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Ephesians
Chapter Five
I. Content of the Chapter
The Virtues in
Christ
A. As Dear Children:
1. To imitate God (v.1);
2. To walk in love
as Christ has given Himself
for us (v.2);
3. Do not say the words that are not fit for saints (v.3-4).
4. To give words of thanks (v.4);
5. Let no one deceive us with empty words. Do
not be partakers with the sons of disobedience (v.6-7).
B. As the Children of Light:
1. To bear the fruit of goodness
righteousness
and truth (v.9)
2. To find out what is acceptable to the
Lord (v.10)
3. To have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness
but expose them (v.11-13)
4. Do not sleep
and arise from the dead
(v.14).
C. As Wise:
1. Who shall walk circumspectly ---- do not
be fools (v.15)
2. Who shall redeem
the time ---- do not follow the
days (v.16)
3. Who shall understand the will of the Lord
---- do not be
unwise (v.17)
4. Who shall be filled with the Spirit ---- do not be drunk with wine (v.18)
5. Who shall sing
praise and give thanks to
God ---- do not complain at God (v.19-20)
6. Who shall submit to one another in the fear of Christ ---- do not despise
Christ (v.21)
The Mysterious
Relationship Between Husband and Wife
A. The husband is head of the wife
as Christ
is the head of the church (v.22-24)
B. The husband shall love the wife
as Christ loved the church (v.25-27).
C. The husband shall treat the wife as how
Christ treats
the church (v.28-30).
D. The husband shall be joined to his wife
as Christ and the church (v.31-32).
E. The husband shall love his wife
and his
wife shall also respect her husband (v.33).
II. Verse by Verse Commentary
Eph. 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of
God as dear children.”
YLT: “Become
then
followers of God
as children
beloved
”
Meaning of Words: “Imitators”: followers;
Literal Meaning: the word “therefore” connects this verse with the previous
chapter. Therefore
the following exhortations are concluded from the
previous chapter four.
“Be imitators of God”
for
we have already received the new life
“which was created according to God
in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph
4:24). He who does not have
the life of God cannot be
imitator of
God. Only those who have possessed the life of God ---- those who
are God’s children ---- can
imitate Him.
“As dear children”
to be
imitators of God is not done by us
but God Himself. We need only
put off the old man and
put on the new
man and live in the new man. God’s Spirit will manifest the life of
God through us as dear children of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Those
who have received the Lord Jesus are the children of God
but may not be the beloved children
of God. The beloved
children of God must meet the condition of being beloved
that is
they should walk as God.
2) Christians
ought to be like God
just as that the children ought to be like their physical fathers.
Eph. 5:2 “And walk in love
as Christ
also has loved us and given Himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweet-smelling aroma. ”
YLT: “and walk in love
as also the Christ did
love us
and did give himself for us
an offering and a sacrifice to God for an
odour of a sweet smell
”
Meaning of Words: “given Himself for us”: to hand oneself over to
another and let another person reign; “offering”: things
that are brought; “a sacrifice”: the victim;
things that are killed;
Literal Meaning: “and
walk in love”
to
be imitators of God
we shall
walk in love.
God is love ----
as we walk in love
we are taking the words and deeds of
Christ as the model.
“Walk”
in
the present tense
means
that it has to become our habitual conduct.
“And given Himself for us”
there is a principle of
walking in love
that is
giving
ourselves for others.
Christ came to the earth to give His life for us. God loves us
and gave His Son to us freely
and thus the love of God has
been manifested through Christ.
“An offering and a sacrifice”
“sacrifice” emphasizes
sacrifice
which carries the meaning of being
killed and shedding
the blood. It refers to the Lord’s
death on the cross in order to redeem us from our sins. While
“offering” does not refer to
the sacrifice or the
shedding of blood
e.g. the first-fruits in the Old Testament. It refers to the whole
life of the Lord Jesus on the earth
focusing on the aspect of fellowship. What the Lord has done for us is not
just His death on the cross
but also
His whole
life on the
earth.
“To God for a sweet-smelling aroma”
what
the Lord Jesus had done for us before God is to redeem us from our sins
on the one hand
and to restore the fellowship with God for us on the other hand.
He gave Himself for us both
as an offering and a sacrifice and became
a fragrant aroma for the enjoyment of God.
Therefore
to walk in love is:
(1) to deny our selves; (2) to give ourselves for others; (3) to offer the fruits to God for
his enjoyment.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) To
be the beloved
children of God (v.1)
we must walk in love. He who only receives love but never gives love is not a normal Christian.
2) To
be imitators of Christ is to be imitators of God (v.1)
because all the
fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily (Col. 2:9).
3) The
more we hear of what Christ has done for us
the more will we seek to be united with Him.
4) What
we have seen in Christ at first is His sacrificial love.
5) The
greatest principle in the Christians’ daily life is love. This love is not the
natural affective love
but the love of Christ on the cross.
6) Only
the love that is out of Christ and that has gone through the purification of
the cross can really be beneficial to others
and be a fragrant aroma to God
and be acceptable to God and satisfy God.
7) The
true love of Christ will pay all prices for the beloved ones
without any consideration of the sacrifice.
