Ephesians 5:33

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:33

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

33 Nevertheless [plen] [kai] let [agapao] every one [heis] [hekastos] of you [humeis] in particular [kata] so [houto] love [agapao] his [heautou] wife [gune] even as [hos] himself; [heautou] and [de] the wife [gune] see that [hina] she reverence [phobeo] her husband. [aner] KJV-Interlinear

33 Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband. NASB

Nevertheless, is a reference to the mystery of the spiritual principle of the marriage relationship as it portrays our relationship with God through Christ.

Therefore, whether you agree with that arrangement or not, whether you understand the purpose or symbolism of the marriage relationship with God or not, is irrelevant.

Your understanding or willingness to accept it is of no consequence.

Doctrine and Gods plan are not dependent on your personal views or knowledge.  Therefore your opinion on the matter is of no consequence.  Your compliance is, however, mandated.  To disregard any principle of doctrine is not in itself a sin, but always leads to sin either in the form of arrogance or some other attitude manifestation.

Husbands are to love their wives as themselves.  This nullifies any sort of abuse potential within the marital relationship.  Wives are to be treated with the greatest of care, and certainly with no less care than ones self.  In this, the husband has no other option.

Wives, on the other hand, represent the beauty and object of love and the completion of the marriage relationship and as such are mandated to respect their husbands.  And by that, respect Gods design not only for humanity but more importantly for mans relationship with God.

To disrespect the husband, to not love the wife, as directed, is a disregard of Gods law for the marital relationship, and therefore a disrespect for God.

Husbands have no right to take advantage of their wives.  Wives have no right to usurp the authority of their husbands. They are to live and work together as a single unit and not in a competitive tug-a-war to get each his or her own way at the expense of the other.

The word for love, ‘agapao,’ is a reference for the rules and doctrines and mandates and principles of truth.

The word for reverence or respect, ‘phobeo,’ is the attitude that must be expressed toward that which God has established. 

Therefore, marriage is a divine institution, not a man invented arrangement.

The attitudes of the married couple, as it is for everyone, are mandated, and not there for the mere convenience of ego or the stubbornness of resentment.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:32

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:32

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

32 This [touto] is [esti] a great [megas] mystery: [musterion] but [de] I [ego] speak [lego] concerning [eis] Christ [Christos] and [eis] [kai] the church. [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear

32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. NASB

The word for mystery, ‘musterion,’ means that which cannot be known, something concealed, something hidden.  And, it is only revealed after certain disclosures or instructions are made available.

The mysteries of the Bible are not incomprehensible, or inexplicable, or impossible to understand, but can all be understood if and when God deems it appropriate.

For example, if a couple of centuries ago, you were told that in the future people will be traveling from continent to continent through the air, you would have no way of knowing how that would be accomplished.  But with the passage of time and invention, then after airplanes were invented you would begin to be able to comprehend that possibility.

Throughout the dispensations, God has disclosed principles of doctrine as time advanced.  There are still a few disclosures that even we do not know the details regarding them.  For example the identity of the anti-christ of the Tribulation, the date of the Rapture, the seven thunders of the Tribulation.  These things are hidden from us, and will not be known except to only those who will live in and observe those events of their future day as they transpire.

However, we here have yet another type of mystery, one in which has affected everyone since the time of Adam. 

And that mystery is Bible doctrine in general, wherein no one can know or even understand doctrine unless they are first saved, and second in fellowship, and third, have some accumulated doctrine already learned as prerequisites for advanced doctrines.

Unbelievers for example look at doctrine as foolishness because they have no ability to understand.

Even believers look at various principles of doctrine as ridiculous, because they lack a foundation of understanding for being able to comprehend advanced concepts.  That is why you have so many weird ideas coming out of so called Christian people or organizations.

And here we have the concept of marriage.

On the one hand marriage is a divine institution which is made available for the entire human race, for the purpose of perpetuating and securing the continuing existence of the human race through history.  This being accomplished through the marriage relationship, through the family relationship, and by means of the principle of authority, which too, is a divine institution.

But marriage is a far more involved principle, than just two people meeting, kissing, and pushing a baby carriage.

