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.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:29a – The Meaning of Everyone”Ephesians 5:28b – Real Love
He who loves his wife loves himself.
Summary: Love is often misunderstood because our word for love does not distinguish between things and people. Paul is teaching us the difference.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:28b – Real Love”Ephesians 5:28a – Knowing Jesus
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.
Summary: Paul gives us husbands a lesson in caring for our wives.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:28a – Knowing Jesus”Ephesians 5:27 – Holy and Blameless
… and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Summary: Paul uses Jesus’ relationship with his church as a model for husbands to follow in their relationships with their wives.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:27 – Holy and Blameless”Ephesians 5:26b – Power Wash
… 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”