get by with it, you are not a child of God. Do you know why? Because God would have to condemn you with the world, which would mean that you are not saved. If you are a child of God and do these things, God will chasten you - He will take you to the woodshed right here and now. If God doesn't chasten you, you are in a frightful condition. It means you are not His child, because God does not spank the Devils children" (McGee).
Verse 8, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of Light:"
LGT "For ye were once darkness, but now Light in [the] Lord: as children of Light walk:"
For ye were once darkness: Paul reminds them of their perpetual darkness without God. But now Light in [the] Lord: we did not become the light by any works we have done, but by His grace, He has made us righteous. This is now our position; we are the light of the world by His wonderful undeserved grace. As children of light walk: this is the motive that we should walk in the Light, as He is in the Light (1 John 1:7). We are not the Light of the world by any thing we do, we are the Light by His creating us new, and therefore we should walk as children of the Light. As we walk in the Light we see sin as it really is, not as the world portrays it; we see it, and we hate it; if we don't hate it, we are out of fellowship and need to get back to the Word, in order that we will hate it again. The only place we can appreciate the Light is in fellowship with the Lord.
Verse 9, "(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth)"
LGT "- For the fruit of the Light [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth"-
This verse is parenthetical. The fruit consists in goodness, righteousness and truth. These elements are the sign of walking in the Light, for when you are in fellowship these qualities of the Light will shine through. Walking in the Light is not a work but a response on our part. If we take credit for walking in the Light we are out of fellowship; Christ did all the work, and we are simply responders; to obey is not an effort of the flesh, but a response to the Holy Spirit's urgings. When we create in our own minds what we think will please God, we will miss the whole point; God has revealed to us in His Word all that we need to respond to, and He will give us the strength by His Holy Spirit to walk in the truth, which is light.
Verse 10, "Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."
LGT "Proving what is well pleasing to the Lord."
The only thing that God is well pleased with is what He has made assessable to us, and when we respond in a positive way to His Doctrines, He may say well done. The one and only way we please the Lord is how we respond to Him. I hope I make this very clear, for it is the opposite of working in order to please God, but because God is already pleased with us, we respond by walking in fellowship with Him, and this is walking in the light; when we walk in the Light, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit, along with all the wonderful results, both seen and unseen.
Verse 11, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
LGT "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather also reprove."
And have no fellowship: fellowship means partnership. It is impossible to have fellowship with darkness and walk in the Light at the same time. Paul warns them against trying this by saying, have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. The unfruitful works of darkness are in contrast to the fruits of the Light or Spirit. We are not only to have nothing to do with the works of darkness, but rather also reprove: by having nothing to do with dark deeds, we reprove or reprimand them.
McGee rightly notes on this word reprove:
"There are too many Christians who take the critical method or the preaching method. They try to correct an unsaved person by saying, 'You shouldn't be doing that.' My friend, that is not the way to approach the darkness. You are to be light. You cannot preach to people about these things. You cannot tell them what to do and not do. I constantly get letters from people who are telling me that I should preach against certain sins. No, my business is to turn the light of the Word of God - that which God calls right. You see, you are not able to win a person to Christ by lecturing to him and telling him what is wrong. You are not to try to get the unsaved man to change his conduct; he cannot change his conduct. He needs to be born again in order to change. You are not to shake your finger under his nose and say, 'Don't do that. Don't be a bad boy.' You are to be light, and light will always affect darkness."
Verse 12, "For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."
LGT "For the things done by them in secret it is shameful even to say:"
I think what Paul is saying is that these shameful acts of darkness are so revolting that it is improper to talk about them; who would like to hear the description of what explicit acts homosexual perverts performs in secret; personally, I prefer they stay in the closet where it is dark, and I don't even want to hear from them. This is only one of the perversions of darkness; all one has to do is take the fruits of the Spirit, and think the complete opposite and you might come up with the rest of the filth in the world.
Verse 13, "But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light."