Marriage is a commitment that is neither random nor haphazard nor casual nor arbitrary nor a matter of convenience.

Marriage is not an institution that can be redefined for sinful or casual or convenient purposes.  It was defined and established by God for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to guide people to an understanding of their ultimate relationship with God.

The earthly principle has its functions but it is intended to teach the very mystery of how man, who is lowly, can have a relationship with God, and how that relationship will, or is supposed to, function.  It teaches Gods attitude, what mans attitude should be, and the enduring assurances and steadfastness of Gods promises and policy.

To redefine or to bastardize the principle of marriage or human relationship, is to reject God and Gods will and plan.

Some hop from partner to partner and that only emphasizes their fickleness.

Some people shack up and that emphasizes their lack of commitment.

Some choose inappropriate partners (same gender, animals, etc) and that emphasizes a total rejection of Gods natural rules for human relationships.

Adam was created among animals but did not choose an animal as a mate. The woman was taken from Adam and given back to him, thus God making the choice and rule for him.  God did not make another man or same gender person as a partner. 

Anything that does not follow Gods defined rules, no matter how innocent or harmless it may seem, is in effect evil and potentially extremely harmful as it will encourage even more compromise in the principles of truth and domino into ever greater evils and degeneracy.

Rejection of God on one principle always ends up in rejection of other principles and the collapse of ones divine purpose.  That means trouble and personal suffering for the individual and disaster and suffering for even greater regions even a nation or the world.

Just as a passing note, it is our national election time and I saw a world poll regarding who people from other countries would vote for if given the chance to vote in our national election.  The poll disclosed that Obama would win with more than fifty percent of the world vote and the next candidate would get only nine percent of the votes cast around the world.  If you have any sense in you at all, then you will understand that mystery of why the world is the way it is, and why the world is heading in the direction that it is heading.  Anyway just food for thought.

So, marriage is an institution that describes man as the bride, God as the groom, man as the subordinate without portfolio, and God as the master and ruler of the relationship, and man as the recipient of that which God would do even for himself, treating man on a much elevated level for all of eternity.

Likewise, husbands who possess the authority given by in the Bible, do not possess that authority without the responsibility that accompanies it.  Likewise, women who are the wives in the relationship, do not possess the authority nor the permission to manipulate that relationship by any means.

But the two, need to participate as one, with one purpose and not by divided purposes, for the benefit of the marriage and for the benefit of their own healthy relationship, and an understanding of the even greater purpose that God has designed.

As for our relationship with God, we have no say in the definition of truth, nor can we make up our own truths.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:31

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:31

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

31 For [anti] this cause [toutou] shall [kataleipo] a man [anthropos] leave [kataleipo] his [autos] father [pater] and [kai] mother, [meter] and [kai] shall be joined [proskollao] unto [pros] his [autos] wife, [gune] and [kai] they two [duo] shall be [esomai] one [eis] [mia] flesh. [sarx] KJV-Interlinear

31 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. NASB

Leave, ‘kataleipo,’ means to leave behind, to abandon.

Joined, ‘proskollao,’ means to glue, to adhere, to cleave.

Gen. 2:24 is quoted, that the man should leave his parents and be joined to his wife.

For this cause, is a referral to the previous verses, wherein Paul has been describing the relationship between a man and his wife as they relate to the relationship between Christ and the church.  The church includes all believers collectively from throughout all of human history.

When history is finally completed, the numbers of believers will most likely be in the trillions of people, and that makes you a member of the single largest nation and family, that will ever exist.

God made but one man and out of man he made but one female.  Thus the singleness of the marriage principle of one man and one woman are entrenched in the fundamental principles of Christianity.

He likewise made one man, namely humanity (not animals), and one truth, namely doctrine (not all philosophies), and consequently each when combined with each other, become one inseparable and united essence.

Man is united with his wife, being separated out away from his parents, for parents merely promote the biological aspects of perpetual biological life, while the marriage is the intended destiny and ultimate future of the individual.

The picture of the marriage is the symbolization of the spiritual principle of our relationship with God.

Man was never intended to remain in a biological relationship with his parents or the world, but he was intended to become a member of a greater unit away from the parents, with Christ.

