Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:22 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:22

“Wives be subject to your husbands as to the Lord.”

A note about Christian marriage

There is nothing in scripture anywhere that justifies domestic violence, coercive control, emotional, physical, or spiritual abuse of a wife by a husband, or vice versa. Any marriage marked by these things is outside of God’s definition of marriage. Anyone subject to abuse should consider leaving the relationship until their safety is assured.

When we consider the relationship between a husband and wife, we must remember set the instructions given in Ephesians 5:22-33 are an expansion of the general command to “ be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ..”

Wives and husbands, therefore, are to be a microcosm of the church more generally. Not only are wives to be subject to their husbands, but husbands are to be subject to their wives. That mutual submission one to the other is exactly what love looks like.

This is not a question of who gets the final say, or who looks after the money, or who does the cooking. They are such trivial issues that are not worth worrying about in this context. Each couple will likely make their own decisions on these kinds of f\matters.

To be subject to one another means that a couple will make decisions together, under the Lord. Listening prayer, reading the Word together, honest and open discussion together, these are the tools that build a relationship.

Before wives submit to their husbands, they must first submit to the Lord. This verse should not be taken to mean “ be subject to your husband as if he is the Lord.” Rather it means, “submit to your husband in the same way that you submit to the Lord.”

Wives submit to the Lord because they know that He loves us and wants the best for us. The Christian life is a journey of faith, growing in understanding of the fact that He can be trusted to care for us in every way .

When wives submit to their husband as to Christ, they do so in the expectation that he loves them and cares for them, that he can be trusted to be faithful .

The more that the couple love each other and surrender to each other, the more it is possible for the wife to submit to the husband.

For a wife to be submissive means that she refuses to be in control of the husband. Many women are influenced by the Jezebel spirit, a demon which seeks to undermine and control. Submission is the opposite attitude of control, and it is the key to overcoming the Jezebel spirit.

Whenever a wife finds herself being controlling or manipulative, she should repent and seek the Lord. When we are subjecting ourselves to one another all forms of manipulation, coercion, and control must be avoided.

Key points in this verse:

• The biblical pattern of marriage requires couples to love one another and surrender their desire for control
• Wives need to submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord
• The Jezebel spirit seeks to undermine and control

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:21 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:21

“Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

A note about topic headings in the Bible

Many Bible editions divide the text into paragraphs, and often have section headings. These items can be helpful, but we must always remember that they ( with the exception of the titles in the Psalms) are not a part of the divinely Inspired text.

In particular, the section heading at this point in some Bibles, especially the NIV, is very misleading. if there is a division to be made, this verse, verse 21, belongs with verse 22 and not with verse 20

The insertion of a section heading after verse 21 can cause readers to separate the general injunction to be subject to one another from the particular issues of submission in marriage. it is clear that Paul is not intending to give husbands freedom to reign over their wives, yet we make it that impression if we separate v. 21 from vs 22 to 33 .

To be subject (or to submit) to another person is to acknowledge that they have desires, needs, priorities that are different to our own. We recognise this in the workplace where many of us are required to subject ourselves to rules, policies, procedures, and directions. We may not always see why we have to do certain things or to do them in a particular way, but for the sake of a paycheck we submit.

Paul is telling us that in the church we must all submit to one another. This does not mean that the church should not have leaders who can direct the people. As an apostle, Paul was constantly giving advice and direction.

To build up community, a family in which every person is accepted and loved, every member of the family has to be aware of the needs of each other. We all have to be prepared to make compromises, and to pay attention to others.

This is the practical outworking of the command to “love one another.” In loving another person, I prioritise the other in the belief that this will bring them joy. There is no “ quid pro quo” or demand for some form of payment.

To be subject to others means that we place others’ needs above our own, seeking to express love for one another in the practicalities of live together.

For leaders- apostles, elders, pastors, etc- there is a particular responsibility to lead expressly for the sake of those who are the least or the weakest in the kingdom. Jesus told us that leaders must serve and not lord it over their followers (see Luke 22:25-27).

Our submission to one another must be in the right context. People can be subject to leaders or to other people for all kinds of reasons. Paul tells us our submission must be from “ reverence for Christ”.

The Greek word here is phobos which means fear. The concept of fear of Christ or fear of God is often misunderstood. We think of fear as a kind of terror or dread. We fear things or people that have the capacity to destroy us or harm us.

God certainly has the power. He chooses not to destroy us because he loves us. We know that if we choose to rebel against him, He will punish us. We submit to God because His love rules us, and His wrath repels us from sim.

Our holy fear of Christ (or reverence) should direct us to be subject to others in the church. We love others because Christ has commanded it. We submit to others for the same reason. How could we do other than to obey our King?

The church is meant to be a holy community in which all members are connected by love for Christ and for one another. It must never be allowed to become a consumer-driven institution where people come and pay a fee to be entertained or spiritually enlightened.

Because we have all died in Christ, we are in no position to demand anything from others. Our only consistent relationship with others is to submit to one another.

Key points in this verse:

• Be careful of chapter and section headings in the Bible
• We are all to look to meet the needs of each other
• Community grows as we surrender our own desires for the sake of others
• The church is not a consumer driven institution

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:20 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:20

“… always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”

We are at all times to give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word for “ give thanks” is eucharisteo, from which we get the word Eucharist, which is used by many churches for Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Christian worship, in all of its diversity, is thankful. Our songs thank God for what he has done for us in Jesus. Preaching is to always proclaim what is ours in Christ through faith. Holy Communion is an enactment and a remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross.

Our whole lives, every situation, every minute, is meant to be a Eucharist, or Thanksgiving to God. Our lives are a thank offering back to our Creator for His work in redeeming us in Christ.

