Ephesians 5

They should follow God, live a life of love, and be clean and pure

Therefore be followers of God as dear children,

5:1 Matt 5:48. God’s children must behave like their Father.⚜

2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

3 But as for sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or greed, let there be not even a mention of these among you, as is proper for saints; 4 nor let there be filthiness, or foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are improper, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know: no sexually immoral person, no impure person, no covetous person (he is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be sharers with them.

They are children of the light and must behave in accordance with this truth

8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

5:8-9 Sinners and unbelievers are not only in spiritual darkness, they are darkness. Similarly believers are not only in the light, in Christ they are the light (Matt 5:14-16). They have the privilege and duty of living according to what they are. God is light (1 John 1:5). Therefore His children are children of light, children of the One who is absolutely pure and holy. So they must endeavor to live in an absolutely pure and holy way.⚜

10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

5:10 Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:9. The whole aim of the believer should be to find out what pleases the Lord Jesus and do those things.⚜

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things exposed are made evident by the light. For whatever makes evident is light. 14 Therefore he says,

“You who are sleeping,

awake and rise from the dead,

and Christ will give you light”.

5:14 This is not a quotation from the Old Testament but may be based on some verses there – Isa 60:1; Mal 4:2. The words may be part of an ancient Christian hymn.⚜

15 See then that you behave carefully, not as fools, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

5:16 He means we should make the most of our opportunities to let our light shine in the world.⚜

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

They should be constantly filled with God’s Spirit

18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking among yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

5:19 Music and singing of a spiritual kind naturally spring from a Spirit-filled heart.⚜

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

5:20 Notice the words “always” and “for all things”. See 2 Cor 4:15; Col 2:7; 4:2; 1 Thess 5:18; 1 Tim 2:1; Heb 13:15; Lev 7:12-13; Ps 7:17. Believers can do this because of Rom 8:28 – if they are filled with God’s Spirit.⚜

21 Submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God.

5:19-21 What is the evidence for the fullness of God’s Spirit? Paul says nothing here about signs and miracles, or gifts or manifestations of the Spirit. No single one of those is given to all believers. Some have one and some another (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-11, 28-30). It is possible to have some gift or many gifts of the Spirit and not be in a Spirit-filled condition (1 Cor 1:7; 3:1, 3). And it is possible to be filled with the Spirit and not have the gift that some Christians emphasize so much (notes at Acts 2:4, 11; 1 Cor 12:10, 28-30).

Paul here speaks of other things, things which show the fullness of God’s Spirit – joyful fellowship with other believers, thanksgiving to God, and submission to one another. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) grows best in those constantly filled with the Spirit.⚜

Husbands and wives should maintain a loving and respectful relationship

22 Wives, be submissive to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church and the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is to be in submission to Christ, so the wives should be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, 27 that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

5:26-27 See why Christ died for the Church. Compare Eph 1:4; Titus 2:14; 1 Cor 6:11. He is perfectly holy and will not be satisfied until His Church is perfectly holy. Verse 27 will be accomplished when the Church rises to meet Christ in the air at His second coming (1 Cor 15:50-57).⚜

28 So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

5:28-29 He means that husband and wife are “one flesh” (v 31). Since she is like his own flesh he should love her as he does his own body.⚜

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two of them will be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery. But I am speaking about Christ and the church.

5:32 For this reason a person will leave his (or her) parents, and sisters and brothers, and all he has and himself also to be united to Christ, and the two will become “one spirit” (1 Cor 6:17; Matt 4:18-22; 10:37-39; Luke 14:26-27, 33). Paul speaks of a husband as being a symbol or type or picture of Christ, and his wife as being a symbol of the Church. Compare 2 Cor 11:2; John 3:28-29; Rev 19:7.⚜

33 Nevertheless let each one of you also love his wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she shows reverence to her husband.

5:33 Need it be said that a husband should live in such a way that he deserves the respect of his wife? or that a wife should live in such a way that she is worthy of her husband’s love? The Greek word translated “reverence” in this verse and the word translated “fear” in v 21 are from the same root.⚜