Mans destiny in not of this earth, but of heaven.  And that destiny requires a bonding, or marriage as it were, between God and man.

And that no man can put asunder, further guarantees the eternal security of eternal life for man.  No one not even your own self, can destroy your eternal life.

Life in this world is fallible and full of flaws. But life in the spiritual realm is infallible and perfect.

The man is said to leave his parents.  The wife is not said to leave her parents.  For the man is born to live independently from the world, and the wife is born to join with him of the purpose of the completion of the two, which are now made into one person.

The marriage is intended to demonstrate the oneness of the purpose of the life that was once two, but is now one.

Likewise, the marriage between God and man, which is processed by means of doctrine learned and entered into the soul, which in turn forms the intimacy of the relationship between God and man.  That marriage of doctrine, or consummation of doctrine in the soul becomes too, the permanency of unity that no man, and certainly no created being can destroy or even separate.

Once salvation becomes a part of your essence, namely the human spirit, then it becomes inseparable.  You cannot lose your salvation.

Once doctrine enters your soul, it becomes inseparable, and no one can remove that doctrine from you.

The union between Christ and each believer is inseparable. The relationship between Christ and the believer is one in which Christ, who is God, will treat the believer as he would himself, namely with perfect and enduring love and security and wealth and all of the possibilities that are even beyond our imagination.

The concept of marriage symbolizes the perfect union that exists between God and man through salvation and through doctrine.  In truth, Gods purpose is flawless and one, in its intent and design.

In marriage, the purpose should likewise be one of a singleness in design and function. Only two people working together can accomplish that.  When there is a conflict between the married couple, then that too symbolizes the rebellion of man against Gods intended purpose, and disaster is the only result.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:30

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:30

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

30 For [hoti] we are [esmen] members [melos] of his [autos] body, [soma] of [ek] his [autos] flesh, [sarx] and [kai] of [ek] his [autos] bones. [osteon] KJV-Interlinear

30 because we are members of His body. NASB

In Heb. 10:5, we read that a body has been prepared for Christ.

In Gen 2:21 and following, we read that the woman was not created out of the dust, but out of the man.  God took a rib from Adam and then gave it back to him in the form of a woman.

Symbolically then, believers in Christ, were taken from His body, and then given back to Him in the form of a wife, which is to say we are united with Christ forever, the perfect union, the perfect match, that no man can separate, ever.

Eve was taken from man and given back.  Believers were taken from Christ, for it was He who created all life out of the source of His own will, and then He takes believers back to Himself as joint heirs, as His bride, as His companion forever.

And so again symbolically, when a man and woman marry they are in effect united together and joined to each other as one person.  The image of that is in the intimacy of their relationship.

The image of our relationship with Christ is through salvation, the eternal life imputed to us at that moment and promise of an eternity together, and through doctrine, the spiritual life and growth we possess by means of Christ in us, and through our spiritual production, the evidence of our acceptance and commitment of and obedience to doctrine to our life, in that we belong to Christ of our own choosing.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:29

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:29

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

29 For [gar] no man [oudeis] ever yet [pote] hated [miseo] his own [heautou] flesh; [sarx] but [alla] nourisheth [ektrepho] and [kai] cherisheth [thalpo] it, [autos] even as [kathos] [kai] the Lord [kurios] the church: [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear

29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, NASB

In other words, everyone has their own best interest at heart, and if one does that which is best for himself, then that overflows to all that is a part of his own essence.

Now, thus far we have been studying the husbands role in the marriage.  The wife also has a role, but it is subordinate to that of the husband.  And why is that? 

Why is the wife's role not being emphasized more here than that of the husband?

Why the emphasis on the husband and his responsibilities and the nature of the relationship through him?

Well, we are studying the Bible, are we not?

Then this study must have some spiritual principle driving the human principles we are studying.

And since we have only four more verses in this study, there is not a whole lot of room left for figuring it all out.

Even in verse 32, we are told that this is all a great mystery.  Great, ‘megas,’ means large, lofty, huge, and it is in the plural (why is that).