8) True
love is giving oneself for
others without any covetousness or “self. A spiritual love is pure in its motive and
is given out to others. The real meaning of love is the sacrificing of oneself
not social custom or courtesy in reciprocation.
9) How
much love we have will determine how much we will give ourselves. If there is
no love
there is no self denial.
10) Whenever
we come before God
we have to bring along with us “offerings and sacrifices”
to offer to Him
instead of coming with empty hands.
Eph. 5:3 “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness
let it not even be named
among you
as is fitting for saints;”
YLT: “and whoredom
and all uncleanness
or
covetousness
let it not even be named among you
as becometh saints;”
Literal Meaning: “fornication”:
wench
which refers to any
improper sexual relationship.
“Uncleanness”:
things that will
pollute a person’s ears
thoughts
emotions
beliefs and etc.
including evil and unclean desires.
“Covetousness”: it
does not only refer to the insatiable greed for material things
but also the self-indulgence in sexual desires. One seeks to satisfy
one’s own lust
but ignores the harm to others.
“Let it not even be named among you”
not only must we not do these things
but we should
not even mention them.
“As is fitting for saints”
since we are imitators of God
we should not do anything that is of Satan. If one has these
negative things
he is not like
a saint
and is not fit for the
dignity of
those who have been separated
out of the world by God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Fornication
and covetousness are twins.
One seeks after happiness
and the other seeks after the material gains. He who seeks
things outside of God will
commit fornication and covetousness.
2) The
love of Christ is holy love
which can neither
bear sins nor make anyone associate with evil person. If you
love the brothers and sisters
you will not use words that are not fit for saints to hurt them
3) The life of believers has its own style that
differs from
those of the
world.
Eph. 5:4 “neither filthiness
nor foolish talking
nor coarse jesting
which are not
fitting
but rather giving of thanks.”
YLT: “also filthiness
and foolish talking
or
jesting
-- the things not fit -- but rather thanksgiving;”
Literal Meaning: “filthiness”: the
debauchery
obscenity
indecency
disgraceful conversation;
“Foolish talking”: untimely
meaningless and
useless conversation
especially preposterous drivel
random conversation or even rumors without any true knowledge
of the certain matter.
“Coarse jesting”: it refers to vulgar utterance not only
but also nonsensical idle talks.
Here it especially refers to teasing with filthy topical matters mutually
revealing one’s own foolishness completely.
“But rather giving of thanks”
it is not only giving thanks
for what we are grateful of
but also encouraging
those who have heard the gratitude that we have given to God to be grateful as well. “Giving thanks” can also be
translated as “elegance” in the original. Paul here
means that all
our words and
conversation should be filled with the
sweetness of truth and grace
and we should speak to others gently to edify others.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The
conversation of Christians is a most important matter. A wrong word may be not fitting for saints
(v. 3)
and cause
our spirit be depressed.
We should frequently give thanks to the Lord to glorify Him and make us be joyful
in our spirit.
2) If
you truly love the brothers
you will not speak foolish
talking or coarse jesting
to contaminate their thoughts
and ears or harm them.
3) Only
those who know the Lord’s sovereignty will give thanks to the Lord in all
things without any hatred. When we encounter a situation yet we cannot
give a heartfelt “thanks
to Lord”
it
proves that we have
not adequately learnt that “Christ is the Lord of all.”
4) We Christians cannot actually say the words of “thank the
Lord” all days. However
we can always speak with a grateful heart
to the Lord.
Eph. 5:5 “For this you know
that no
fornicator
unclean person
nor covetous man
who is an idolater
has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
YLT: “for this ye know
that every whoremonger
or
unclean
or covetous person
who is an idolater
hath no inheritance in the
reign of the Christ and God.”
Meaning of Words: “has any …”: cannot gain
has no share
be not included;
Literal Meaning: “fornicator”: those who commit adultery
or any other immoral
act.
“Unclean person”: those whose acts
are indecent;
“Covetous man”: those who are
discontent with material things or passionate
lusts and
seek after the improper
enjoyment.
“The kingdom of Christ and God”
God handed over His kingdom to
His Son that we
may enter into His heavenly kingdom
through Him.
“No… has any inheritance”
one is saved through faith
not man’s deeds. However
if a believer commits the sins of fornication
uncleanness
covetousness
and etc. after has
been saved
but refuses to repent and even continues
in these habitual sins
he will become a fornicator
unclean person
or a
covetous man. He will not only
have no share in the reality of the kingdom of God today
but also have no inheritance in the manifestation and reward of God’s
kingdom.
Some Bible commentators think that
the kingdom of Christ is the Messianic kingdom
namely
the millennial kingdom.
The Messianic kingdom is also the kingdom of God. Therefore
“the kingdom of
Christ and God” is talking about the millennial kingdom. The believers will
receive the portion of inheritance as their reward according to their good
works in the coming the millennial kingdom. However
if anyone commits
any of the sins mentioned in this verse
they will lose the reward
and have no
share in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
“Covetous man
who is an idolater”
any person
thing
or deed that can snatch away one’s
heart and
replace God’s status
in his heart is idolatry. There are several kinds of idolatry
and one of them is covetousness
which may cause a
believer to lust after other blessing or benefit outside of only true God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Covetousness is an attitude of discontentment. An
insatiable heart that constantly covets will cause men to do things that miss the mark and even to commit sins.