LGT "But all of them when they are reproved by the light are made manifest:"
But all of them: all the secret sins just mentioned. When they are reproved: they are to be literally reproved the same as in verse 11. "This does not mean that the believer is to become a reformer. It does mean that by the light of his life he is a rebuke to the works of darkness. Light reveals what the darkness conceals. Darkness is not driven away by preaching at it; darkness is dissipated by the presence of light" (McGee). By the light are made manifest: the truth of the Word of God reveals these secret sins for what they are, and they are all contrary to the holiness of God, and that once they are uncovered by the light. Every believer should stand up against these sins openly, but not to attack an individual that is committing them. We are not reformers, but we are reformed, and as such, we should not tolerate any sin; however, we will commit sin, but we should never be complacent about sin, or be passive as to say, "Well, I am weak, and therefore its only natural that I slip up sometimes and give in to the desires of the flesh, I'll just confess it and everything will be A-O.K." Now I know this sounds ridiculous, but its true, and we should never think that God will wink at sin; we must hate sin, and never be indifferent about sin, unless of course, we enjoy being taken to the wood-shed by our heavenly Father. The last phrase in the KJV of this verse is the first phrase of the next verse in the original Greek.
Verse 14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."
LGT "For that which makes everything manifest is light. Wherefore He says: Arise, [thou] that sleepest, and rise up from among the dead, and the Christ will shine upon you."
For that which makes everything manifest is light: The light is the Gospel of Grace, and it uncovers the secret sins for what they are to God. Barnes notes about the light uncovering these sins: "It discloses their odiousness [abhorrence] and vileness, and it stands thus in strong contrast with all the false and abominable systems which have upheld or produced those vices." Wherefore He says: God says. Arise thou that sleepest, and rise up from among the dead: this clause has caused quite a bit of controversy among expositors, attempting to make it a quotation from the book of Isaiah, but it seems to be simply Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit telling the Ephesians that were dabbling in some of these sins to stop immediately. "The sense then would be, 'Be separate from sinners. Come out from among the heathen. Do not mingle with their abominations; do not name them. You are the children of light; and God says to you, awake from false security, rouse from the death of sin, and Christ shall enlighten you" (Barnes). And the Christ will shine upon you: this simply means that Christ is the light, and He will by the Holy Spirit enlighten them.
Verse 15, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise:"
LGT "Take heed therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise."
Paul tells then to watch carefully how they walk so as not to fall in with the heathen world. Remember, the light of Bible doctrine awakens the spirit of the believer to be careful. To learn Bible doctrine is to gain spiritual knowledge, and it is the first step to being wise; putting what we learn from the Word of God into everyday practice is wisdom. So to be wise we must live doctrine, not just learn doctrine.
Verse 16, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
LGT "Ransoming the time, because the days are evil."
Redeeming the time: we have only one life here on earth, and the wise purchase it for spiritual pursuits. The unwise Christian lives loosely without a thought of spiritual advancement. There is a time for fun, but that should not be our primary thought. Paul is exhorting the Christians to use their time wisely in doing those things that will reap eternal rewards. Because the days are evil: there are so many allurements in the world that to keep oneself clear of them is to be wise. "Because the days are evil, gives a good motive to seize the opportunity to spend our time wisely" (Chrysostom).
Verse 17, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."
LGT "On this account be not foolish, But understand what the will of the Lord [is]."
On this account be not foolish: literally this "stop becoming foolish." Stop entertaining the world and start redeeming your time in spiritual endeavors. But understand what the will of the Lord is: "That will which it is their duty to understand is the authoritative expression of the mind of Christ, who embodied in His own example the purity and benignity [compassion] of all His precepts . . . The Ephesian Christians, in order to enable themselves to redeem the time, were not to be thoughtless, but to possess a perfect understanding of the Master's will" (Eadie). Now I have said this many times: "the only way we are able to know the mind of Christ is in His Word, and if we neglect the Word, we have no excuse, for we are then foolish Christians." In this respect, God's will for every Christian is the same, "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil 3:10).
Verse 18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."
LGT "And be not made drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness, but be filled with [the] Spirit."
And be not made drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness: when a man becomes drunk he is controlled by that substance, and is in a state of debauchery, and open to all kinds of moral wickedness. Paul is not saying don't drink wine, for Christ drank wine, much to the chagrin of those temperance preachers that say it is sin to drink; this is not the issue; what Paul is doing is comparing allowing wine to control you or the Holy Spirit. But be filled with the Spirit: this filling of the Holy Spirit is the fact that He controls you. This is the only command in relation to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. When you are in fellowship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit is in control; but when we sin, we lose fellowship, and must at once confess that sin by naming it to the Father, and we are immediately back in fellowship and in the Spirit's control.