Most folks when they read these verses, get upset if they are female, figuring that they are trapped in a life and there is no way out, so they don’t agree with it and they get all messed up in their attitude toward in their marital relationship – don’t’ tell me what to do!  Or if a man, they figure that they have struck gold and they are the boss – fetch woman!

And, both of those views are totally wrong, totally off track, and totally out of line.

If you have been following the responsibilities and obligations rather than the advantages or disadvantages of your respective positions, then you might, and that is a pretty iffy, just might, be able to figure this all out.

If you think that this passage is just talking about how husbands and wives should get along, then you have fallen completely out of the boat.   

Hopefully you will crawl back into the boat of the study and stop grieving or gloating over your predicament and begin to learn the phenomenal principle that is going to catch you by complete surprise.

Marriage or the concept of marriage is not a new topic and we can all relate to it in some fashion, but there is a greater mystery, and we are piecing the pieces of the puzzle together very slowly.  Can you figure it out?

Now no man has ever hated himself.  And that is speaking of a normal person, not some nut case.

Under all normal circumstances people will think relatively highly of themselves and they will do whatever it takes to keep themselves comfortable in life.  So, when yourself includes others, then they naturally must be included in that self -care.

‘Even as the Lord,’ is the phrase for the example.  Christ cares for all believers.  Granted all believers are not spiritually mature, and not all believers even care much for doctrine, but they are still members of Gods family.

Christ went to the Cross for all people.  Some will accept that work and some will not.  But all have the opportunity for eternal life merely by believing in Christ.  Anyway, the work was Christ’s and the object of His work was humanity.  He did it for everyone.

Doctrine is the written Christ, and that places Him in us when we study the Word, and having Him inside of us through the knowledge we learn, then He is an even greater part of our life as we learn and live by His standards.

But the point here is that Christ did for the Church, and the husband should also take this cue and care for his wife just as he would himself, even before himself.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:28

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:28

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

28 So [houto] ought [opheilo] men [aner] to love [agapao] their [heautou] wives [gune] as [hos] their own [heautou] bodies. [soma] He that loveth [agapao] his [heautou] wife [gune] loveth [agapao] himself. [heautou]KJV-Interlinear

28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; NASB

The principle of relationships here takes on yet another view.

As the wife has complete responsibility toward her husband, yet the husband has an even greater responsibility toward his wife in that where both, when married, became as one person, so then the husband being the head of the marriage, must treat his wife just as he treats himself.

This in effect places the wife in the forefront of the marriage. She is the treasure.  She is the object of his love.  She is the possessor of the gifts of the marital relationship.

And therefore, the husband being the one desiring those gifts for himself, must now consider his wife first and as an equal in so far as he desires to treat himself.

For this reason the marriage relationship is being used to illustrate the love and desires that a man has for himself, and so as the husband, and having a oneness relationship with his wife, then as one person, so too, he must treat his wife with phenomenal courtesy and kindness.

The husband that places himself above and beyond his wife, is in effect committing sin.  Likewise the wife, when she places herself above her husband, in withholding that which is due to him, commits sin.

As far as the function of the family is concerned there is a clear hierarchy of authority.  A far as the fulfillment of the functions of the family are concerned, the husband must and is mandated to treat his wife no differently than he would himself.  Thus his authority is superseded by responsibility and prevents selfish abuse of his authority.

This in no way makes the wife any less responsible in her role, nor can she be abusive in her position toward her husband.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:27

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:27

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

27 That [hina] he might present [paristemi] it [autos] to himself [heautou] a glorious [endoxos] church, [ekklesia] not [me] having [echo] spot, [spilos] or [e] wrinkle, [rhutis] or [e] any [tis] such thing; [toioutos] but [alla] that [hina] it should be [o] holy [hagios] and [kai] without blemish. [amomos]  KJV-Interlinear

27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. NASB

What the church on the whole is to Christ, is what the wife should be to her husband, and in that same concept, what the husband should be to the wife.

When we experience our resurrection, then in that day, all defects, all blemishes, all ageing will be removed and gone forever.  That is when the bride, as we are described, is presented to Christ in the perfect and formal application of the marriage or union of believers to God, through doctrine.

Bible doctrine is the instrument and mechanism for obtaining the perfect and boundless relationship.

