Eph 5:22-6:9 | PNT | STEP | Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands . Mutual duties are named. The husband should "love his wife as Christ loved the church" ( ), and the wife should submit to this loving husband "as unto the Lord".

Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands. Mutual duties are named. The husband should "love his wife as Christ loved the church" (Eph 5:23), and the wife should submit to this loving husband "as unto the Lord". The husband is the head of the wife. Every organization must have a head. The husband is the "head" of the family, but must be willing to give himself for it. The head of the family can only rule the wife in the most devoted love (Eph 5:25,33). As the church is subject unto Christ. The relation of the wife to the husband is like that of the church in Christ, a close, tender relations, in which there is no bondage, but freedom, because the service is that of the heart. Husbands, love your wives. We have here not only the duty, but the measure of the duty.

Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Loved so well as to be willing to give all things, even life, for her welfare. The union of husband and wife were here described is ideally perfect. The tenderest love on one side, and loving obedience on the other. That he might sanctify . . . it. The great love of Christ for the church, his bride, is shown as an example to Christian husbands. Christ gave himself for the church. His object was to "sanctify it", make it holy. In order to do this it was needful to cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. All commentators of repute in all bodies refer this to baptism. All in the church pass through the waters of baptism. But the washing of the water would be of no avail without the word. The power is in the word of the Lord which offers the gospel and commands baptism. That he might present it to himself a glorious church. A church cleansed from sin; a bride without a blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. The church is the Bride of the Lamb (Re 21:9), but it is also Christ's body (1Co 10:16 12:27 Eph 4:12).

He that loveth his wife loveth himself. As he loved his body, so every husband ought to love her who by the mystery of the marriage tie has become "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh" (Ge 2:23). No man ever yet hated his own flesh. Or his own body. Yet, wife and husband are "one flesh" (Eph 5:31). We are members of his body. We are all members of Christ's body, the church. But the church is his Bride.

Of his flesh, and of his bones. The language of Ge 2:23, where Adam declares that his wife "is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh", applies to our relation to Christ. For this cause, etc. This verse is quoted from Ge 2:24. It speaks not only a fact of the marriage state, but also implies that Christ left the Father for the sake of his mystical Bride. This is a great mystery. The wonders of this marriage tie, but especially that the marriage of the first Adam should prefigure the relation between the second Adam and the church. Nevertheless. Without regard to the mystery, let every one, etc. The rest of the verse states the mutual duties already so tenderly explained.

Ephesians 6:1-9

The Christian Warfare SUMMARY OF EPHESIANS 6: Mutual Duties of Children and Parents. Of Servants and Masters. The Warfare of the Saints. The Armor of God. The Sword of the Spirit. Constant Prayer Commanded. Benediction.

Children, obey your parents. The duty of obedience to parents is older than Christianity; as old as the parental relations.

In the Lord. Unless they require of you things forbidden by the Lord. Our duty to Christ is superior, and if parents require us to disobey him, we must still be loyal to him. This passage has been thought to imply that all children of Christians are baptized in infancy into the church, but the children addressed are surely not babes, but old enough to hear and obey the apostolic command, and hence old enough to have heard and obeyed Christ. Honour thy father and mother. Both of them, both alike.

Which is the first commandment with promise. The first of the ten commandments which has a promise attached (Ex 20:12). That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Quoted from Ex 20:12. This is the promise. A temporal blessing was conditioned upon the promise to Israel, and to honor parents still brings blessing. And, ye fathers. Parents have duties as well as children. Two are named.

Provoke not your children to wrath. Passionate and unreasonable rebukes, intemperate language, or cruel usage, would provoke resentment on the part of children.

But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Revised Version reads: "Nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord". Training and restraining as well as admonition are implied. The Lord holds all parties responsible for a Christian training of their children. Servants. The term does not refer so much to hired servants, as slaves, of whom there were many millions in the Roman Empire at that time. These were of all races, prisoners taken in war, or their children. Christianity did not violently destroy this relation, but regulated, mitigated and undermined it by introducing a new element into human life which would destroy it.

Masters according to the flesh. Earthly masters whose dominion will go no farther than this world.

With fear and trembling. Not for fear of punishment, but for fear that the service is not done right.

In singleness of your heart, as unto Christ. Christ will see and reward your fidelity to duty, even if an earthly master does not. Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers. Service that seems faithful when under the eye of the master, but relaxes when he does not see. Such is the usual service of slaves, unless they have a high sense of duty. With good will doing service. With a well disposed mind towards the master.

As to the Lord, and not to men. It pleases the Lord, whatever may be the relations of life, for us to do our service well. We may engage in very lowly duties to the glory of the Lord. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, etc. If a man renders good service anywhere, whether he be bond or free, the Lord will see that he is rewarded. And ye masters. The Roman law allowed masters to treat their slaves as brute beasts, to abuse and even to murder them. But Christianity at once put Christian masters under restraint.

Do the same things unto them. Act on the same principles towards them, that the Lord requires of them towards you. There must be mutual good will and mutual service.

Forbearing threatening. The habit of cruel masters.

Knowing that your Master also is in heaven. That you have a Master who sees you, to whom your slave is just as dear as you are, and who will hold you to account if you wrong him.