Ephesians – Chapter 5

1 Therefore, imitate God as beloved children.

• Imitation is a common concept in the teachings of God (and Paul). The Greek word μίμησις (mimesis) is a concept we are familiar with from the words ‘imitation’ or ‘mimicry’…
• Anyone who’s had children knows this all too well. Children have watched adults closely and do everything just like them – they cook, tidy up, look after their dolls as if they were younger siblings, drive a car and use tools. (I recently received a photo of my one-and-a-half-year-old grandson ‘vacuuming’ with a hoover).
• Who should we look up to?
  • God (here)
  • Christ, and secondarily Paul (1 Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17)
• It is easier to imitate Christ and Paul than it is to imitate God. But we know that as Christ is, so is God.
• We are God’s children. God is far greater than we are, just as parents are far greater than their children. It does no harm if our imitation is imperfect. What counts is the effort.

2 and live in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a grain an offering and sacrifice to God, a pleasing aroma.

• Love is the cornerstone of everything. In life, we should strive to ensure that love is the driving force behind everything we do.
• That was the case with Christ – love was his motivation for everything: above all, his self-sacrifice for the Church.
• Christ cared so deeply for the Church that he did not hesitate to sacrifice himself for her sake.
• God was pleased with it.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, nor any impurity, nor greed even mentioned amongst you, as is fitting  be  holy.

• n.: greed; 
• e.g.: appointed;
• Any form of sexual impurity must be completely beyond the horizon of believers. That they must not engage in such behaviour is beyond question. But that is not enough; one must not even speak of such things.
• This is an important, yet challenging, point for Christians. It goes without saying that there is no adultery, perversion or similar behaviour within the Church. However, we are influenced by our surroundings – on the internet, we routinely learn about all the things people in this world get up to, how many partners they have, and all the abnormal behaviour they engage in.
• We need to distance ourselves from information like this and certainly not pass it on.
• We also need to be wary of this in terms of hypocrisy: it is tempting to read tabloid reports and then ease one’s conscience by taking offence at them. We should steer well clear of this approach.
• The list of things that are inappropriate to mention also includes greed: So reading about the lives of the rich and the social elite in the tabloids (and perhaps then taking offence at it) is also inappropriate.
• Such behaviour is unbecoming of saints; it is far beneath them.
• They say that Smith Wigglesworth, a British evangelist and a leading figure in the Pentecostal movement, would not allow anyone carrying a newspaper to enter his home. He did not want the world to have access to his home. And we are talking about a time almost a hundred years ago, when there was no internet and newspapers were of a completely different standard of decency.

4 Nor should there be any indecency, foolish talk or frivolity, which are out of place; but rather give up Thanks.

• This certainly applies to crude jokes and double entendres between the sexes (Let alone the use of vulgar language).
• I suppose this doesn’t mean that Christians cannot have casual, ‘light-hearted’ conversations, or that every word they utter must be ‘carved’ into stone.

5 For this you must know and understand: no fornicator, nor anyone who is impure, nor a miser — that is, an idol-worshipper — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 