2) The
love of money is spiritual fornication
because money has preoccupied man’s heart.
3) If
you love your
brothers
you will not give place to
the thought of covetousness
to invade what your
brothers have or to take advantage of your
brothers.
Eph. 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with
empty words
for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons
of disobedience.”
YLT: “Let no one deceive you with vain words
for
because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the sons of the
disobedience
”
Literal Meaning: “empty
words” have two meanings: (1) Words that do not
focus on God and have no reality of
God within are words of vanity.
(2) Words of unknown origin are empty fable
gossips.
These two categories of words are deceitful and can swindle men to depart from the right way of the Lord.
“Because of these things”:
because of the empty words.
“Comes upon”
it
is the present
tense
and this word is a
proper noun describing that God judges the world. It
definitely indicates that God will surely deal with those who seek personal gains in sins.
“The sons of disobedience”
it refers mainly to man of the world
as
well as believers. Though believers have already received the eternal life of God
they
will still have to face the judgment of God and give an account to Him about
their conduct after they are
saved.
Eph. 5:7 “Therefore do not be
partakers with them.”
YLT: “become not
then
partakers with them
”
Meaning
of Words: “be
partakers with”: a co-participant;
Literal Meaning: “therefore”
it is
a continuation of the above text.
“Do not be partakers with them”
although believers have already been
accepted by God in Christ
if
they continue to participate in what the unbelievers do
God’s wrath will also
come upon them as it does on the unbelievers.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We
are incompatible with the unbelievers
and we should not be unequally yoke
together with them (2 Cor. 6:14). If a believer partakes together with an unbeliever in the matters of darkness
he will
inevitably fall into their sins.
2) To
flow together with them and not be stained ---- how difficult it is! If a believer wants to
avoid the end of
the children of disobedience
he has to
avoid associating with them.
Eph. 5:8 “For you were once darkness
but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”
YLT: “for ye were once darkness
and now light in
the Lord; as children of light walk ye
”
Literal Meaning: “for
you were once darkness”
God is Light. Darkness is contrary to the light
and therefore darkness is Satan. Before we
were saved
our nature and our natural disposition were darkness and were filled with
darkness. Therefore
we were not only in darkness
but we were darkness.
“But now you are light
in the Lord”
now the Lord has entered into us and He is Light
we
have the nature of light in us. Therefore
we are not just bright in the light
but
we are light.
“Children of light’”
the children of light have the life of light
the
disposition of light
and
will live the life of
light. To imitate
God is to live out the nature of God who is light.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) After
we are saved
we have become the children of light. Therefore
on one hand we have to abandon
the previous behavior of darkness
on the other hand
we should
live out the life of light.
2) On
the one hand
we have to obtain
the being before we have the conduct.
On the other hand
we have to approve and prove
who we are through our conduct.
3) Since
the essence of our life has been changed from darkness to light
our conduct should also be changed accordingly.
Eph. 5:9 “(for the fruit of the
Spirit is in all goodness
righteousness
and truth)
”
YLT: “for the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness
and righteousness
and truth
”
Literal Meaning: “for
the fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness”
goodness
righteousness
and truth ----
the fruit of
light ----
are manifested in the light. As regards the
nature
it is light. As regards the conduct
it should be the fruit of light.
“Goodness”: without
anything bad. It does
not only refer to the nature of a certain matter
but also to the attitude towards men.
The emphasis here is on love and tolerance
that is
the spirit of helping
others gladly.
“Righteous”: without
unreasonableness
honest
fair
and have no
room for others to criticize. The emphasis here is on respecting the authority
of God and others…
giving to each their respective due.
“Truth”: without
falsehood. One is not
only true to his words
but
also is sincere
frank
and upright. The manifestation
of God is reality.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Fruit is something borne naturally by the
maturity of
life. Therefore
we have to
cultivate the
life of light only
and will
have all the goodness
righteousness and truth.
2) Conduct that is out of the light can surely stand up the test of
goodness
righteousness and truth. Therefore
concerning our conduct
we have to ask ourselves ---- whether the nature of this matter is good or
not? Is the procedure legitimate? And whether the goal of this matter is for God or not?
3) We
often say
“The
society is in darkness”. It
is because the relationship of
men in the society lacks the fruit of the light
namely
goodness
righteousness
and truth.
Eph. 5:10 “finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
YLT: “proving what is well-pleasing to the Lord
”
Meaning of Words: “finding out”: examining
experimenting
reflecting out
selecting;
Literal Meaning: the thought here is that we shall try to find out that what
pleases the Lord and then
walk accordingly. In principle
goodness
righteousness and truth are all consistent with the Lord’s disposition.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) What
the believers ought to pay
their attention to
is not whether the matters
are great or small
nor they are important
or not
but whether the Lord pleases it or not.
2) Believers should always seek what is acceptable to the Lord and do what
He pleases.
3) If
we want to know what is
acceptable to the Lord
we should observe
carefully His
words and His doings.
In other words
we have
to know “what the will of the Lord is”.