Verse 19, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."
LGT "Speaking one to the other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs in your heart to the Lord."
Speaking one to the other: this is the result of being filled with the Spirit, instead being filled with spirits. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: meeting together in fellowship with one another in the Word, "giving expression among yourselves, or in concert, to your joyous emotions." This is certainly different from what the modern religious meetings are about, with their copying the world with its jungle beat, and claim to be making merriment unto the Lord. In your heart to the Lord: this would mean that the songs sung in public meetings were songs of praise to the Lord who loved us and died for us, and if this is not at the basis of all singing and praising the lord, it is wrong. Eadie makes this comment about the type of songs to be sung in the assembly: "One of these very old and venerable relics, the Morning Hymns preserved in the Liturgy of the Church of England, is subjoined as a specimen, not only in its spirit and theology, but in its antiphonal [a verse from Scripture] structure
"Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father
Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ; O Lord, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that
Takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the
Right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ, with
The Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen"
Verse 20, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
LGT "Giving thanks at all times for all things in [the] name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him who is God and Father."
Giving thanks at all times for all things: we are to give thanks to God the Father for all things; it is an easy thing to praise the Father in time of prosperity, but not so easy in the hard times; but it must be done, for nothing happens in the life of a Christian that isn't designed by God to the betterment of the Christian. We are the ones who botch things up, and God must bring us to our senses, even if it means He must discipline us. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: this is to recognize the fact that Christ is our mediator. To Him who is God and Father: we are to direct our prayers to our heavenly Father, for He has given us, through Christ, free access to Him, at any time, and any place, for we are His adopted children.
Wives and Husbands
Verse 21, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
LGT "Subjecting yourselves to one another in [the] fear of Christ."
Subjecting yourselves to one another: in the family of God there is no hierarchy of one brother or sister above another, for we are all joint heirs with Christ. Chrysostom has this interesting illustration of subjection: "suppose the case of a man should have an hundred slaves, and he should in no way serve them; and suppose again a different case, of an hundred friends, all waiting upon one another. Which will lead the happier life? Which with the greater pleasure, with more enjoyment? In the one case there is no anger, no provocation, no wrath, nor anything else of the kind whatever; in the other all is fear and apprehension. In the one case too the whole is forced, in the other is of free choice. In the one case they serve one another because they are forced to do so, in the other with mutual gratification. Thus does God will it to be; for this He washed His disciples' feet. Nay more, if thou hast a mind to examine the matter nicely, there is indeed on the part of the masters a return of service. For what if pride suffer not that return of service to appear? Yet if the slave on the one hand render his bodily service, and thou maintain that body, and supply it with food and clothing and shoes, this is an exchange of service: because unless thou render thy service as well, neither will he render his, but will be free, and no law will compel him to do it if he is not supported. If this then is the case with servants, where is the absurdity, if it should also become the case with free men." In the fear of Christ: this is a fear of offending Christ and grieving the Holy Spirit. To not apply these doctrines would place us out of fellowship with the Lord, and this we definitely should fear.
Verse 22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."
LGT "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord."
Wives subjecting themselves to their husbands is done in love, for it is in context of the husband being the head, and the wife being the body; just as Christ is the head of the Church, and the church is the body. The husband is the initiator, and the wife is the responder to the husband. We must keep in mind the context is to a Christian couple, and in the family of God there is no inequality.
Barnes notes of the marriage relationship:
"The duty of the submission of the wife to her husband is everywhere enjoined in the Scriptures; see 1 Peter 3:1; Col. 3:18; Titus 2:5. While Christianity designed to elevate the character of the wife, and to make her a fit companion of an intelligent and pious husband, it did not intend to destroy all subordination and authority. Man, by the fact that he was first created; that the woman was taken from him; that he is better qualified for ruling than she is, is evidently designed to be at the head of the little community that constitutes a family. In many other things, woman may be equal; in loveliness, and grace, and beauty, and tenderness, and gentleness, she is far his superior; but these are not the qualities adapted for government. Their place is in another sphere; and there, man should be cautious about invading her prerogative, or abridging her liberty, as she should be about invading the prerogative that belongs to him. In every family there should be a head - some one who is to be looked up to as the counselor and the ruler; some one to whom all should be subordinate. God has given that prerogative to man; and no family prospers where that arrangement is violated [Barnes must of course mean prosper spiritually, for this is the entire context of the verse]."
