… cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
Summary: Paul’s use of words always keeps us on our toes. In this passage he gives us something interesting to think about.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:26b – Power Wash”Ephesians 5:25b-26a – The Holy Within
… and gave himself up for her to make her holy,
Summary: Understanding spiritual matters is a challenge for all of us. We are all born of the flesh first, and born spiritually second. Learning to “see” spiritually is a skill, like learning to walk physically.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:25b-26a – The Holy Within”Ephesians 5:25b-27 – The Unholy Question
… and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Summary: Paul packs a pile of theology into today’s passage. What did Jesus do for his bride? Everything!
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:25b-27 – The Unholy Question”Ephesians 5:25a – Bird’s-Eye View
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church …
Summary: Wrapping our heads around Christ’s love for the church is a tall order. To get the big picture, we need to step back and look at the whole story from Genesis to Revelation.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:25a – Bird’s-Eye View”Ephesians 5:24 – Invitation to Love
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Summary: Paul uses the church as an example of unity, but in today’s world, that example leaves something to be desired.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:24 – Invitation to Love”Ephesians 5:23 – The Bride-Price
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Summary: At first glance this passage seems to imbue husbands with authority, but on closer examination we see that the point of Paul’s words is very different. You might say they are humbling.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:23 – The Bride-Price”Ephesians 5:22 – The Heart of the Home
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
Summary: Since at least the days of Queen Vashti and King Xerxes, there has been trouble between husbands and wives. Paul embarks on a bit of marriage counseling in this passage.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:22 – The Heart of the Home”Ephesians 5:21 – The Answer to Everything
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Summary: “Me first” is a concept that goes back to the beginning of human history. It is the essence of our sinful nature rolled up into two words. Putting Christ first in our lives radically changes this concept, turning it upside down and inside out.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:21 – The Answer to Everything”Ephesians 5:20b – In His Name
… in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary: Coming in the name of Jesus carries with it both responsibility, and power and authority.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:20b – In His Name”Ephesians 5:20a – The Path to Happiness
… always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
Summary: Being thankful is both an experience and a choice. Paul wants us to learn an important life skill by choosing to be thankful all the time.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:20a – The Path to Happiness”