Eph 5:21-22 | JFB | STEP | 21. ( ; .) Here he passes from our relations to God, to those which concern our fellow men. in the fear of God-- All the oldest manuscripts and authorities read, "in the fear of Christ." The believer passes from under the bondage of the law as a letter, to be "the servant of Christ" ( ), which, through the instinct of love to Him, is really to be "the Lord's freeman"; for he is "under the law to Christ" ( ; compare ). Christ, not the Father ( ), is to be our judge. Thus reverential fear of displeasing Him is the motive for discharging our relative duties as Christians ( ; ; ).

‏ Ephesians 5:21-22

21. (Php 2:3; 1Pe 5:5.) Here he passes from our relations to God, to those which concern our fellow men.

in the fear of God--All the oldest manuscripts and authorities read, "in the fear of Christ." The believer passes from under the bondage of the law as a letter, to be "the servant of Christ" (1Co 7:22), which, through the instinct of love to Him, is really to be "the Lord's freeman"; for he is "under the law to Christ" (1Co 9:21; compare Joh 8:36). Christ, not the Father (Joh 5:22), is to be our judge. Thus reverential fear of displeasing Him is the motive for discharging our relative duties as Christians (1Co 10:22; 2Co 5:11; 1Pe 2:13).

22. (Ep 6:9.) The Church's relation to Christ in His everlasting purpose, is the foundation and archetype of the three greatest of earthly relations, that of husband and wife (Ep 5:22-33), parent and child (Ep 6:1-4), master and servant (Ep 6:4-9). The oldest manuscripts omit "submit yourselves"; supplying it from Ep 5:21, "Ye wives (submitting yourselves) unto your own husbands." "Your own" is an argument for submissiveness on the part of the wives; it is not a stranger, but your own husbands whom you are called on to submit unto (compare Ge 3:16; 1Co 7:2; 14:34; Col 3:18; Tit 2:5; 1Pe 3:1-7). Those subject ought to submit themselves, of whatever kind their superiors are. "Submit" is the term used of wives: "obey," of children (Ep 6:1), as there is a greater equality between wives and husbands, than between children and parents.

as unto the Lord--Submissiveness is rendered by the wife to the husband under the eye of Christ, and so is rendered to Christ Himself. The husband stands to the wife in the relation that the Lord does to the Church, and this is to be the ground of her submission: though that submission is inferior in kind and degree to that which she owes Christ (Ep 5:24).