Ephesians 5:22-6:9

Paul then speaks of the relationships between husbands and wives. Yes, women are called to submit to their husbands. Yes, our liberal feminist society doesn’t like that. No, it’s not as bad as you think. All Christians are called to “regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3), which is a great definition of submission.

Many preachers will stop here, which means that they miss a few points. First, they miss that this passage does not allow the husband to force the wife into submission. Second, this was quite a bit better than the society at that time, which treated women and children as little better than slaves.

Third, they miss that he has a greater responsibility than she does. What is greater—the church’s submission to Christ or Christ’s sacrifice to the church? A husband is called to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He is called to act in order to sanctify her, to allow her to be holy and blameless, and to love her as his own body. And this is how Christ loves the church: that while she constantly wandered, he drew her back. When she defiled herself, he took the penalty. When we killed him, he forgave us. Finally, Jesus presented the church to the Lord, and she was holy and blameless. This is how husbands and wives relate.

The sixth and final chapter of Ephesians continues speaking of the relations between different groups. Children are called to honor and obey their parents. Paul emphasizes that this is not a forced honor and obedience—we don’t do so because we must, but because we can. The commandment is the first with a promise, making it obvious that God intended that children obey their parents not for the good of the parents but for the good of the children.

Similarly to the complementary relationship between men and women, children are called to submit, but fathers (this likely means “parents” in context) are called to act in the interest of the children. They are not to provoke the children to anger, but to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” This is a parallel to the Old Testament, in which parents are told to continually teach their children the law.

The same is said of slaves and masters. Slaves are called to be obedient to their masters as to Christ. This is not the appearance of obedience, but true obedience. What is the reason for this? Verse 8 tells us that our good will be paid back to us as a reward, whether we are free or not. (I’m not saying that salvation is by works, but once we are saved, our works do affect our reward once in heaven.) Masters, in turn, are called not to threaten their slaves, but to love them as any other person, for even the master’s master is watching.

(As a sidenote, Greek society’s workforce consisted of slaves. This is likely to be understood as anyone who works for another person.)

There is only one exception to obedience, which is being commanded to disobey the Lord. For this, I will bring in the example of Daniel. He did not protest when used as a slave for a pagan king, or when his name was changed by said king. He only protested when told to eat meat sacrificed to that king’s god. Likewise, we are to obey our masters except in this one case.

If obedience to a human master is rewarded well, just imagine how great the reward is for obeying the Almighty God. Even when we have not obeyed him, even when we turned completely against him, he took the punishment upon himself. What joy it will be to hear those words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Ephesians 5:1-21

This chapter continues the premise of the last chapter, which is how people under grace should act in the world. We are primarily called to be “imitators of God,” walking in love and demonstrating to others the grace which we have received. One who does this will hold to the rest of the commands.

The first two actions listed as contrary to Christ are immorality and impurity. The first word can mean fornication or other sexual sin, although it can also be translated as general “uncleanness.” Impurity is more general, and acts as a catchall for other (primarily sexual) sin. Paul dictates that these, along with greed, should not even be named. These activities are so opposite the gospel that they cannot exist to any extent alongside it.

Next are condemned filthiness and foolish talking. The word for foolish talk is “morologia,” of which the first part is the same root from which we derive the English word “moron.” This is the talk that is unproductive. Wesley describes this as “talking of nothing, the weather, fashions, meat, and drink.” The specific content of our talk is not condemned, merely its lack of edificatory value. The talk that is appropriate, according to this passage, is “giving of thanks.”

(I do not mean this passage to condemn; I found it quite convicting. In meatspace, your author is quite sarcastic and coarse, and I know that I have done all of these. In short, I’m working on following this too.)

The next verse goes back to dealing with immorality, impurity, and greed. Paul lumps these all into the one category of idolatry, and declares it up front: you either will have God as your god, or you will have sex or other earthly things as your god. “No one can serve two masters.”

We are called to be children of the light. Paul lays a few more encouragements on us, which are intended not to bind but to protect us from the evil of the world. We are called to be wise. We are called to act as productively as is possible, for time is short. Regardless of when the end will come, we are to live as if it is tomorrow. We are called to speak from the Spirit, and to constantly give thanks.