How can we give thanks “always and for everything”?

The phrase suggests a habit of thanksgiving that permeates all of our life. We wake up thanking God for His presence during the night and the promise of a new day. We eat thanking Him for His provision. We work thanking him for a life of purpose and meaning.

Thanking God at all times means that as we go about our daily lives, we focus on the Lord as well as on what we need to do.

Psychologists tell us that learning to direct our thoughts outwards rather than inwards is an effective antidote for depression. We were created to praise God, and we are prone to mental dis-ease if we try to live contrary to that design.

It is hard to program ourselves towards the habit of thanksgiving. Our busy lives makes that nearly impossible. One way is to set our watch or phone to alert us every hour, and use that as a reminder. Regular scheduled times in our day can be programmed in our thinking to remind us to take a minute to praise the Lord.

Praising God for everything can be a challenge. I can be thankful for my home, my family, my car, my job. Can I be thankful in a pandemic? Can I thank God when my spouse is diagnosed with cancer? Or when my child dies?

We are not expected to thank God for tragedy. These things are a sign of the disorder in creation caused by sin. I have made a practice, in the midst of personal tragedy, to ask the Holy Spirit to show me glimpses of his glory and glimmers of hope. When you do that, even in the dark valley of the shadow of death, there is always light and something to thank God for.

Christians facing persecution, and even death, for their obedience to the Lord, have commented that, in the midst of their suffering they were aware of Christ’s sustaining presence. Nobody willingly encourages opposition, but when it comes, even there there is something to be thankful for.

We are to give thanks in every situation to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not intended as a formula to finish a prayer. It is a recognition that all of this is possible through Christ.

It is Jesus who gives us a different vision of the future. We can give thanks because our hope is rooted in eternity so that all of our affections are not limited to this life and this physical world alone.

We give thanks to God the Father because Jesus paid the price for our sin and reconciled us to the Father. We give thanks through Jesus Christ because He is the gateway to salvation and to the Father. Without Christ our future was bleak and the Lake of Fire was our ultimate destination, but now we thank God for the hope of Heaven.

So our life’s vocation is to learn to always and in all things give thanks to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Key points in this verse:

• The word for give thanks is Eucharist. All of our corporate worship is about Thanksgiving
• We need to develop a habit of constant thanksgiving
• Even in dark times, Christ is our hope and enables us to give thanks
• Jesus has reconciled us to the Father

Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:19 I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:19

“… addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.”

Instead of being drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, we should together be filled with the Spirit, engaging in joyful worship of the Lord, and encouraging one another .

The word he translated as “addressing” (RSV) is rendered differently in the various versions notably “singing” (NRSV) and “speaking” (NIV). The original word mean simply to speak. In any event, Paul is clear that our songs are directed to each other as well as to the Lord. The context is therefore in gatherings of christians.

There is nothing wrong with singing hymns at home, but when Christians praise the Lord together, this edifies everyone present. Faith levels increase, and even the most discouraged or dejected believer can go away feeling empowered to persevere in the way of the Lord.

The mutual ministry” to one another” that takes place when christians meet together for worship should never be devalued. We must never stop the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25).

Is is not just on Sunday mornings that christians meet together and sing together. In home groups and other meetings, we should always sing praise to the Lord. Where two or three gather, He is in the midst and He welcomes our praises (Matthew 18:20).

Paul is quite expansive in his list of types of songs that Christians should use. He does not define his terms here at, but we can make educated guesses about his meaning.

“Psalms” more than likely refers to the Old Testament Psalms which were the hymn book of the Jews. More than likely, other Scripture passages were set to music and would come under this heading.

“Hymns” is actually the transliterated form of the Greek word humnos. These were known in pagan worship as songs of praise to the various gods. We should think of traditional and contemporary hymns and praise songs.

Spiritual songs refers to the practice of allowing the Holy Spirit to direct a spontaneous flow of singing either in the native language or in tongues.

There are some groups which interpret this verse to mean “ sing psalms, psalms, and more psalms” , and so they prohibit all other forms of songs in worship. Paul here is surely saying that whenever christians meet, they should employ a wide variety of forms of music.

As opposed to those who become prone to singing under the influence of alcohol, christians will sing under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

We are to “sing and make melody to the Lord”. The point of singing is not just to have a happy time of karaoke together. It is to be a melody to the Lord. That is, our hearts and minds are to be directed towards the Lord, not just to ourselves or to each other.

The primary focus of all Christian activity should be Jesus. We are the “elect”, the called out ones of God. As was commented on earlier in Ephesians, we are being formed together into a temple for Christ (2:22) or the Body of Christ (4:15-16). Therefore, whenever the body or the temple comes together, Christ must be at the centre.

Our singing must be done with all our hearts. There is something very dead about going through a song with no enthusiasm. It is almost the opposite of praise to the Lord, perhaps an insult.

Let us recognise the power that is in the words we sing – power to lift up the heavy- hearted, power to lift high the name of Jesus, power to bring conviction, salvation, and healing. All of this is only possible when we decide to praise the Lord with all of our hearts.

I will never forget the time several years ago when, on the last night of the Hillsong conference in Sydney, as the crowd was leaving, we were summoned to return to our seats. A pastor from Tasmania testified that during the final bracket of songs, he received a healing. One of his arms was neurologically dead and could not move or sense anything. During the songs, he had raised both hands in worship, something that had previously been impossible for him.

This is the power of singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord.

Key points in this verse:

• We are to sing songs to each other and to the Lord
• We must use a variety of forms of musical expression
• Our singing must be wholehearted
• There is power in praise and worship