• Pavel seems to be worried that someone might take his words lightly, or feel that he is exaggerating or ‘pushing the point’ too far.
• He therefore issues a stark warning: Take these matters very seriously – nothing less than being accepted or rejected by God is at stake.
• To think that it is enough simply to believe, and that nothing else matters – that I can live as I please – is very far from the truth.
• This is yet another ‘Arminian’ point that can be used in a discussion on the topic of ‘once saved, always saved’: the prayer of salvation you have said is of no use to you unless you change certain things.
• So what, then, is incompatible with entering the Kingdom of Christ? (Both terms are used interchangeably: the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdom of God are one and the same.)
  • fornication: Anyone who, after becoming a Christian, does not give up illicit sex will face a serious problem. Every sin can be confessed and forgiven, but wilfully continuing in fornication means ‘the end of the line’.
  • impurity: One does not have to commit adultery to be unclean. I believe this again refers to sexual impurity, in the sense of, for example, pornography, an overly sexualised view of the world, and so on. There are people who view everything through the prism of sex; they cannot do without double entendres and crude innuendo, and they regard every woman or man as a sexual object.
  • greed is equated with idolatry: Greed means clinging to money and a reluctance to share or distribute it. It refers to an unreasonably restrictive approach to money or property.
  • We might not realise that this is just as serious a matter as illicit sex or impurity. So if a person notices greed in themselves, they need to take radical action against it – put an end to greed, ‘crack down’ on it. Stop hoarding money and start being generous towards others.
  • It’s not easy, even for the rich.
  • Thrift (as the opposite of extravagance) is a good quality; yet little is written about it.¹ It is right to manage money wisely and economically, but this does not preclude generosity. As we know, we are meant to work (and live frugally) so that we have something to share with others.
• The fact that these people have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God It is a very frightening prospect. Although it seems unimaginable, some Christians will indeed be taken by surprise ‘at the gates of heaven’ when they are denied entry because of their actions (or rather, their failure to deal with their own sins).

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for these things God’s wrath is coming upon ⁽sons of disobedience⁾.

• We were talking about scandals, idle chatter, flirting and about the end the covetous, the impure and the miserly.
• It would seem, therefore, that Paul is warning against those who might wish to downplay these matters, or even invite or encourage the Ephesians to act in a similar way.
• Anyone who fell for this empty talk would become son disobedience and would thus bring upon himself God’s anger.

7 So do not associate with them from in common.

• v.: Do not be their accomplices; 
• Any such temptations must be categorically rejected. |We must draw a clear line between ourselves and people who behave in this way.

8 You were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Live as children of the light — 

• You used to do such things yourselves all the time – but that was because you didn’t realise how bad they really were. You lived in a state of confusion, in darkness. You yourselves were, in fact, darkness; there was nothing good in you.
• That has all changed since you encountered the Gospel – now you know how things really are. You know what is good and what is evil. You know Christ. You yourselves have ceased to be darkness, but have become light.
• You don’t need to hide anything; you live in the light.
• According to the latest information, one must live.

9 fruits of light "I have in all goodness, righteousness and truth — 

• var: Spirit; 
• The fact that you know how things stand and that you live with openness and truth will show – it will bear fruit. What sort of fruit?:
  • treat: You do good things, not bad ones
  • justice: You act fairly
  • the truth: You speak the truth; you live in the truth.

10 Find out what pleases the Lord, 

• v.: as you examine (relates to v. Eph 5:8) – The previous verse explained in more detail what fruit a life lived in the light bears.
• It is now written that living in the light also means actively seeking what pleases God.
• To investigate means putting some effort into the search. Perhaps one could even say it involves a scientific analysis. Reflecting, asking: What about this activity? Is it something that will please God? What about this film, this article, this activity, this conversation, this visit?

11 and do not have none participation in the fruitless deeds of darkness, rather "I have convict.

• n.: rebuke;
• The deeds of darkness are those which one is ashamed to do in the light. The deeds of light are those which we would not mind being made public.
• As we know, one day everything will be made public: Luke 12:3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops.
• I once heard an interesting question to ponder: How much would it bother us if our thoughts were projected onto our foreheads?
• Walking in the light is pleasant and a relief: it’s nice not to have to worry about what might happen if someone were to rummage through my briefcase, mobile phone or web history.
• It is not, however, a question of having to be flawless. The principle is this: either I do not sin, or both God and people must know of my sin. Only then am I beyond the devil’s power to blackmail me.
• That such ‘stealthy’ acts barren, there’s no doubt about it – they’re useless; they won’t do any good.

12 For the It’s a shame even to speak of what’s really going on behind closed doors.

• We are constantly moving between the contrasting worlds of light and darkness. The people of darkness carry out, in secret, deeds that the people of light find too embarrassing even to mention.

13 But everything that is ⁽exposed by the light, it is revealed⁾,

• n.: exposed, revealed by the light;
• Light has the power to expose hidden evil deeds – as soon as it shines, it becomes clear what each person is doing, and the true nature of their actions is revealed. Things are laid bare.
• As we know, light is the last thing this world cares about: darkness suits it just fine.