Whereas the gospel leads the way to eternal life through faith, so too, doctrine leads the way to spiritual growth to maturity through our daily study, understanding and application of same to our daily life.

This in turn brings us into a life of spiritual production, that in turn leads us to qualify for phenomenal blessings in reward for all of eternity.

So likewise, when this subject was introduced a few verses back, the relationship between the husband and wife are maximized through doctrine.

Doctrine teaches us our place in life relative to God and to each other.  Doctrine helps us to orient to life and to function in the best way possible.  It does not make one a slave or one a master per se, but allows us to understand or relationship with God, through our relationship in marriage.

This does not mean that you need to be married in order to have a successful spiritual life.  Marriage is merely used here to symbolize and to teach the spiritual concept of a perfect and successful relationship.

Our perfect and successful relationship is accomplished with God, through Christ, by means of doctrine and within the disciplined obedience of our surrender to His will.  Gods will is truth, and is designed only for our best interest and life and future, forever.

Apply these concepts and principles to your marriage and you will have a phenomenal marriage.

But remember too, we are all imperfect beings.  Do not and never use, an unsuccessful marriage as an excuse for your losses in life.  Yours is not to judge the other person, but to judge and maintain yourself within your responsibilities and obligations to God.

This is the devils world and as such there will be many disappointments in life.  But then, your life should not depend on your circumstances, lest your life rides like a rollercoaster with its ups and downs as circumstances change.

What you need to learn is how to maintain yourself on a steady keel in life, through doctrine, regardless of the ups and downs in circumstances that will follow you around all of your life.

Spiritual growth and preparation leads to your being presented to Christ in the upmost state possible.

Likewise, when both husband and wife look to doctrine in their respective lives, then they are in effect presented to each other in the best of relationships possible.  In this, the tradition is that the bride is dressed in white, in purity, in beauty, in all things desirable from the perspective of the grooms eyes as he gazes upon her, and receives her in the bridal suite.

The bride is the gift, the treasure, which is highly valued and desired by the groom.  And when the bride is perfect in every imaginable way, then she is all the more valued and desirable.

And while all things in this life are not perfect, and so we have fairy tales to teach the beauty of hopes and dreams that we wish and strive for in life, there is a life that is true and perfect, namely the spiritual life, that is tried and true and attainable both for now and for all of eternity.

If you actually experience a wonderful marriage in all of its intimate details, then you can surly understand the wonderful potentials that await you in the spiritual life.

If you are not able to experience that perfect marriage, you still have the concept, the fairy tales, and such, to describe and teach and understand that which is possible for you through doctrine.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:26

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:26

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

26 That [hina] he might sanctify [hagiazo] and cleanse it [katharizo] with the washing [loutron] of water [hudor] by [en] the word, [rhema] KJV-Interlinear

26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,  NASB

He, is a reference to Christ.  To sanctify, means to make holy or set apart.

This is accomplished by means of a cleansing, or a washing.  But here the washing is not of water, but by means of water symbolically used in reference for the scriptures.

There is no reference to salvation here.  Salvation is by means of faith in Christ.

This however, is a washing, or a continual washing using the word of God. This establishes the day to day functions of one in their daily life, and more specifically, in their day to day spiritual life.

As an unbeliever, you are spiritually dead.  That is tantamount to being dirty, filthy, putrid, and in need of a good washing.

The gospel introduces you to the concept of salvation, by which, when you believe in Christ, you are saved and simultaneously washed clean of your filth, which is the sin in your life, the sin prior to your salvation.

This produces in you, a holiness, or a spiritual cleansing that places you in fellowship with God through Christ.

However, you are still here on this earth, and you still live in your sin nature corrupted body.  And as such, you are influenced by that sin nature, and need a good washing from time to time during and throughout your life.  That means confession and the fellowship status that is derived through that process.

So, you are washed and continually cleansed by means of doctrine and the function of your spiritual life.

And as such, just as Christ did this for us, so too, the husband and wife are to live their lives within the spiritual sphere on a daily basis.  This contributes to the understanding of life and the proper orientation not only to God and life, but to each other. 

Life is a relationship.  It is a series of relationships. 

Our relationship with God is paramount and establishes the foundation for our life for all of eternity. 

