Eph 5:19-6:9 | Family

Ephesians 5:19-33

Submitting yourselves; yielding cheerful obedience to proper authority, from regard to God, who established it. This general precept he then proceeds to expand by the mention of particular cases. The only security from the most debasing crimes is, in being habitually under the influences of the Holy Spirit, actively engaged in the service of God, and in the conscientious discharge of duty. As unto the Lord; as those who, in obeying their husbands, obey the Lord Jesus, because he requires such obedience. And he; Christ.

Is the Saviour of the body; the church, which is his body. In every thing; see note to chap Eph 6:1. As Christ--loved the church; with a pure, ardent, self-sacrificing love. One of the great institutions of God for keeping alive in this world and securing to men the benefits of the knowledge and worship of himself, is that of the family; and the feelings and conduct of the wife towards her husband, and the husband towards his wife, may make it a nursery for and foretaste of heaven, or a preparation for and an emblem of hell. Loveth himself; with allusion to the scriptural declaration, "they shall be one flesh." Ge 2:24. Their union is so intimate and indissoluble that their happiness is inseparable; and what promotes the interest of one, promotes that of the other. As the Lord the church; which is "his flesh and his bones," verse Eph 5:30. As a man cares for himself, and as Christ cares for his church, so a husband should care for his wife. Members of his body; so that he loves and cherishes us as his own flesh. For this cause; on account of the oneness which God has formed between a man and his wife, which represents the union between Christ and believers, and is somewhat like the union between the soul and body. The union for life of one man and one woman in marriage, was designed by God to illustrate the union of Christ and his people; and the spirit which he manifests towards his church is that which they should manifest towards each other. A great mystery; the mystery of the union of Christ and believers, represented by the marriage union, and which makes it proper for the Holy Ghost to speak of believers as members of the body of Christ, of his flesh and of his bones, and of their being so joined to the Lord as to be one spirit. 1Co 6:17.

But I speak concerning Christ and the church; in other words, My object is to direct your thoughts to the higher relation of Christ to his church, which is shadowed forth by the lower relation of husband and wife. Nevertheless; as much as to say, But to drop this mystical application of the marriage relation.

Reverence; honor him, respect his authority, and thus promote the peace, usefulness, and happiness of the family. It is the duty and the privilege of husbands and wives, from supreme love to God, to love themselves and each other--to perform any labors, submit to any self-denials, and make any sacrifices which may be needful for his glory and their highest individual and mutual welfare.

Ephesians 6:1-9

Obey your parents; it is to be understood here, as in chap Eph 5:24, that the obedience enjoined extends to all things not contrary to Christ's commands; for the addition, in the Lord, that is, obey as those who are in the Lord, and make his will the law of their being, excludes obedience to those commands which are contrary to Christ's word. With promise; with a promise annexed, namely, that of long life and great blessings. Ex 20:12. The gospel inculcates perfect fidelity in the discharge of all the relative duties of life; and children who are kind, respectful, and obedient to parents, take the way to become blessings to themselves, their parents, the church of God, and the world. Provoke not your children; give them no just occasion to be angry or to feel as if they were injured. As the highest good of children in this life and the life to come requires them, in all things right, to obey their parents, it is the duty of parents to take the course which is best suited to secure this, and lead their children also to obey their Father in heaven. In order to this, they must obey him themselves, daily seek his guidance and blessings, instruct their children to do his will, and present to them the motives which he has revealed. They must also accustom their children, from their earliest years, promptly to submit their wills to the will of their parents, so that it shall, by habit, become easy and pleasant. Masters according to the flesh; persons to whom you justly owe service, or who by human laws have power to force you to serve them. Obey their commands whenever you can do it without disobeying the commands of your Master in heaven.

With fear and trembling; reverentially, and with that fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom, and which shall make you anxious to please him.

As unto Christ; for the purpose of honoring him and promoting his cause. Not with eye-service; not outwardly merely, while men are looking on, or for the purpose of pleasing them--not a constrained external service, but from the heart, out of regard to God. With good will; kind and cheerful readiness. The same shall he receive; the servant shall be rewarded by God for obeying him, as certainly and abundantly as if he were not a servant. Servants are bound to be servants of Christ, and from love to him to obey, in things not wicked, their earthly masters; and to do it for the purpose of pleasing him: showing the excellence of his religion, and promoting its influence in the world. For doing this, they will receive from him a gracious and glorious reward. Do the same things; be governed by the same supreme regard to God which is inculcated on servants, and manifest the same kind, benevolent, and cheerful readiness to please God in your conduct towards them, which they are required to manifest in their conduct towards you.

Forbearing threatening; avoiding it, and seeking to win them to the love and service of God. They are your brethren, children of the same heavenly Father, redeemed by the same almighty Saviour, and you must stand with them before the same impartial Judge.

Neither is there respect of persons with him; you will not be favored because you are masters., nor they less favored because they are servants. Your more elevated position increases your responsibility, and if you do not possess and manifest the spirit of Christ, will increase your condemnation. Masters are bound to be servants of Christ, doing his will from the heart, and manifesting towards their servants his spirit; doing to them in all things as, under a change of circumstances, they ought to wish their servants to do to them; knowing that Christ requires this, and that they are both to stand before him in judgment, and to receive for eternity, not according to their outward condition, but according to their character and conduct.