14 For everything that is revealed is light. That is why it is said: ‘Awake, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

• lit. a quotation from the baptismal hymn, based on Isaiah 60:1: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall shine upon you, and his glory shall be seen upon you. 3 And the nations shall come to your light, and kings to the radiance of your dawn.
• Turnover For everything that is revealed is light It is not entirely clear. Light reveals; it is not itself revealed.
• The call from Isaiah 60 is clear: when the light is available, it is time to stop slumbering in the darkness. Life without Christ is merely a kind of existence, a half-life. For those who are willing, it is possible to awaken to true life. Christ has already prepared a ‘switch’ for those who have awakened – once it is flicked, reality is illuminated and the awakened person begins to see and understand reality correctly.

15 So be careful ⁽carefully for that, how you live;⁾ Nolive not as fools, but as wise men;

• var.: depending on how carefully you would live;
• Take heed, be mindful, be on your guard – there are things we need to focus on, things we need to keep an eye on. We need to reflect on ourselves and analyse our actions and behaviour.
• One of the most important things, of course, is our way of life.
• How we live our lives is within our control – it is not as though we are completely at the mercy of circumstances beyond our control.
• To a certain extent, we are certainly ‘carried along’ by circumstances – we all have to look after our food and housing, sleep, rest and family. We have to go to work. But however limited our freedom may be, we always have enough scope to influence the way we live. Even in prison, it is possible to live well or badly.
• Our way of life is the most significant thing entrusted to us, and it is up to us how we choose to live it. And here we can clearly see that it ‘does matter’. Our way of life matters.
• We have to live carefully – That’s a nice turn of phrase. Let us live carefully. ‘Carefully’ means thoroughly, with focus, to a high standard, thoughtfully, and with an eye for detail. That is how the lives of Christians should be.
• Pairs of terms the unwise – the wise highlights the need to use one’s reason. We are certainly aware that it is possible to live unwisely, as we see examples of this all around us.
• It is not a question of Christians’ lives being organised in a perfect or pedantic manner, and certainly not of them being lived in a ‘dull’ way or in fear.
• We are not frightened rabbits who sneak through life hugging the walls in fear that something unholy might ‘peek out’ at them from somewhere. We are the sons and daughters of a king, princes and princesses who go through life with dignity and a sense of perspective.
• However, because we are aware of our sonship, we are all the more keen to live our lives wisely.

16 Make the most of your time, for these are evil days.

• i.e.: by redeeming;
• What does ‘buying time’ mean?
• Pavlík translates: ‘Towards those on the outside, conduct yourselves with wisdom, making the most of every opportunity.’
• VW Walk wisely in your dealings with those outside the faith, making the most of the time.
• The Greek word is Strong G1805, ἐξαγοράζω  [eksagorazó] (aorist: ἐξηγόρασα) 1. to buy out; to redeem; to rescue 2. (also med.) to make use of 
• It occurs four times: twice in reference to redemption from the Law, and twice in reference to the redemption of time
• The second similar occurrence is in Colossians 4:5  Live wisely in the presence of those who, who are outside, passing the time.
• The meaning certainly implies: make good, effective use of it; not to waste it.
• I buy things that are valuable to me and that I’m willing to pay for in order to acquire them.
• You can’t buy back time. You can’t strike a deal with God along the lines of: ‘I’ve wasted the last hour; I’ll give you a thousand if you let me live it through again.’
• Alternatively: I’ll donate a hundred thousand to the poor if you give me back that last minute when I was driving drunk and hit someone².
• There is no price, nor any way, to turn back time. That is what makes its value incomparable to anything else.
• From this point of view Time is immensely valuable – alongside life itself, it is probably the most precious commodity entrusted to us, which we are responsible for managing.
• It is therefore necessary to manage time with the utmost care and in a very considered manner. It is easy to waste time. Given that it flows in one direction and is irreversible, the way we spend it is definitive.
• In this context, the film *Time Out* – a story about a world where people paid not with money but with time – was particularly interesting.
• On the other hand, we must not let ourselves become paralysed or panic – We are eternal beings.
• Jesus’ days, just like ours, were 24 hours long; he had a mere three years set aside for his ministry – and during that time he certainly wasn’t rushing about like a madman with a diary, in a constant panic about not having enough time.
• He certainly wasn’t rushing about with his diary, thinking he only had four and a half minutes for this patient, because he was due to be in another village in twenty minutes’ time.
• Isaiah 28:16 reads: Those who have faith will not rush. That makes sense – if I put my trust in God, I don’t get worked up about not keeping up.
• We can see that managing time is a demanding discipline, in which we have to strike a balance between two extremes. We need to learn it continuously from our Master.
• How did Jesus manage his time? This is illustrated beautifully in the series *Chosen* – the disciples are sometimes ‘driven to distraction’ by Jesus’ approach to organising his time. Their master sometimes inexplicably disappears for a few days, hurries when he shouldn’t, and doesn’t hurry when he should.

