Prayer:

Key Word - "Love"

We call this passage the submission chapter, and it is famous or rather infamous (depending upon one’s experience) for what it says about relationships within the family. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword; it speaks plainly; and is the best reference for the discussion of family issues. First and foremost the sacrifice of Christ, is the essential element of this lesson. When we can perceive the value of His willingness to die on the cross and its eternal value for our salvation, we can tolerate more inadequacies in the lives of others and work towards mutual goals. The Scriptures here in these verses help us in their basic core strategy of family values using sacrifice, hard work, and tenderness within the family unit as a whole. It is our deepest desire and prayer that this lesson solves more questions than it would ask, and provides a venue for light to dispel evil.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

In verse 21 it says that we, as the Body of Christ, should submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God. It is unfortunate that when the King James translators translated this text they supplied some words for readability sake. They were unaware of the riot they would cause with our modern day sophisticated women. How much trouble two words can make! If we take these two words out of the verse it would read "Wives, unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. This shows that verse twenty-two is an extension of verse twenty-one. This shows a natural progression toward order within Paul’s thoughts as guided by the Holy Spirit, not a denigration of women.

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.

The meaning here is, that husbands are to imitate the Jesus Christ. If a husband has the spirit and self-denial of the Saviour, he will make every effort to promote the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of his wife; which given normal behavior, should guarantee the submission of the wife.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Christ loves His church and gave Himself for His church. He has sacrificed all for the good of His body of believers. She should respond to this sacrifice by being faithfully employed for the common good of the whole body of believers. Problems arise when selfish and vain ambition enter into the hearts of some members of Christ’s Body. In the home scenario the wife should be working for the good of the family because she has seen the sacrificing husband imitate the Lord Jesus daily. The performance factor is always with the husband if he is to maintain the marriage union.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

This is the wonderful new point which lifts this discussion of the husband's love for his wife to the highest plane. The exhortation is to the husband NOT the wife, to initiate the image of Jesus into the marriage union. The earthly union does indeed have a purpose, and that purpose is to anticipate the spiritual union at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

There is certainly an allusion here to the ancient method of purifying women, who were appointed to be queens; twelve months, it appears, were in some instances spent in this purification: Six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with other things. See the case of Esther 2:12; and Ps 45:13-14; Ezek 16:7-14. It is interesting to note that the word for "word" in this verse is rhema and not logos which gives a nuance of personal relationship.

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.

In ancient thought, it was a tribute to the abilities of the bridegroom to have his bride resplendent and glorious. It therefore signifies his power and prestige.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

It is within the man’s best interest to love his wife. In all three instances the Greek word for love is agape in this verse. Love which is natural, not merely from a sense of duty.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

This is a natural reason why he should love his wife, and nourish and cherish her. Yet there is the comparison between the spiritual and the earthly thoughts which make up this whole section.

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Members or limbs carry the analogy farther. We discovered the phrase of his flesh, and of his bones is not in the original manuscripts.

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.

The word leave in the Greek means to abandon his parents and the word for joined means to be glued together .

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Paul reiterates a phrase he has used in the earlier chapters of the book of Ephesians. Under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit he compares the analogy of the earthly couple to the Body of Christ.

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.

Paul’s major aim is the spiritual principle of this chapter, and yet he realizes that the physical needs of the body of Christ are worth teaching about as a quick addendum. The word for reverence is the same phobeo where in this context it is by analogy, to be in awe of her husband who is willing to give his life to protect her, and his resources to promote her well being as a child of the Kingdom.