Eph. 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness
but rather expose
them.”
YLT: “and have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of the darkness and rather even convict
”
Meaning of Words: “expose”: to reveal
to expose
to correct
and to point out;
Literal Meaning: “the
unfruitful works of darkness”
it refers to things that are not good
unrighteous
or untrue. Men dare not expose
these improper things in the light
so they keep them in secret.
“But rather expose them”
that is to admonish those who commit evils in
love
intelligence and wittiness. This is a kind of difficult and pleasant
task. The word “them” indicates that they reprove not only those who do the
unfruitful works of darkness
but also those unfruitful
works. Therefore
if
someone occasionally makes the mistake carelessly
he should be bold to confess
it and reprove what he has done.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Though believers are children of light
they
may also have
the unfruitful works of darkness.
2) On the negative aspect
believers should not
have the
unfruitful works of darkness. But on the positive
aspect
they should also reprove and oppose those who walk in darkness. Today
many believers pay attention to only the former part
but ignore the latter one.
3) The public exposure is hatred
but individual
frankness is love.
4) If a believer does in the same manner as
others
how can he reprove others?
Eph. 5:12 “For it is shameful even to
speak of those things which are done by them in secret.”
YLT: “for the things in secret done by them it is
a shame even to speak of
”
Meaning
of Words: “to speak of”: to discuss;
Literal Meaning: “those
things which are done by them in secret”
it indicates that the unfruitful works of darkness
can only be done in darkness
because men dare not
let others see what
they are doing. If they walk
in the light
they cannot do what they have done
in darkness.
“For it is shameful”
why
shall we accuse and
expose these things? It is because
these things are
shameful.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The
normal life of a Christian
will expose the sins of others
but Christians
should not mainly
emphasize the discussion of these sins.
2) The
goal for believers’
talking about matters concerning sins is to
cause others to have a proper sense of shame.
Eph. 5:13 “But all things that are
exposed are made manifest by the light
for whatever makes manifest is light.”
YLT: “and all the things reproved by the light are
manifested
for everything that is manifested is light;”
Literal Meaning: “but
all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light”
to expose the hidden sinful
conducts is to let the light shine
upon them so as to
unveil them. Therefore
he who receives
exposure is to receive the light of Christ.
“For whatever makes manifest is light”
it can also be translated as: “for whatever has been manifested becomes
light” in the original. The
responsibility of the
children of light is not just to expose those who are in darkness so as to let them be “made
manifest”
but also to make them be the children of the light
as well.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) One
of the most important things in a
Christian’s
life is to be
constantly
in the light of the Lord. This is not the physical light
that can be seen by our
physical eyes
but a kind of revelation
or exposure in the depth of us
which points out our transgressions or faults
on a certain matter. When
we have such sense in us
we have to know that the
Lord is shining
upon us. At this time
we have to receive
it and repent.
2) The
effectiveness of the light
of Christ is often manifested
through the fellowship among the members of the body of Christ. Generally speaking
the inner
shining of the Holy Spirit is not as strong as the
outward reproach. Those
who are unwilling to receive the
constructive criticism of others
must be dark
low
and gloomy
within.
3) The
children of light (v.8) are not only bright of themselves
but they can also
shine upon others
causing others
to be reproved within and see
their sins.
4) We have to reprove others and also be able to receive reproach from
others.
5) The
light of Christ can reveal the secret of men
in the darkness and point out men’s faults on the negative aspect. We need not
only the positive function of light ---- “to enlighten the eyes of our heart”
(1:18) and know the fullness of Christ
but also the other function of the
light ---- to manifest the nature of ourselves and let us see the evil of
ourselves.
6) We tend to be in darkness by nature
and even feel happy to live
in the darkness
for many
things cannot
be brought to the
light. The shamefulness will be immediately manifested under the
light.
Eph. 5:14 “Therefore He says:
"Awake
you who sleep
Arise from the dead
And Christ will give you
light." ”
YLT: “wherefore he saith
`Arouse thyself
thou
who art sleeping
and arise out of the dead
and the Christ shall shine upon
thee.'”
Literal Meaning: “therefore
He says”
where the
following words are
quoted is not mentioned in
the Bible. However
the Lord often speaks
to us by men’s preaching or reproach.
“You who sleep”
those who walk in the
darkness are listed in the members who sleep.
“Arise from the dead”
a
man in the darkness is
not only asleep
but is
also dead spiritually. Therefore
the exposure will
not only bring them back into light
but also bring them back into life.
“And Christ will give you light”
this light is subjective
realistic
and an exposing
light. Therefore to receive the rebuke
is to receive the shining of Christ
and it will bring one
back into the light.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We
should do our
utmost to awaken those who are in a lethargic sleep and who are spiritually
dead and bring them back into the light of Christ.
2) The
light of Christ is a light of life (Jn. 8:12). The shining of Christ and being
raised from the dead are intimately related. The light and life are interrelated.
Eph. 5:15 “See then that you walk
circumspectly
not as fools but as wise
”
YLT: “See
then
how exactly ye walk
not as
unwise
but as wise
”
Literal Meaning: “circumspectly”: carefully guard
be cautious to watch what is in front of and behind you… like a person
going through a dangerous place
who has to pay close attention to the circumstance;
“Walk”: it carries the adjectives
like right and upright in the original
which means that the walking of
believers should be sober and proper without errors.