17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what "I have The Lord’s will.

• To manage our time wisely, we need to think things through and use our reason. We must strive to discern the Lord’s will.
• It is easy to be unwise; it is easy not to find out what God wants from us. It is clear that, in such a case, we will live our lives rather ineffectively. For if I devote my time and effort to something that is not in line with God’s will, it is a complete waste.
• Such a scenario need not be limited to the idea that: ‘I have devoted my whole life to work, I have built up a large company – yet I shall stand before God empty-handed.’ Or: I’ve climbed Lysá hora a thousand times, run a hundred marathons, or had a hundred lovers – yet I’ve never given God a second thought.
• There are also ‘opposite’ scenarios, of a somewhat religiously self-righteous nature: I’ve been going to church day in, day out all my life, serving the poor, travelling on missions around the world – ‘And what about me?’ says the Lord?
• It is not a sin to do wrong things. It is a sin to fail to follow God’s will. Unless we discover God’s will, we are unable to live our lives properly.
• We either waste our lives being busy where God wants us to rest, or we squander them where He wants us to be active.

18 And do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, but ⁽Be filled with the Spirit⁾,

• Verse: Be filled with the Spirit; 
• So, as Pavel points out, whilst we’re on the subject of managing time, one sure-fire way to waste it is to get drunk.
• Having a glass of wine is not a sin³, but alcohol carries considerable risks – it often leads to a loss of self-control. It causes people to behave in ways they would not normally.
• If we long for a certain euphoric state, there is a better (and legitimate) way of achieving it apart from alcohol – and that is being filled with the Holy Spirit.
• The presence of the Holy Spirit in the body has certain effects which, in some respects, resemble drunkenness. Unlike drunkenness, however, this is a desirable state, and one without risks, side effects or a hangover.

19 speaking to one another in hymns, . ⁽celebratory songs⁾ . . ^[clergy^] songs, singing to the Lord with all their hearts and praising Him . 

• ř. psalmoís – ‘hymns of praise’; this may also refer to the Book of Psalms;
• ř. hymnois – these may be devotional songs;
• ř. psallontes – ‘singing hymns of praise’;
• Exactly what kinds of spiritual songs these are is probably not all that important. These days, we have a choice of so-called ‘praise songs’, which are spiritual songs with relatively simple melodies and lyrics; furthermore, older hymns from hymnals with more complex lyrics and many verses; and an inexhaustible (and, to me, bewildering) array of other Christian music.
• The lyrics of the psalms were set to music by, for example, the band Oboroh – thanks to them, I learnt a number of psalms by heart.
• By singing hymns, a person speaks to themselves. They encourage themselves and are filled with the Spirit. Just as a person can preach to themselves, they can quote the Bible to themselves, and they can sing to themselves.