Verse 23, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body."
LGT "For a husband is head of the wife, even as the Christ [is] of the assembly, He [is] Savior of the body."
For a husband is head of the wife, even as Christ is of the assembly: this really needs no explanation for we have covered it in verse 22. He is Savior of the body: the husband is not the Savior of the wife, but the comparison is that Christ saved the Church for Himself, and He is her protector, and sustainer in this life. The husband should love his wife, and the wife should submit herself to the husband and in doing so, she is also submitting to Christ her Savior. There is no dominating feature whatsoever in this doctrine of submission, for it is in love that the husband rules, and in love the wife responds.
Verse 24, "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."
LGT "But as the assembly is subjected to the Christ, so also the wives to the husbands in everything."
But as the assembly is subjected to the Christ: the Church is submissive to Christ, for He himself is her Savior, but the wives are submissive to their own husbands because this has been divinely instituted. "The man is head of the woman, as Christ is Head of the Church - Himself Savior of the body - do not disallow the marital headship, for it is a Divine institution - but as the Church is subject to Christ" (Eadie). So also the wives to the husbands in everything: the wife is to submit herself to her husband in everything in regards to the marital relationship. "Obedience on the part of a wife is not a super induced obligation. It springs from affection and softness of her very nature, which is not fitted for robust and masculine independence, but feels the necessity of reliance and protection. It is made to confide, not to govern. In the domestic economy, though government and obedience certainly exist, they are not felt in painful or even formal contrast; and, in fact, they are so blended in affectionate adjustment, that the line which severs them cannot be distinguished" (Eadie).
Verse 25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it."
LGT "Husbands, love the wives, just as the Christ loved the assembly, and gave up Himself for it."
This is very profound, for I have not met the man who has reached this highest plane. As the wife is commanded to submit to her husband, the husband is to exercise his authority with agape love, which only the Holy Spirit dwelling within both partners can this be accomplished.
Verse 26, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
LGT "In order that He might sanctify, having cleansed [it] by the washing of water by the Word."
In order that He might sanctify: this goes back to verse 24, where Paul tells the Church to be subject only to Christ, in order that He might sanctify [set it apart] to Himself. Having cleansed it by washing of water by the Word: the emphasis is the "Word" which does the cleansing; this has nothing to do with water baptism, for we know that water baptism is strictly a symbol, and without the Word, the water is just water. McGee came closest to what I believe about this verse: "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it - that is in the past. In the present He is sanctifying the church with the water of the Word of God. The cleanser, which is the Bible, is better than any cleanser advertised on radio or television. The Word of God will not only take out the soiled spots, it will keep you from getting further spots in your life." The only place I might disagree with McGee is in representing this sanctification as taking place in sections; I believe the Lord has already sanctified the church, and she is cleansed and ready for marriage, which of course will happen in the future. But as far as we are positionally cleansed and purified, this took place the moment we believed on Christ, and nothing of His sanctification can be improved upon.
Verse 27, "That he might present himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
LGT "In order that He might present, Himself to Himself, the assembly glorious, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any of such things, but that she might be holy and blameless."
In order that He might present, Himself to Himself: the meaning of this phrase is "that Christ and none other present the bride, and He and none other receives her to Himself" (Eadie). The assembly glorious, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: Paul use physical blemishes to illustrate spiritual perfection. The moment a person accepts Christ, he or she is immediately perfect in Christ positionally, and this is the only motive for good works. But that it might be holy and blameless: this is the ultimate when the believer will experience perfection by being joined to Christ as His bride for eternity; now we rest assured that we stand perfect before God, but then, when we see Him face to face, we will know even as we are known, and we will know what it is to be a perfect creation in Christ.
Verse 28, "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself."
LGT "So that the husbands are morally obligated also to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife, loves himself."