“Not as fools”:
those who are unwise in the original.
“But as wise”: those
who have been instructed by the
Lord in the real school of wisdom. The Lord is both our guidance
and our teacher
teaching
us His will so as to give us
the real wisdom.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The
difference between the wise and the fools
lies in whether they walk circumspectly.
2) The
wise do not walk
rashly
but do
all things in conformance to the strict criteria.
3) A
lot of believers stumble and fall because they are not careful and discrete
and are not
cautious enough in guarding against the enemy so that they have given ground to the devil.
Eph. 5:16 “redeeming the time
because
the days are evil.”
YLT: “redeeming the time
because the days are
evil;”
Meaning of Words: “redeem”: to purchase
redeem entirely; “Time”:
opportunity;
Literal Meaning: “redeeming
the time” has two meanings: (1)
the word “redeem” means that we have to pay the price to redeem our squandered time and wisely use each minute and
second of our time. (2)
“Time” is opportunity in the original
indicating that each minute
of our time is an opportunity given by God to us. We need to seize every
opportunity to
live a meaningful life.
“Because the days are evil”
why shall we
redeem the time? It is because
the days are evil. There are many things today that are evil and consume
our time. If we are going to
redeem the time
we shall
overcome the evil of the days.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All those who
are progressive in this world try to redeem the time to achieve their goals on this
earth. In contrast
we
the children of God
ought to redeem the time to
know the will
of God. Otherwise
we will be like the unwise mentioned
in the following verse (v.17).
2) The enemy usually uses the good and spiritual
things to consume our time and distract our attention to make us be unable to
focus on Christ Himself. Therefore
we shall try to redeem the time that was
spent on other things in the past and focus on Christ Himself now. Otherwise
we will be the spiritual “unwise”.
3) Among
the grace given
to us by God
all of them
are gradually increased
except for the “time”
which becomes less and less.
4) A
truly wise men
is one who knows
how to properly seize every opportunity given by God and spend it on the most valuable things.
5) Man
is fallen and lost before
the eyes of God. How
long a man remains in the sins
he will correspondingly
lose that much time as well. Therefore
if anyone wants to redeem the time
the man himself should
be redeemed first.
Eph. 5:17 “Therefore do not be unwise
but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
YLT: “because of this become not fools
but --
understanding what the will of the Lord
”
Meaning of Words: “unwise”: an unwise person or one who
is generally ignorant;
Literal Meaning: “but
understand what the will of the Lord is”
we should take the will of God as the goal in our life. All the conduct
outside the will of God is of vanity. Only in the will of God can we redeem the time. One of
the foremost concerns for a Christian
is to discern what God
wants him to do.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We
know from
this verse that those who are “unwise” are those who do not know the will of
God.
2) Admittedly
the conduct is out of one’s
life
but once a man has obtained the life
he still needs cultivation
so that
he may walk becomingly. Though believers have the life of God
they still have
to understand the will of God so that they will walk worthily of the Lord (Col
1:9-10).
3) The will of God can be known through careful
search. A
sloppy
careless and muddled
man cannot understand. Therefore
if we
want to be wise and spiritual
we shall treasure
our time (v.16) and seek to
know the will of God in the reasonable application of
time.
4) The will of God shall not be counted as big
or small. What a
believer has
to seek is whether it is of the Lord’s will or not.
We should never think that we
have to keep the will of the Lord in big matters but
can disregard it in small
matters.
5) The
focus of the will of the Lord is that
all those who belong to Him will
come to the full knowledge of Christ
(Eph. 4:13). Only those who have
truly known
Christ have understood the will of the Lord.
Eph. 5:18 “And do not be drunk with
wine
in which is dissipation; but
be filled with the Spirit
”
YLT: “and be not drunk with wine
in which is
dissoluteness
but be filled in the Spirit
”
Meaning of Words: “dissipation”: excessive
intemperate
waste
unsavedness;
Literal Meaning: “do
not be drunk with wine”
“being drunk with wine” is the temporary fervency
which makes man be aberrant
dissipated or corrupted and even
be unable to restrain oneself from doing something.
“In
which is dissipation”
“dissipation” does not only mean the dissipated acts
but also wasting property. It is not the wine that makes man be dissipated
but
being drunk with the wine makes one be dissipated. Therefore
one should not
drink wine so as to prevent from being drunk with it.
“But be
filled with the Spirit”
the
opposite part of “being drunk with wine” is “being
filled with the Spirit”. The life of Christians should live the life
that is filled with the Holy Spirit.
“One should be filled with…”
this verb has these features: (1) it is passive
---- it is the Holy Spirit that actively fills in us
so that we may be filled
with the Holy Spirit. (2) It is a command ---- though it is passive
we should
come to “ask” and “seek”. (3) It is the present tense ---- it indicated that we
should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit continually.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When we
are filled with the Spirit
we may have some semblance of being drunk (Act
2:13-17) outwardly
but in reality we do not lack the temperance as those who are
drunk with wine. A man who is truly filled with the Spirit will show that he is
properly controlled by the Holy Spirit.