20 and always giving thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Gratitude should be the cornerstone of our prayers.
• Ingratitude is a serious problem, indeed a disaster. It is no sin to live well or to receive good things from God. Ingratitude, on the other hand, is a sin.
• It is natural and understandable that we should give thanks for the good things in life. But how should we give thanks? always and for everything, when life brings a whole host of problems and hardships? Am I supposed to be grateful even for the illness that knocked me off my feet, for being sacked from my job, or for marital problems?
• Opinions vary. The matter can be viewed from several angles:
  • Being grateful for bad things is unnatural, perhaps even perverse.
  • On the other hand, there is no doubt that God is in control of all the circumstances of our lives. The fact that something bad happens to us does not mean that our fate has slipped from God’s hands.
  • It is also a question of how to distinguish between good and bad things. Our understanding is always only partial.
  • Job certainly did not want to give thanks for the disasters in his life; on the other hand, he refused to trade his relationship with God for relief.
  • There are several Christian books which recommend giving thanks even for bad things, not just for the good ones.
  • The issue is complex and relates, for example, to theodicy – that is, the difficult question of the origin of evil in the world.
  • It seems fair to say that we cannot go wrong by giving thanks for all of life’s circumstances, not just the good ones. Our lives are undoubtedly in God’s hands, for better or for worse.

There are countless variations on a wise story that illustrates these facts:

One day, a farmer’s horse ran away. His neighbours came to offer their condolences and said what a stroke of bad luck it was. The farmer, however, replied: ‘Perhaps, who knows.’ The following day, the horse returned, bringing several wild horses with it. The neighbours came to congratulate him on his good fortune, but the farmer said once again: ‘Perhaps, who knows.’ The next day, the farmer’s son tried to tame one of the wild horses, but he fell off and broke his leg. The neighbours came round again to sympathise with him, saying what a stroke of bad luck it was. Once more, the farmer calmly replied: ‘Perhaps, who knows.’ A few days later, soldiers arrived in the village to conscript young men for the war. As the farmer’s son had a broken leg, he could not be conscripted. 

21 Submit to one another in reverence before By Christ:

• v.: By submitting; (all this relates to being filled with the Spirit, as in v. 18.)
• Subordinating oneself to others is a difficult discipline.
• ‘Why should we do this?’ we might ask. ‘Because we fear Christ,’ Paul replies. Christ desires this, and if we take Him seriously, we will strive to do so.
• We can see where the catch lies: the reason for submitting ourselves should not, therefore, be that the other person is better than us in some way or that they see things more clearly. The reason is that God wills it. That must be reason enough for us.
• When another person is better, more capable, wiser or more devout than we are, submitting to them is no problem. This commandment of Paul begins to pose a real challenge when the other person is not like that.

22 Women, ^[obey^] to their husbands as to the Lord,

• And Paul takes things a step further – as if the bar weren’t already high enough, he now raises it even higher (presumably as high as it can go), by extending the requirement for submission to marriage.
• Women are to submit to men.
• The same ‘buts’ as in the previous verse spring to mind: If the husband is ‘Mr Wonderful’, it might not be such a problem, but what if he isn’t? (He usually isn’t.)
• We must obey all the same – the reason remains the same: God wills it.
• God wants women to submit to men: this is one of the more difficult biblical commands. Women do not like to hear this, and men find it difficult to talk about. Yet it remains true.
• And that’s not all – women are not only expected to submit, but they are expected to submit as the Lord. What does that mean? They are to show their husbands the same respect and deference that they show to Christ. Is that even possible? Can Paul really mean that?
• Probably so – after all, we know that it is difficult to ‘boast’ of love for God when we are incapable of loving even another human being. (If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates their brother, they are a liar. For whoever does not love their brother, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.’ 1 John 4:3, 20)
• To put it another way: ‘Pretending’ to be a good Christian woman with ‘who knows what sort of’ relationship with Jesus, when I don’t even treat my own husband well, is problematic to say the least, and probably hypocritical.
• It is perhaps worth pointing out that just because someone submits to another does not mean they are of lesser worth. This should be self-evident, but the controversy this verse provokes shows that it is not.

23 For the man is the head of the woman, just as "I have Christ is the head of the Church; he ^["I have^] the body’s saviour. 

