Ephesians 5:22-24 says...
Today's verses are Ephesians 5:22-24, which read,
v.22 - Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Paul is giving us what it means to be a Christian as we daily walk through this life of these evil days. What is to come out of us by being filled with the Spirit are selfless activities that show our love for God and for others. Now Paul will start to look at special groups of people and personalize this message even more. He starts with wives.
"Be subject" means to be in submission. Submission means to put yourself under the authority of another. This is a military term when a soldier voluntarily puts himself under the leadership and guidance of his commanding officer. The wife is to put herself voluntarily under the leadership of her husband.
This submission or subjection is not to be just under anyone but under "her" husband and this activity is to be shared by all other Christian wives doing the same. This is because the motivation and example to follow in doing this is a bigger submission to the Lord, her Lord. The phrase "...as to the Lord" tells us the way in which this is to be conducted. A wife is to be subject to her husband as an act of serving and loving the Lord. As she subjects to the Lord's authority over her life, she also subjects to her husband's authority of leadership over her.
For some this might be a "hot" topic but for me it scares the dickens out of me as a husband because it means that I am being compared to the Lord. The weight of this command leads to another command to the husbands of these wives that will follow in the next section.
v.23 - For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
Paul explains the roles that God has set up from the beginning. Just as Christ has a role as the head of the church and we are to follow Christ as our Savior, so God has set up the husbands with the role of leading or being the head of their families and we are to follow them as they follow Christ. The roles we fulfill in God's plan are not of greater or lesser values in obedience. Just because I am not the leader in this situation doesn't make my obedience of less importance.
Again, this verse points to the husband of a standard that he given of in example by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is Savior of the body of Christ because He was willing and fulfilled what God had given Him to do. Husbands have a role to play in the family that has been given to them that provides for that family what that role as leader of the home is to give. Husbands are not their saviors for we only have one Savior but just as Jesus fulfilled His role so husbands are to fulfill their roles in direct relationship to the family. Just a note that one of the responsibilities of that role as leader of the family is to tell, point, and be an example to their families of that Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
v.24 - But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
Paul concludes his instruction and illustration to the wives but they are to not to stop reading or listening as he goes onto the husbands. The instruction is pretty straight forward. As a church we are under the submission of Christ and His word, we put ourselves under His care. In like manner, as a wife you are to put yourselves under the care of your husband.
The role of the wife to voluntarily put herself under the care of another is huge just as the role of being the example of Christ to the family is for the husband. Major breakdown happens in the family when we don't fulfill our God given roles. Major breakdown in the church happens when we don't fulfill our role to be subject to Christ for He is always faithful to fulfill His role to us.
Maybe in a future study we may look at the "what ifs" that usually come up with this command of Scripture to the wives but for now lets assume that both the husband and wife and devoted followers of Christ and doing their best to do all things "as to the Lord." Be in prayer for one another, husband and wife, and be in prayer for churches to do the same to fulfill the God given roles given to us that speak as a visible witness to the world of God's love for us. When the world sees a husband who is God honoring leading his family and that family and wife is responding to that leadership with voluntary submission then they get a picture of our God who is leading His children and the church with our response to voluntarily be subject to His leadership of love. Lets pray.
"Lord, the strength of the church as aided within the four walls of our homes. How we obey You outside of the four walls of the church and especially within the four walls of our homes is used by You to make a great impact on the world for Your glory. You have given order that is God given and we need to not only obey it but be in submission to it as from You and for Your glory. Whatever our role is to play, may it be done as onto You today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.22 - Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Paul is giving us what it means to be a Christian as we daily walk through this life of these evil days. What is to come out of us by being filled with the Spirit are selfless activities that show our love for God and for others. Now Paul will start to look at special groups of people and personalize this message even more. He starts with wives.
"Be subject" means to be in submission. Submission means to put yourself under the authority of another. This is a military term when a soldier voluntarily puts himself under the leadership and guidance of his commanding officer. The wife is to put herself voluntarily under the leadership of her husband.
This submission or subjection is not to be just under anyone but under "her" husband and this activity is to be shared by all other Christian wives doing the same. This is because the motivation and example to follow in doing this is a bigger submission to the Lord, her Lord. The phrase "...as to the Lord" tells us the way in which this is to be conducted. A wife is to be subject to her husband as an act of serving and loving the Lord. As she subjects to the Lord's authority over her life, she also subjects to her husband's authority of leadership over her.
For some this might be a "hot" topic but for me it scares the dickens out of me as a husband because it means that I am being compared to the Lord. The weight of this command leads to another command to the husbands of these wives that will follow in the next section.
v.23 - For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
Paul explains the roles that God has set up from the beginning. Just as Christ has a role as the head of the church and we are to follow Christ as our Savior, so God has set up the husbands with the role of leading or being the head of their families and we are to follow them as they follow Christ. The roles we fulfill in God's plan are not of greater or lesser values in obedience. Just because I am not the leader in this situation doesn't make my obedience of less importance.
Again, this verse points to the husband of a standard that he given of in example by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is Savior of the body of Christ because He was willing and fulfilled what God had given Him to do. Husbands have a role to play in the family that has been given to them that provides for that family what that role as leader of the home is to give. Husbands are not their saviors for we only have one Savior but just as Jesus fulfilled His role so husbands are to fulfill their roles in direct relationship to the family. Just a note that one of the responsibilities of that role as leader of the family is to tell, point, and be an example to their families of that Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
v.24 - But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
Paul concludes his instruction and illustration to the wives but they are to not to stop reading or listening as he goes onto the husbands. The instruction is pretty straight forward. As a church we are under the submission of Christ and His word, we put ourselves under His care. In like manner, as a wife you are to put yourselves under the care of your husband.
The role of the wife to voluntarily put herself under the care of another is huge just as the role of being the example of Christ to the family is for the husband. Major breakdown happens in the family when we don't fulfill our God given roles. Major breakdown in the church happens when we don't fulfill our role to be subject to Christ for He is always faithful to fulfill His role to us.
Maybe in a future study we may look at the "what ifs" that usually come up with this command of Scripture to the wives but for now lets assume that both the husband and wife and devoted followers of Christ and doing their best to do all things "as to the Lord." Be in prayer for one another, husband and wife, and be in prayer for churches to do the same to fulfill the God given roles given to us that speak as a visible witness to the world of God's love for us. When the world sees a husband who is God honoring leading his family and that family and wife is responding to that leadership with voluntary submission then they get a picture of our God who is leading His children and the church with our response to voluntarily be subject to His leadership of love. Lets pray.
"Lord, the strength of the church as aided within the four walls of our homes. How we obey You outside of the four walls of the church and especially within the four walls of our homes is used by You to make a great impact on the world for Your glory. You have given order that is God given and we need to not only obey it but be in submission to it as from You and for Your glory. Whatever our role is to play, may it be done as onto You today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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