2) To “be
filled” indicates that we have not received a little of the Spirit
but
abundant measure of it.
Our receiving of the Holy Spirit should not be in a small petty measure
but in
full measure.
3) D.L. Moody said
“If we want to live the
victorious Christian life
we need
not draw out the hidden sins within us and disregard them
we only need to be
filled with the Spirit.”
Eph. 5:19 “speaking
to one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord
”
YLT: “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
”
Literal Meaning: “psalms”
it refers to
the psalms in the Old Testament
which were sung with
the accompaniment of the musical instruments in that days.
“Hymns”: songs used by the saints to praise
and worship God.
“Spiritual songs”:
impromptu songs with rhythms
composed by believers in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
“Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”
it indicates
that our praising of the Lord is not just in words or on our tongues (1 Jn. 5:18)
but also in spirit and
reality (Jn. 4:24). Otherwise
we will
not be accepted by the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The
result of being filled with the Spirit is “speaking to one another and singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord”
for the work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ. Whether it is the true work of the Holy Spirit lies in whether Christ has received more praise and
glory.
2) A
Christian does
not enjoy the false
happiness by anaesthetizing
him in his life
but seeks to be
filled with the
Spirit in praising God.
3) When our hearts are filled with gratitude towards
God
then very spontaneously we will
praise Him.
4) When
praise and worship to God are
overflowed through one’s life
others will
touch the spirit of worship in him.
5)
The peak our
spiritual exercise is to be in the
spirit of worship in life.
6) Praise from men’s effort will definitely not be
harmonious. However
praise from men’s heart will be a pure and delightful song of praise.
Eph. 5:20 “giving thanks always for
all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
”
YLT: “giving thanks always for all things
in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to the God and Father;”
Literal Meaning: “all
things” means all things that come from the Lord. We should willingly accept all that has been arranged
by God for us… whether it is good or bad
bitter or joyful.
“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
we shall always live in the Lord
be joined to
the Lord
and give thanks in His name.
“Giving thanks always”
the
most obvious mark of being filled with the Holy
Spirit is that
the one may give thanks always for all things to
God. “God the Father”
God has the dual relation with us ---- sometimes
He relates to us as a God
and sometimes as the
Father. It
is always God first and Father afterwards.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The principle of the believers’ life is not based on reasons
but on whether we can do things in the
name of the Lord and
give thanks to the God.
2) No one can be saved without knowing the name of
the Lord. And no one can be truly
used by the Lord without knowing
the power of Lord's name.
3) The name of the Lord Jesus Christ is a name
given to
man now (Act 4:12). The Lord has entrusted His
name to us
so we should do
everything in His name.
4) Everyone may dislike those who are
ungrateful
yet we ourselves often overlook to give thanks.
5) There is a saying: “The hardest kind of
arithmetic to learn is
learning
to count the grace we have received.”
6) Believers
shall not only “always” give thanks
to God
but give
thanks to God “in
all things”.
Eph. 5:21 “submitting to one another
in the fear of God.”
YLT: “subjecting yourselves to one another in the
fear of God.”
Literal Meaning: “in
the fear of God”
in
the original
it
is “being in fear of Christ”. To fear Christ is to fear Christ who is the head of the Church. The
other side of the life of praise
is to acknowledge the power of Christ
and to fear
Christ. Fear
means fearing ---- being afraid of disappointing Him and making
Him sad.
“Submit to one another”
the mind
of fear must be manifest in our life
i.e. an
attitude of submission. “One
another”: the
relationship among
the members. Once the relationship of the members is not right
it will offend
the Head
Christ.
“Submit to one another” is a significant mark of a person who has been filled by the Holy
Spirit. This is also an
attitude of showing respect to each other. We should not
only submit to the Lord
but also
to those whom the Lord makes
us submit. Outwardly
we are
submitting to men. However
we are submitting to the God inwardly.
This verse leads to the next paragraph
which mentions the relationship between husband
and wife
parent and children
as well as master
and bond servant. “Submit
to one another”
means that we
all have to stand on our own positions. For fear of hurting the heart of our Head
we shall keep our own positions and submit to one another.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) In the church
no one is the “head”
for only Christ is the “head”. Therefore all of us have to submit to one another.
The problem in the church today is that a lot of men want to be
the head.
2) We should have
the heart of fearing Christ at
first
so that
we will be able to submit to one another.
3) He who really fears the Lord is
the one who is truly willing
to follow the examples of the Lord
who served others on the earth
so we should serve others
and learn to
submit to one another.
4) If a believer lives in a right condition in his
individual life before the Lord
he should also seek to be right in the corporate life among the saints. Many children of God love the
Lord every much in
their private life
but when they are gathered with other saints
their problems will be completely manifested.
Eph. 5:22 “Wives
submit to your own
husbands
as to the Lord.”
YLT: “The wives! to your own husbands subject
yourselves
as to the Lord
”
Literal Meaning: “wives”
according to ordinary customs
husbands may be mentioned first
and then wives
but
here the Bible puts
it in the reverse order. There are
two reasons:
1) The
first couple got into trouble for the sake of Eve. Therefore
in the sight of God
it is
the wife that firstly makes the mistake
so the wife shall be
firstly persuaded.