• That’s quite clearly put. The comparison between the relationship between Christ and the Church and that between husband and wife is unexpected. I would have expected Christ’s authority over the Church to be greater than that of a husband over his wife.
• Perhaps that is true – even the best husband is a long, long way from Christ. Whilst with Christ we can always be certain that His guidance is right, we cannot be certain of that with a husband. But that doesn’t change anything.
• Paul clearly wants this commandment not to be overlooked, not to be forgotten. He wants it to be taken seriously. And by that I really mean exactly what I say: it is the man who should make the decisions in the family.
• As always, such a command is easy to obey if the man is wise, responsible and loving. The moment this is not the case, it becomes a real challenge for the woman.
• Why should a woman obey a man if he is not wise, responsible and loving? (Statistically speaking, in half of all marriages, the woman is more capable or more intelligent than her husband.)
• She ought to submit for God’s sake. Because He said so. God approves of such an attitude; He will appreciate it and may even intervene on the groom’s behalf.
• What other choice does a woman have? To rebel against men.
• It is the same principle as that applied to slaves and masters in 1 Peter 2: ‘Slaves, submit yourselves with all reverence to your masters, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh. For it is a grace if, when suffering unjustly, one endures it with God in mind.”
• I have known women who, for God’s sake, decided not to leave their abusive, domineering or even alcoholic partners, even though they had every right to do so. Their attitude was difficult to understand, but I am convinced that God’s glory was present in their decision.
• God’s word must hold true, so a man is, quite simply, the head of his wife. I believe, however, that this does not in any way mean that a man should boss his wife about at home and that she should ‘do as he says’. The purpose of marriage is the deepest partnership imaginable. A good husband looks after his wife.
• The primary duty of a good husband is to lead his family to God. If he fails in this most important duty, God transfers spiritual authority over the family to the wife. This is a stopgap measure, a fallback plan where the first option does not work due to the husband’s inability or lack of interest.

• What does this mean in this context: with ^["I have^] the saviour of the body? It is certainly believed that Christ is the Saviour of the Church. If Christ is truly to save his Church, he must be its head, so that the Church may obey him. If the Church were not to obey Christ, he could not lead it to salvation.
• Paul clearly applies this analogy to men and their relationship with their wives and families as well. A man is to lead his family (including his wife) and guide them to salvation. If he is to succeed in this, he needs his family and his wife to ‘go along with him’. If they do not follow him, if they do not allow themselves to be led, he will not succeed.
• The fact that A man is to his family what Christ is to the Church, This is an important message – for men, women and children alike.

24 But just as the Church is subject to Christ, so too are women in everything his men. 

• A repeat of the same point, but with a slightly different wording, this time from a woman’s perspective.
• In the previous verse, Paul urges men not to forget that they are the heads of their families; here, he turns his attention more to women and reminds them of the importance of submission.
• Adds an absolute quantifier: In everything. Not, then, merely in the things on which she agrees with her husband or which she finds pleasant.
• Translators add a word his to men, which is logical. Paul certainly does not mean that every woman should submit to just any man.
• The relationship between men and women is one of the greatest challenges God has set for people in this world. A loving, functioning marriage is beautiful, but rare – it is by no means easy to achieve. Men fail to fulfil their roles, and women rebel. Every marriage is different, and all are complicated. The closest possible intimacy also brings with it the greatest potential to hurt one another.
• Sex is the physical expression of the deepest possible relationship (during which a person sets aside all physical, mental and spiritual barriers). When practised correctly, it is marvellous – no other activity allows a person to ‘touch heaven’ so intensely.
• It also reflects male dominance and female submissiveness. It is therefore no surprise that sex often becomes the main battleground in marriages, where partners settle their scores. Heaven can so easily turn into hell.
• It is interesting that Paul and Peter, two very different personalities, both comment on relationships between men and women (1 Peter 3). It is to be expected that they express themselves in a similar way, albeit with different emphases.

