Wives and Husbands - Ephesians 5:21-33 Topics: , Body, Church, Family, Holiness, Husbands, , Love, Marriage, Respect, Submission, Unity, Wives Open It Questions 1. What husband-and-wife team do you greatly admire?

2. In your view, what one quality or ability sustains a marriage relationship?

Explore It Questions 3. What service should wives render to the Lord? (5:22)

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4. What is the relationship of the husband to the wife? (5:23)

5. How is Christ’s headship of the church an example to the husband? (5:23)

6. How is the relationship of the church to Christ an example to wives? (5:24)

7. How are husbands commanded to love their wives? (5:25)

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8. How did Christ prepare a bride for Himself? (5:26-27)

9. How should husbands love their wives? (5:28-30)

10. How is the bond between husband and wife greater than the bond between parent and child? (5:31)

11. How does the bond between Christ and the church illustrate the love of a husband for his wife? (5:32)

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12. In sum, what are the responsibilities of the husband and wife toward each other? (5:33)

Get It Questions 13. How should both husband and wife model themselves on Christ?

14. Why would unselfishness be an essential part of a Christian marriage?

15. What should a Christian wife give her husband?

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16. How should a Christian husband care for his wife?

17. How does a healthy Christian marriage relationship honor the Lord?

18. What are some ways local churches can help Christian couples strengthen their marriages?

Apply It Questions 19. What is something you can do to help a Christian couple strengthen their marriage?

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20. How can you treat your spouse with more respect and love this week?

21. How can you express your thankfulness to Christ today for making you His bride?

Adult Questions for LESSON Maker.

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Letter to the Ephesians Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

Ephesians 5:21-33

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Dr. David L. Roberson, Pastor Southfield, Michigan Facilitators Rev. Valerie Crump Rev. Rodney Kemp Rev. Jacqueline Albert Minister-in-Training, Alicia Martin Life Application Concise Bible Commentary 1 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33

Topics

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 2 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Topics Bible Love Body Marriage Church Respect Family Submission Holiness Unity Husbands Wives Jesus Christ

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 3 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33

Open It Questions2

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 4 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Open It Questions

1. What husband-and-wife team do you greatly admire?

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 5 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Open It Questions

2. In your view, what one quality or ability sustains a marriage relationship?

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 6 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

Introduction

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 7 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

In this section of the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul presented concepts Introduction governing household behavior. Household codes were common among Jewish and Greek communities.

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 8 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

As spread, it aroused suspicion. Tensions grew between Christians and the rest of society. This Introduction required Christians to have high standards for their behavior. Paul outlined God’s plan for Christian behavior in the home.

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 9 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands 21 …submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as Scripture also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the (NKJV) body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 10 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by Scripture the word, 27 that He might present (NKJV) her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 11 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife Scripture actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his (NKJV) own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body. Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 12 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a Scripture great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and (NKJV) the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 13 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33 Wives and Husbands

Explore It Questions

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 14 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:22 Wives and Husbands

3. What service Explore It should wives Questions render to the Lord? (5:22)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 15 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:22 Wives and Husbands

“For wives, this Explore It means submit to your Questions husbands as to the Lord” (5:22 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 16 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:23 Wives and Husbands

4. What is the Explore It relationship of Questions the husband to the wife? (5:23)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 17 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:23 Wives and Husbands

“For a husband is the head of his wife as Explore It Christ is the head of the Questions church. He is the Savior of his body, the church” (5:23 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 18 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:23 Wives and Husbands

5. How is Christ’s Explore It headship of the Questions church an example to the husband? (5:23)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 19 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:23 Wives and Husbands

“For a husband is the head of his wife as Explore It Christ is the head of the Questions church. He is the Savior of his body, the church” (5:23 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 20 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:24 Wives and Husbands

6. How is the Explore It relationship of Questions the church to Christ an example to wives? (5:24)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 21 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:24 Wives and Husbands

“As the church submits to Christ, so you wives Explore It should submit to your Questions husbands in everything” (5:24 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 22 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:25 Wives and Husbands

7. How are husbands Explore It commanded to Questions love their wives? (5:25)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 23 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:25 Wives and Husbands

“For husbands, this means love your wives, Explore It just as Christ loved the Questions church. He gave up his life for her” (5:25 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 24 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:26-27 Wives and Husbands

8. How did Christ Explore It prepare a bride Questions for Himself? (5:26-27)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 25 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:26-27 Wives and Husbands 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. Explore It 27 He did this to present her to Questions himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. (5:26-27 NKJV)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 26 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:28-30 Wives and Husbands

9. How should Explore It husbands love Questions their wives? (5:28-30)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 27 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:28-30 Wives and Husbands 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows Explore It love for himself. Questions 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body. (5:28-30 NKJV)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 28 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:31 Wives and Husbands

10. How is the bond Explore It between husband Questions and wife greater than the bond between parent and child? (5:31)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 29 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:31 Wives and Husbands

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father Explore It and mother and is joined Questions to his wife, and the two are united into one.” (5:31 NKJV)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 30 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:32 Wives and Husbands 11. How does the bond between Explore It Christ and the Questions church illustrate the love of a husband for his wife? (5:32)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 31 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:32 Wives and Husbands

“This is a great mystery, Explore It but it is an illustration of Questions the way Christ and the church are one” (5:32 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 32 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:33 Wives and Husbands

12. In sum, what are the responsibilities Explore It of the husband and Questions wife toward each other? (5:33)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 33 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:33 Wives and Husbands

“So again I say, each Explore It man must love his wife Questions as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (5:33 NKJV).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 34 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21

Reminder to all Christians

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 35 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21

“… submitting to one Reminder to all another in the fear of Christians God” (5:21).

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 36 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33

Get It #13-#18 (See Questions Participant Handout)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 37 Spirit-Guided Relationships Ephesians 5:21-33

Apply It #19-#21 (See Questions Participant Handout)

Life Application New Testament Concise Bible Commentary 38 3 9

Next Week’s Lesson

Letter to the Ephesians Spirit-Guided Relationships Children and Parents :1-4