2) The husband
represents Christ while the wife represents the church.
Therefore
the church
shall be firstly encouraged.
“Submit to your own husbands
as to the Lord”
wives must submit to their own husbands as to the
Lord. It does not
mean that submitting to the
husband and submitting
the Lord are of the same level
but that submitting
to husbands is the responsibility of
wives given by Christ. To submit is an inward attitude
showing full submission to the authority ---- this is
true and deep.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Submit” is a neutral verb
means being willing
to submit. The submission of the wife is not fiercely commanded by the brutal
husband.
2) In
creation of God
men and women are equal in status
value
and dignity. However
in the will of God
their
functions and
the rolls they play are distinct.
3) The
secret of
submitting to the husband is submitting to the
Lord.
4) This
verb indicates that
wives should
submit to their “own” husbands. Many wives can submit to other
women’ husbands and say that other women’ husbands are good
but cannot
submit to their own husbands.
Eph. 5:23 “For the husband is head of
the wife
as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the
body.”
YLT: “because the husband is head of the wife
as
also the Christ head of the assembly
and he is saviour of the body
”
Literal Meaning: “husband
is head of the wife”
this
is Lord's arrangement for man
not
the matter concerning equality.
“As also Christ is head of the church”
it states that it is indisputable that God makes the husband be the head of the wife
as it is indisputable that Christ is
head of the church.
“He is the savior of the body”
Christ is
not only the
head of the church
but also is the savior of the “body”. It
denotes that though the husband is the head of
the wife
he can not randomly use his position of being the head
to suppress wife
for the husband will never be the savior
of the wife.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) There will never be two heads in a body. Likewise
there can never be two heads in a single family
or else
there will be confusion.
2) That Christ is
the head speaks
of His dominion. And that Christ
is the savior
speaks of His grace and love. Christ
comes to be the head
of Church in
His boundless grace and
love.
Eph. 5:24 “Therefore
just as the church
is subject to Christ
so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
YLT: “but even as the assembly is subject to
Christ
so also the wives to their own husbands in everything.”
Literal Meaning: there is a word “but” in the beginning of this
verse in the original. It means though Christ is the savior of the church
the husband can not be the savior
of wife
the
wife should still submit to the husband
just as the church
submits to Christ.
“Submit to their own husbands in everything”
it is a matter concerning authority.
Therefore
the wives have to submit in everything. “Everything” is limited to the matters within a family
only. Even though in this area
it
should also be in the principle
of the faith in Christ.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord
uses the matter of wife’s
submission to husband remind the church
to submit to Christ. And He
also uses the matter of church’s submission to Christ to remind sisters to
submit to their own husbands.
2) Only
when a man
knows the proper relation between
Christ and the church
will he understand the true
meaning of husband
and wife
thus manifesting a normal married life.
3) It will be of no difficulty that Christ be
the head of the church
if all the children of God submit to the Lord in their daily life. Or else
the church may lose its testimony of the
body.
4) That the church submits
to Christ in everything is
an example for the wife’s submission to her
husband. In other words
there will be good
family life as long as there is good church life.
Eph. 5:25 “Husbands
love your wives
just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her
”
YLT: “The husbands! love your own wives
as also
the Christ did love the assembly
and did give himself for it
”
The
Background: the
ancient world is a the
world of men
even it was so in the family.
Among the
Jews
the position of the
wife is just a little bit higher than a slave. The Greeks even kept the women
in a certain room of their houses
and did
not allow them
to eat with men.
Literal Meaning: “love
your wives”
in the third
chapter of Genesis (3:16)
God judged that husband would rule over
the wives. Why here it does not command that husbands
should rule over wives
but
exhorts
the husbands should
love their wives? It is because
love is the real effective ruling.
Therefore
husbands should not
be proud of the headship
for it is not with authority
but in love.
In Genesis
the words of “the wives’
being ruled
over” were spoken to the women.
“And gave
Himself for her”
“gave” means that Christ gave Himself for the church for the sake of His love to her.
This is the
greatest gift. Christ loves the church.
He lay down His life (put Himself
to death) in
order to give birth to and
gain the church. Here
we can see the will of the Lord does not lie in
any individual
but in the church.
That Christ has gained us is
for the purpose
of building the
church.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christ
is the head
of the church (v.23). However
he does not boast His
commanding position or treat His church in a bossy manner
but rather
“loves the church
and gave Himself for the church”. That He becomes the head in the sacrificial love has just manifested the nature of Christ's authority. In the church
the condition of one’s being unwilling to humble
them or lacking the authority of tender love is just that the flesh sits on the throne
which cannot truly represent
Christ's authority.
2) The love
of the husband to the wife should not be an occupying
love
but rather a sacrificial one.
3) A
sacrificial love never
demands
anything from others
but seeks to give to others.
4) The
unselfish love of the husband encourages
the wife to obey the wife. Even the husband has
to sacrifice himself for the happiness of his
wife without hesitation.