So that the husbands are morally obligated also to love their own wives as their own bodies: no man, by nature, doesn't love himself. Because the husband and wife are one flesh, it is only good that the man should love his wife as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. The wife by marriage become part of the man's body spiritually, and no man will not love and protect his own. The one who loves his own wife, loves himself: "If the husband, as the head of the wife, loves his wife as being his own body, it is a plain inference [logical conclusion] that he is only loving himself. His love is not misspent: it is not wasted on some foreign object; it is a hallowed phase of self-love" (Eadie). Barnes notes on this last phrase of the verse: "(1.) Because she is one with him, and their interests are identified. (2.) Because, by this, he really promotes his own welfare, as much as he does when he takes care of his own body. A man's kindness to his wife will be more than repaid by the happiness, which she imparts; and all the real solicitude [attentiveness], which he shows to make her happy, will come to more than it costs. If a man wishes to promote his own happiness in the most effectual way, he had better begin by showing kindness to his wife."
Verse 29, "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh: but nourisheth it, even as the Lord the church."
LGT "For no one at any time hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as also the Christ [nourishes and cherishes] the assembly."
For no one at any time hated his own flesh: everyone cares for his own body, even some to extreme. But the normal man looks out that he takes cautious care of his body, and even seeks those things that please the body. But nourishes it: the verb nourish means to take care as a nursing-mother over a child. Just as also the Christ nourishes and cherishes the church: this should motivate all Christian men to love, nourish, and cherish their lovely wives. When we read and study this portion of Scripture we can't help but notice the profound grace logic that only a Christian has the power within to accomplish this agape love for his wife; the world knows far more than we do about sex, but they know absolutely nothing about the marriage relationship. In order to be able to love as Christ loves, one has to know Christ. If we men respond to this wonderful doctrine of loving our wives, the Holy Spirit will give us the ability to put these doctrines into every day practice, and then we will be wise.
Verse 30, "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."
LGT "Because we are members His body."
The phrase "of his flesh and of his bones" are to be omitted, for they are added by the translators, taken from Gen. 2:23, but are not genuine. Paul uses this phrase to instruct the believer that they are one with Christ, and we are partners in Him, and He in us. This is the motive for our loving our own wives.
Verse 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."
LGT "Because of this a man shall leave the father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Paul is quoting Gen. 2:24. Because of this a man shall leave the father and mother: a man is bound to his faithfulness to his father and mother until he marries, and then he is to give his all to his wife. And shall be joined to his wife: making a complete commitment to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh: in God's eyes they become one person, united by Christ.
Excerpts from Eadie and Archer Butler's Sermons:
"The love which a son bears to a father and mother, is at length surmounted by a more powerful attachment. He leaves them in whose love and society he has spent his previous life; so that, while love cements families, love also scatters them. 'He is joined to his wife in a union nearer and more intimate than that which united him to his parents; for his wife and he become one flesh - not one in spirit, or in affection, or in pursuit, but in personality, filled with coequal and homogenous fire -
'The only bliss
Of Paradise that has survived the fall'
They are one flesh, and a junction so characterized supplied the apostle with language to describe the union of Christ and His Church - we are of His flesh and bones.'"
Verse 32, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church."
LGT "This mystery is great: but I speak in regard to Christ, and in reference to the assembly."
A mystery is something that was concealed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New. The mystery is the comparison of the marriage relationship to that of Christ and the Church. Only a believer is able to make the connection of reference to Christ as the Bridegroom, and the Church as the Bride, working in unison the glory of God.
Verse 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."
LGT "Howbeit also as to every one of you, let each love his wife as himself; and the wife that she fear her husband."
Howbeit also as to every one of you: not to dwell on the mystical aspect of the marriage being compared to Christ's love for the church, for this is a mystical relationship which only the Spirit can impart to our understanding; we must have this relationship to understand the beauty of it. Let each love his wife as himself: when a husband loves his wife in this manner, it makes it possible for his wife to fear him. The husband needs to love his wife as one with him, and they should never pull in opposite directions, "for a house divided against itself cannot stand." And the wife that she fear her husband: the term "fear" (phobos) is used here the same as "fear of the Lord," that is, that we fear lest we displease Him. The husband takes the lead in the home in spiritual matters, and the wife responds in subjection, working together as one, keeping order, in order that the Holy Spirit may effectually work to the glory of the Lord. "In fine, the apostle, by the language he has employed in reference to Christ and His church, has given marriage its highest honor. No ascetic condemnation of it occurs in the New Testament. Single life makes men in one instance to be like angels, but marriage in very many things makes the chaste pair to be like Christ" (Sermon on the Marriage Ring, by Jeremy Taylor).
In the next chapter Paul will address himself to the children.
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