Ephesians 5:21–6:9 Bible Study Notes
(avg. read time: 3–6 mins.)
Translation
5:21 submitting/subjecting to one another in the fear/reverence of Christ. 22 Wives [submitting/subjecting] to their own husbands as to the Lord, 23 because man/husband is head of the woman/wife as also Christ is head of the Church, he himself being the Savior of the body. 24 but as the Church submits/subjects herself to Christ, in the same way also the wives to the husbands in all things.
25 Husbands, love the wives, just as also Christ loved the Church and gave himself over for/because of her, 26 so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 in order that he might present to himself in glory the Church/the radiant Church, not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 Thus also husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. The one who loves his own wife loves himself, 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as also Christ does the Church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “On account of this a man will leave father and mother and cleave/cling to his wife, and the two will be one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I am speaking in reference to Christ and the Church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband in this way must love his own wife as himself, and the wife that she should respect/revere the husband.
6:1 Children, obey your parents [in the Lord], for this is right/proper. 2 “Honor your father and mother [which is the first commandment with a promise], 3 in order that it may be well with you and you may be long-living on the land/earth.”
4 And fathers, do not provoke your children, but nourish them in education and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, be obedient to your fleshly masters with fear/respect and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, 6 not simply in accordance with service that is seen, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the soul/core, 7 with goodwill serving, as to the Lord and not to humans, 8 because you know that each one, whatever good he might do, will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
9 And masters, do the same things to them, giving up the threat, because you know that both their Master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no partiality with him.
Observations
It is a bit odd to decide how best to divide this text. Verse 21 belongs to a previous sentence, and really the point that serves as the underlying principle of the household codes goes back to v. 18. That is, the household codes and what preceded them are about consequences of being filled with the Spirit. 5:21 and 6:9 bookend these household codes with references to mutuality and the importance of submission for all. Greco-Roman household codes advised husbands, fathers, and masters how to rule over their subordinates—wives, children, and slaves—but Paul addresses all of them and instructs them in Christian submission.
Wives are to exemplify the Church in submission both to the husband and to Christ. Husbands are to imitate Christ in submitting to God’s will for the sake of the wives, as Christ does for the Church. Both husband and wife exemplify self-giving love. Submission, subjecting oneself only properly functions when both do it. Otherwise, there is disorder, and the household no longer reflects the kingdom of which it is but a micro-example.
Much has been made of the “headship” language in 5:23: “because man/husband is head of the woman/wife as also Christ is head of the Church, he himself being the Savior of the body.” Many insist that the “head” imagery signifies authority, since of course the implication is that Christ is the “head” of the Church. Many others, more recently, have insisted that the “head” imagery signifies source, that, per the Genesis story, man is the source of woman and thus that Christ is likewise the source of the Church. Unfortunately, both arguments focus too much on one word and do not account for the fact that Paul’s reference to the “body” is also part of the argument. Paul had more direct ways of signifying either sense, yet he did not use them here. As he is using a metaphor here, we ought to attend to the source domain, which is also what the term for “head” primarily refers to: the literal head of the body. Since Paul has used references to the “head” and “body” elsewhere in Ephesians in drawing on such metaphors, we can see from these other uses that he primarily has in mind how the head and body are in union. As the husband is analogized to Christ, it is only fitting that the wife would be analogized to the body, as that also fits the symbol of marriage in relation to Christ and the Church, where Christ is the husband and the Church is the wife (5:25–32). Marriage, as the union of two to make one flesh, serves to illuminate the mystery, now unveiled, of the union of Christ and the Church.
As for the instructions concerning fathers and children, unlike the other instructions, the instruction to children is explicitly linked to the OT, in this case the fifth commandment. It is, after all, one of the foundational commandments, and it is the only one of them linked with a promise, which is still applicable for those of us waiting for the inheritance of the new creation. The negative instruction to fathers is the verbal equivalent to the term in 4:26 for the cause of anger and the positive instruction is a verb also used in 5:29 for treatment of the body/the wife/the Church. Nourishing the child comes in terms of the education and instruction of the Lord. The fathers are to lead them in learning Christ as they have learned Christ. The fathers are the senior disciples, the senior learners, of the teacher who is Christ.
Finally, we have the slaves and masters. The obedience of slaves is to be directed to Christ primarily. Their obedience to fleshly masters is secondary and as a consequence, as it comes from knowing that the Lord will compensate service. Masters are themselves slaves to the same Master as their own slaves are slaves to him. The masters are to act accordingly.
Reflection Questions
What does this text say about God the Father?
It is his will that we are to do from the very core of our being.
What does this text say about God the Son?
It is out of reverence for Christ that we submit to one another. He is the head of the body that is the Church. He is the Savior of the body. He gave himself for the Church. He has sanctified the Church. He is joined with the Church as one flesh. The mystery of marriage is at one with the relationship of Christ and the Church. He will compensate service. There is no partiality with him, our heavenly Master.
What does this text say to or about the people of God?
We are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Submission is to be willing, not at the service of authoritarianism. All of our relationships are governed by the fact that we are united in Christ, we are not our own. Our relationships ought to reflect Christ in his incarnation. Marriage and family relationships should reflect our relationship with Christ. Marriage in particular is described as a means of embodying the gospel.