Ephesians 5:29a – The Meaning of Everyone

After all, no one ever hated their own body,

Summary: Language can be tricky. Paul uses an expression in this passage that can be misunderstood if we are overly picky about words.

Occasionally, I read a passage of Scripture, and my response is less than flattering. Take today’s passage, for example. When I read Paul’s statement that “no one ever hated their own body,” I thought, “Really?!”

Is it true that no one ever hates their own body?

What about people who end their own life? What about people who destroy their bodies with drugs? Do people killed or injured in car crashes or motorcycle wrecks love their bodies?

The list could go on.

Why do people hurt themselves or put their lives at risk for no apparent reason? More importantly, is Paul’s statement true?

Statements like the one Paul makes here are called “generalizations.” He does not mean that he knows the hearts of every person who ever lived. We have to take this statement in the context of normal human usage. Normal people don’t hate their own bodies.

For example, Mark tells the story of Jesus getting up in the night to go pray. When the disciples wake up, they go looking for him. Then the Bible says:

“Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” (Mark 1:36-37)

Mark doesn’t mean that every person on the planet is looking for Jesus. That would be an overly literal interpretation of what he said. “Everyone” means that the disciples, and maybe a few others who knew Jesus, were looking for him.

But let’s go back to my questions about people who hurt their own bodies. Do they do that because they “hate their own body?”

In my experience, Paul is right. People don’t hate their own bodies, but sometimes their bodies seem to hate them. We are a two-part creation, part spirit, and part flesh. The spirit is what “their own” refers to when Paul says, ”no one ever hated their own body.”

Our bodies are complex creations capable of feeling physical pain when sick and psychological pain when we are hurt emotionally. As a rule, people don’t like pain. We will do almost anything to avoid it. People don’t hate their own bodies, but when our bodies hurt, we sometimes do things to deaden the pain.

One of the amazing aspects of knowing Jesus is the healing power of God. As we discover God’s willingness to forgive our past sins, we find relief from the pain of guilt and peace that brings a comfort we might never have known before. Without God, our options for fighting the pain sometimes look like we hate our bodies.

Application: Consider the context of a generalization.

Food for Thought: What does it mean to love your body?