S: Ephesians 5:21-33
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
O: Verse 21 calls for mutual submission among believers out of reverence for Christ. Some people see verse 21 as a general instruction to all Christians, and believe verse 22 begins a new section specifically for wives, who are called to submit to their husbands. In this view, mutual submission is practiced generally among believers, but within marriage, the wife’s role is uniquely to submit, while the husband's role is to lead in love.
Others understand verse 21 as introducing the entire section on household relationships, including wives and husbands, parents and children, masters and slaves. In this interpretation, all relationships described are shaped by the principle of mutual submission — a Christlike posture of humility and service — which is also taught in Philippians 2.
Greek text seems to support this second view. The word “submit” (ὑποτάσσω) doesn’t appear in verse 22; it’s carried over from verse 21. The Greek literally reads, “Wives to your own husbands as to the Lord.” This grammatical feature, called ellipsis, shows that verse 22 depends on verse 21 for its verb and meaning. So the whole section seems to flow from the opening call to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Paul goes on to describe a high and sacrificial calling for husbands—to love their wives as Christ loved the church, laying down his life for her. This love is not about dominance but deep, self-giving care. Likewise, the wife’s call to respect her husband is not passive but relational — reflecting the same Christlike spirit of humility and mutuality.
Verse 33 brings this together in a way that resonates with real-world tendencies: men often need to be reminded to love deeply and sacrificially, while women may need encouragement to express respect in ways that build up. Some modern relationship writers, like Dr. Emerson Eggerichs in Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs, note this pattern as common in marriages today.
A: This passage challenges me to love selflessly, beginning with my own household. As a husband and father, I’m reminded that true love is sacrificial — not just emotional or romantic, but practical, humble, and costly. It means submitting my own preferences and comfort to the needs of my wife and children.
It also extends beyond the home. The call to submit to others out of reverence for Christ shapes how I treat coworkers, students, friends, and even strangers. As Philippians 2:3–4 puts it: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves… look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
That’s hard — but it’s the shape of Christlike love.
P:Father, help me to love like Jesus. Teach me to submit my own selfishness and pride so I can truly care for the people around me — especially those closest to me. Make me more like Christ in the way I serve, lead, and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Note: I wrote the original text then had ChatGPT suggests improvements for clarity and flow.
No comments:
Post a Comment