Outline of the Book I. the Glorious Position of the Body of Christ (1:1-3:21) A
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EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 1 Outline of the Book I. The Glorious Position of the Body of Christ (1:1-3:21) A. Greetings (1:1-2) B. The Believer’s “Astounding Station” in Christ, to the praise of His glory (1:3-14) --- The Grace of the Father (1:3-6) --- The Grace of the Son (1:7-12) --- The Grace of the Spirit (1:13-14) C. Paul’s Motivated Prayer & Praise 1 (1:15-23) D. The Believer’s Collective Transport (2:1-10) --- Dead in Trespasses (2:1-3) --- Made Alive with Christ (2:4-10) E. Unified in Christ (2:11-22) --- Brought Near by the Blood (2:11-13) --- The Cross Creates One New Man (2:14-18) a. By Abolishing the Law (2:14-15) b. By Reconciling Us to the Father (2:16-18) --- Fellow Citizens in the Household of God (2:19-22) F. The Mystery of the Gospel (3:1-3:13) --- Prayer Interrupted (3:1) --- The Dispensation of God’s Grace (3:2-5) --- The Gentiles are Fellow Heirs (3:6-13) G. Paul’s Motivated Prayer & Praise 2 (3:14-21) II. The Glorious Practice of the Body of Christ (4:1-6:24) A. A Worthy Walk that Promotes Unity (4:1-6) B. Measures of Grace for Equipping the Body (4:7-16) C. Exhortation to Put on the New Self (4:17-24) D. Conduct that Benefits the Body (4:25-32) E. Serious Calling/Serious Consequences (5:1-21) F. Serious Calling Explained (5:22-6:20) --- The Example of Marriage (5:22-33) --- Parental Relationships (6:1-4) --- Occupational Relationships (6:5-9) --- Spiritual Opposition (6:10-20) G. Closing Statements (6:21-24) EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 2 Ephesians 5:22-24 The subject of a wife’s submission to her husband is not readily accepted in today’s society, but this should not cause us to sidestep the issue with the hopes of avoiding a fight. This concept is in the Word of God for a very good reason; a reason which has found alarming paucity among the myriads of contemporary Christian books and sermons that one regularly hears regarding the husband and wife relationship today: that the marriage relationship was intentionally designed by God to communicate the profound truth of the union that is found between Christ Jesus our Lord and the Church which has been purchased by His blood (Eph 5:32). It is important that the woman of God see herself as God sees her, as a blessed representative in divine communication, rather than how society portrays her, which only takes one stroll through the supermarket line and a glance at the latest magazine covers in order to get the point. Since self-image is a matter that finds repeated entertainment within the female mind, the opinion and design of the Creator is a vital basis for overshadowing the blaring criticisms and critiques of the woman who loves her Lord and Savior, and who also loves her husband (both of which are not shameful in the least). Hoehner provides us with some helpful words before looking into this passage: Unfortunately, all too often this section of 5:22-6:9 is isolated from the previous context. Interestingly, no conjunction introduces this section, which may indicate that this is not a new section but a continuation of the thought of walking in wisdom which began with 5:15.1 With this I would wholeheartedly agree. In reading through these passages, one cannot consider the context enough, both before and after the passage in question. If we had to narrow it down (which I would prefer not to do), we would see that a proper understanding of this entire passage is contingent upon three verses: And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (Eph 5:18). …submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21). This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church (Eph 5:32). We will quickly notice that each of these verses serves as a pivotal portion of the context of Ephesians 5:22-24, but we may need to readdress the reasons for these particular verses as being considered indispensable in properly interpreting this passage. First, regarding one being “filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18), we must remember that this is something that is passive in nature. God is pouring out His Spirit for His children to be filled with it, but to do so would mean that one must allow it to take place. This may mean that a precursor must occur, such as ridding ourselves of foolish endeavors (Eph 5:17) and rearranging our schedules so that we are making the best use of our time on Earth (Eph 5:16); meaning that we would need to assess our current lifestyle, reevaluate our sacred cows, and forsake those things that are not beneficial to our growth in the Lord. When dealing with a concept like one human being submitting to another, it can be easy to 1 Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 720. Hoehner also documents a wonderful section on the Ephesians household code on p. 720- 729 that would beneficial for our understanding. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 3 see that the filling of the Spirit becomes even more necessary, for it is only by the Spirit that one is able to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13) and voluntarily place themselves under the headship of another person. To proceed in submitting to another, and seeking to do so in the flesh, will either require a grand exercise in self-discipline, or will entail manipulating oneself, or the situation, in order for it to exude the semblance of a God-glorifying relationship. As we can imagine, such a scheme is the epitome of foolishness. Second, in the setting of the Body of Christ, we are called upon to be in submission to one another (Eph 5:21). The use of the Greek hupotassō speaks to a voluntary placing of one’s self in subordination to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Couch notes that “the verb is in the form of a present middle participle which could be translated ‘be continually submitting yourselves to your own husbands,’”2 signifying something that is repeated, with the use also signifying a voluntary submission. It cannot be repeated enough that such an attitude is only possible by being filled with the Spirit, but oh, how the Spirit would illuminate the Body of Christ if we were all being filled and all submitting to one another. Such godly, Spirit-filled relationships would serve as a brilliant and radiant testimony in the darkest of places and would attract the masses to Christ! Apart from being filled with the Spirit, this end will never be reached, for we are powerless in the flesh to conjure such a perspective so that submission is genuine. Our mindset can easily become skewed in concluding that the reason for such mutual submission is because “this is how good Christian folks act” and should conduct themselves in the world, but this misses the motivation that the Scripture gives. We are told to submit to one another “out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21) and it is this theme that is to carry the Christian into the joys of submission in every relationship (Eph 5:21, 22, 25; 6:1, 5, 6, 7, 9). Ephesians 5:21 is also important because the verb “submit” is not found in Ephesians 5:22, but is implied from the context, which is something that is common in Greek, and does not warrant the translation to be considered as “questionable.”3 If we were to remove the “submit” that has been added in Ephesians 5:22, we would still have a clear understanding. Notice the negation of “submit” in Ephesians 5:22 in the following: …submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord (Eph 5:21-22). It is clear that there is still no question as to Paul’s meaning that the submission relationship that exists between brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ is to be found exemplified and amplified in the marital relationship. But before addressing this verse in detail, we must examine the third verse under consideration. With Ephesians 5:32, the Apostle Paul is clear that this entire passage is a relationship that speaks to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Church that He has purchased with His own blood. The intimacy that is seen in a marital union has its intentions of design in displaying the oneness of Jesus 2 Couch, Biblical Theology of the Church, p. 70. Hoehner (p. 730-732) notes that the inclusion of hupotassō in 5:22 is found in later manuscripts as an addition for the sake of better clarity. Its exclusion in the original manuscripts is something that I address briefly above, but Hoehner brings a scholarly, yet readable depth that I am incapable of doing. 3 Again, see Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 730-732 for a better understanding of how the manuscripts were handled and translated regarding this verb. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 4 Christ and His Church (His Body). This provides a greater understanding of what is meant in Ephesians 1:22-23, where Paul writes: And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.