25 Men, love took women, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her,

• If it seemed to us that God demands too much of women (submission), we shall soon see that He does not ask little of men either.
• The relationship between Christ and the Church serves as a ‘model’ for behaviour. It requires that, from Christ to the Church (from man to woman), love. And that is love unto death, love to the point of sacrificing one’s own life.
• It’s hard to imagine a higher ‘level’.
• Whilst reading, one can imagine romantic scenarios in which a man, after his wife has been attacked, throws himself at the attacking bear. He saves his family, but is himself fatally wounded. Why not?
• However, submission can also involve a whole range of situations that are less black and white, where a man is obliged to fight to the death for his wife, who makes his life ‘a living hell’ at home – because she is mean, confrontational or hostile. In such cases, this command from Paul takes on an even more difficult dimension.
• But that is not unreasonable – Christ died for people who, for the most part, treated him badly.

26 so that he might consecrate her, when men cleansed ⁽in a water bath⁾ in the word,

• lit.: bath water; lútron (‘bath’); 
• Talking about Christ: One of the things Christ did for the Church is that He cleansed. From sin, of course.
• How did he do it? A water bath in a word: A water baptism usually refers to a christening. Here, it presumably means:
  • How did the purification of the Church come about?
  • Cleansing is usually carried out bathrooms.
  • What sort of baptism was involved in the cleansing of the Church’s sins?
  • About a dip in the Word – apparently in two senses:
    • It was primarily Christ who established the Church by bringing God’s word and allowing himself to be crucified. Those who responded were baptised and formed the Church.
    • Furthermore, Christ purifies his bride (the Church) by ‘washing’ her in his word. As Christians are confronted with his word and strive to keep it, they are continually purified.
• A husband should therefore do something similar for his wife. He should lead her to salvation and do everything for her salvation. Expose her to God’s Word on every suitable occasion (just as you do with your children – Deuteronomy 6:6: ‘when you are at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up’).
• Christ the Church cleansed and then consecrated. By the same token, therefore, a man purifies and sanctifies his wife.
• What about the collective salvation of a family? Can a husband ‘save’ his wife, or vice versa? We know from Scripture of instances where an entire family was saved at once (the jailer in Philippi). Generally speaking, however, it is more the case that each person is responsible for their own salvation. Even back then (when marital relationships were culturally structured quite differently from today), there were cases of marital separation; the issue of how to act in families where one partner had come to faith, and so on, was addressed.
• Spouses can either make each other’s path to salvation easier or more difficult. A husband should do his utmost for his beloved to lead her to salvation and then help her to remain in a state of holiness.
• Of course, this does not mean that spouses should go about hitting each other over the head with verses from Scripture. I knew a woman who, through her aggressive ‘evangelism’, drove away not only her husband but also all her subsequent suitors. The same applies, of course, in the opposite direction.
• I think Derek Prince once said that a woman fails to convey God’s love to her husband when she plays a Derek Prince sermon to him in bed instead of making love to him.

27 so that he might present to himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless. 

• Christ purified and sanctified the Church for the following reasons:
  • is building a church
  • wants this building to be among them., that is, the widely known and acclaimed
  • wants It had no blemishes, no wrinkles, or anything of that sort - in other words, so that it is error-free. If there is any error in it, it must be corrected
  • wants it to be holy: set apart for God and pure
  • wants it to be of good character – so that there’s nothing to fault her for
• Christ is leading the Church towards this goal. He is preparing the Church, his bride.
• A man and his wife should also strive towards this goal.

28 They are therefore obliged to ^[.^] Men should love their wives as they love their own bodies. Anyone who loves his wife loves himself.