Our relationship with our spouse is that fundamental basis for the continuation of society and properly brings two people together in a unity that is beyond compare and has no equal, when it is pursued with proper attention.

When people become selfish or disinterested, then that relationship falls apart.  It is difficult for only one member to maintain a successful relationship. The best relationship takes two to make it successful.

Our relationship with God has only one potential flaw, namely us.  God is perfect.

Our relationship with each other in marriage, has two potential flaws, namely both persons, husband and wife.

While each person has their own responsibility toward God, when in marriage however, when both are pursuing their spiritual lives, then the synergy of that effort will produce blessings that are far beyond the sum of each person alone.

And remember that blessings are not restricted to monetary results, but come in many forms, especially in their eternal ramifications.

The overall objective of each individual is to get prepared for their eternal life through their daily spiritual life.  This works well when it is pursued daily and continually throughout ones life.

When both spouses pursue this goal of spiritual advancement, then their chances of success in this effort, are magnified because of that common goal, not only uniting them as husband and wife, but uniting them in the greatest pursuit of a lifetime, namely their spiritual lives.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html

Ephesians 5:25

Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely

Ephesians 5:25

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

25 Husbands, [aner] love [agapao] your [heautou] wives, [gune] even as [kathos] Christ [Christos] also [kai] loved [agapao] the church, [ekklesia] and [kai] gave [paradidomi] himself [heautou] for [huper] it; [autos] KJV-Interlinear

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; NASB

The wife is to place herself of her own free will, under the complete subjection of her husband.

As a single person she has no such obligation.  But once she marries, she then places herself under the command and will of her husband, and she should know this, and certainly him, prior to entering into marriage.

The husband on the other hand has the authority of command, but that does not come lightly to him.  He likewise has a tremendous obligation and responsibility to his wife, in that she is not his slave, but now his responsibility.

His pattern for rule is love.  But this is not just any love and certainly not the kind that you are probably thinking about.

Love, ‘agapao,’ is a reference to the principles of truth.  This is not friendship, not intimacy, but principle.

Christ is the pattern.  Christ did all for the church, which is the body of believers.  Christ participated in the establishment of the divine decrees, which it the detailed plan for all of history.  Christ created an entire universe, in all of its phenomenal detail.  Christ executed a plan for salvation which took him to the very brink of death and beyond.  And he did it for only one reason, which was you and for your eternal benefit.

Everything that Christ did and has done and will do, is for the benefit of the church on the whole and for you individually.

This then is the pattern of the husband.

He has a wife, and then presumably a family.  In the typical family structure, the husband is the master of the home, but the wife is the commander of the family within that home.

A smart husband will clearly identify his wife's strengths and utilize them, by allowing her to function freely within the home.  One never attempts to micro-manage the area of responsibility of another.  Micro-management only ends in chaos and confusion.  This is true in government, in the military, in organizations, and especially in the family, which is the fundamental organizational and support structure for all of society.

As goes the family, so goes society.

Now, obviously in our contemporary times, there are many different types of family structures.  In most families, both parents work, just to be able to make ends meet.  And in those situations, the successful family divides up the home responsibilities for practical purposes, but the main objective of the family is the unity of that family, and not the individual objectives in entertainment.  Both parents must work together with common goals.

Where there are questions, then common sense and unselfishness should be the guide.

But remember the overall responsibility of the husband is to place his wife’s welfare ahead of himself.

Christ gave everything so that the church could thrive and have eternal life.  The husband cannot give eternal life, but he can place his wife’s needs first on his priority list.

Later we will see that the wife in not commanded to love her husband, but to respect him, and that is a very different attitude requirement from what is mandated of her husband.  That study is still several verses away.

When both husband and wife give their all respectively to each other, then the marriage can only be successful.  But that giving of all, incorporates all aspects of the marriage, and cannot be used to pick and choose what one will or will not abide with.  Manipulation or control, are not a part of this marital formula.

E-Books, E-Book Reader

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/dailybiblestudy-store.html

Your Comments

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/contents_comments_online_studies.html

Daily Bible Study Quick Links

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/quick-links.html

Subscription Options

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/donation.html