• Like this means ‘like Christ’.
• Husbands are to love their wives as Christ did required. It’s not a matter of choice.
• To love your wives as you love your own bodies It’s a strange concept: It wouldn’t occur to me to say that I love my body. But somehow, naturally, that’s obviously the case, even if I wouldn’t put it quite like that. Naturally, I care about my body and treat it with every consideration. Naturally, I want it to feel good – I feed it, give it water, wash it and let it rest. When I’m ill, I do my utmost to get better. Why do I do this? Because how I feel depends on my body’s ‘well-being’. When my body feels unwell, my whole life is ‘in a right mess’.
• Dependence is not absolute – one sign of a Christian’s maturity is that their spiritual state is not entirely dependent on the fulfilment of their bodily needs.
• To a large extent, however, it is true that – from my point of view – making sure my body is well is very sensible. It’s not a matter of altruism; it’s actually ‘selfish’, but logical. A ravaged, aching body makes it impossible to live a good life.
• From a man’s point of view, the situation is similar when it comes to looking after his wife – for it is undoubtedly true that When a man has a happy and contented wife, he is contented himself. Doing everything possible to keep my wife happy is therefore very far-sighted, even from the point of view of one’s own interests.
• To love your wife = to love yourself In short, it’s true.

29 For no one hates their own body, but nourishes it "I have and cares for them, just as Christ does the the church.

• the same phrase as in Ephesians 6:4 (And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the Lord’s discipline and instruction.) † ‘bring them up’; 
• cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 (As apostles of Christ, we are entitled to be held in high esteem, yet we were gentle amongst you, just as a woman cares for her own children.) † ‘cares for’; (in the original Greek, ‘to warm’)
• To put it another way: Neglecting or starving one’s body ultimately leads to feeling unwell. It is only natural, and only a fool would behave otherwise.
• It is heartening to know that Jesus feels the same way about his bride, the Church – that it is second nature for him to care for us. Perhaps one might even go so far as to say that Jesus’ ‘well-being’ depends on the well-being of his Church.

30 For we are members of his body, ^[from his flesh and his bones^].

• We are familiar with this image and usually understand it to mean that Jesus is the head who makes decisions and guides the body. Here, however, the meaning is different – it means that when the Church is struggling, Christ perceives this as ‘his own’ distress.
• Every husband and wife know that they cannot be happy when the other is suffering. How can I enjoy life when my partner is suffering? Striving for my partner’s happiness is, to a certain extent, ‘selfish’ – because by striving for their happiness, I increase my own chances of happiness.

31 ‘That is why a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ 32 This is a great mystery; I refer to "I have but on Christ and the Church.

• The reference to Genesis relates to the relationship between Christ and the Church. Christ chose the Church as his bride. His relationship with her is so close that her well-being profoundly affects His own.

33 But each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect his men.

• If married couples could manage this, there would be ‘nothing to discuss’ at marriage counselling centres.
• Is it really as impossible as the never-ending string of failing marriages would suggest? Is it an impossible task for a man to love his wife as he loves himself? Why, exactly? What’s so difficult about it?
• And why is it just as impossible for a woman to respect her husband?

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1. The following, for example, discuss the prudent management of money in more or less specific terms:
   Prov 13:11 Wealth acquired thoughtlessly dwindles; those who gather it with their own hands increase it.
   Prov 21:20 ‘Precious treasures and oil are to be found in the home of the wise, but a fool squanders them.’
   Proverbs 30:24–25: ants, a weak species, but they gather food in the summer.
   Proverbs 6:6–8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer and no ruler, yet it prepares its food in the summer and gathers its provisions at harvest time.
   J 6:12 “When they had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing is wasted.’
   2 Thessalonians 3:10–12 ‘When we were with you, we gave you this instruction: “Anyone who is not willing to work should not eat.” For we hear that some among you are living in an undisciplined manner, not working, but meddling in all sorts of things.’
   In Egypt, Joseph saved up during the seven years of plenty to provide for the years of famine. ↩︎
2. People do similar deals with God: when there was a lottery in Hungary with a jackpot of one billion, Czechs would travel there to buy tickets. When asked by a TV reporter what he would do with the winnings, one of the buyers replied: ‘I’d give a hundred million to the church and to the poor.’ Such an attempt to bribe God is, of course, pathetic and offensive. God couldn’t care less about a hundred million like that. ↩︎
3. After all, Jesus certainly did not abstain from drinking with his disciples. ↩︎