5) The
Bible demands the wife
to submit and husband to love. Outwardly
it seems to demand two different virtues
but actually they both
require self-denial and self-sacrifice in order to have real
submission and real
love. Therefore
the
requirement of the Bible toward husband and wife are the same in fact.
6) The relationship between husband and wife is interrelated. However
it benefits the other one from sacrificing one’s self first. The wife's submission is
self-denial
so is the husband’s
love. The marriage of Christians is
not sowing to one’s flesh. Family should not be a
Christian’s
fallen ground
but a Christian’s
practicing ground.
Eph. 5:26 “that He might sanctify and
cleanse her with the washing of water by the word
”
YLT: “that he might sanctify it
having cleansed
with the bathing of the water in the saying
”
The Background: in the old
days
when a Jewish girl got
married
there
would be a
ceremonial bath before
the wedding ceremony. After that
she would put on the beautiful gown and wait
for the groom.
Literal Meaning: “with
the washing of water by the water”
“water”
refers to the risen
life of the Lord as well as the
Holy Spirit. “Word” is rhema (the subjective word)
not logos
(the objective word).
Logos is a great message which was revealed by God in this universe. Until a certain day
some word of God touches you and inspires you through the working of the Holy Spirit
and it becomes rhema.
“Cleanse her (the church)”
“cleanse”: remove. The risen life of the Lord in us is taking off everything that
is of the old creation. This is the washing of the water of life.
“That He might sanctify”
Christ gave Himself for the church in order to sanctify the church.
Sanctification is that the life of God comes into us and makes us be separated
from others. Only
the church is sanctified in all things and
is able to match Him and will be
one with Him.
“Washing” is to get rid of sins and uncleanness. “Sanctify”: purify or
consecrate; “Washing” is the way of being sanctified.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When we are enjoying the fellowship with the Lord
the Lord often
uses His words to wash off our natural spots
and wrinkles in us.
2) There
are many so-called children of God who are
not willing to be cleansed by the truth
but fervently live out of the truth
without paying any attention to the Lord’s
will of building
the church. This is a reason why the church has
not attained
to its fullness on the earth.
3) One of
the problems of the church
is that there is only the
objective
and dead
doctrine
but lacks the subjective and living words.
Eph. 5:27 “that He might present her
to Himself a glorious church
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing
but
that she should be holy and without blemish.”
YLT: “that he might present it to himself the
assembly in glory
not having spot or wrinkle
or any of such things
but that
it may be holy and unblemished;”
Meaning of Words: “spot”: scar
spot; “blemish”:
spot or mixture on a piece of jade;
Literal Meaning: “present
her to Himself “
is
a special term use in wedding ---- to lead
the bride to the front of the groom. Christ gave himself to the church in order to sanctify the church.
And that the church is sanctified in order to
being presented to Christ Himself. This is the purpose of
purpose.
“A glorious Church”
means
that the church
will be put
on glory and be girded with
glory.
“Without blemish”
He
will wash the church
to the point that
it seems have no spots or dirt.
“Wrinkle” is a mark of senescence. The reason for the wrinkle of the church is the measure of the new
creation is insufficient and
the elements of the old creation still remain. Therefore
it soon gets old. The Lord will work in the church to an
extent that there is no
oldness remaining.
Everything will be
new.
“Any such thing”
it
means that
there is not any
spot outside or any wrinkle inside and even there is no defect like that.
“But holy and without blemish”
it means by then the church
will be absolutely
perfect without
any damage or spot or blemish.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The
highest peak of sanctification is glory. Today the church can not be fully glorified
because the flesh
of man has
covered the
glory. When the wedding of the lamb
comes
the church will be a glorious church. God will fully be manifested through the church.
2) The blemishes of the church have been washed by the blood of Christ. But the spots of the church and the
elements of the old creation should be
washed through life. We will be fully sanctified and enter
into the glory until we are
brought to see the Lord.
3) God sees the church from the inside
spiritual
and eternal viewpoints
but man often look at the church
from the outside
humanly
and present viewpoints.
No wonder that man’s appraisal of the church is
different from that of God.
4) Christ
loves the Church ---- He not only gave His life to redeem the church (v. 25)
but rather would wash the church (v.26) with the life in His word ---- “the water in the word” to make her a fully rich church that is holy
glorious
unblemished
pure ---- no “spot”
fresh ---- no
“wrinkle”
and to present it to Himself. Here
what Christ has done for the church because of
love are as follows: for
the past
He
saved us;
for the present
He works until the church
is filled
with His fullness; for the future
He will unite with her eternally. Oh
the love of Christ toward the church
is really excellent
and incomparable!
Eph. 5:28 “So husbands ought to love
their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.”
YLT: “so ought the husbands to love their own
wives as their own bodies: he who is loving his own wife -- himself he doth
love;”
Literal Meaning: “as”
how Christ
gave Himself for the church to perfect the church
likewise
the husband should
also lay down his life for the benefit of His wife.
“As their own bodies”
it
means husbands should love
their own wives to the extent as
loving himself.
How much he loves himself
the
same degree that he should love his
wife.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) He
who does
not love his own wife does
not love himself.
2) Man may often tend to be considerate
of themselves and find excuses for themselves.
Husbands should love
their own wives to such an extent.
3) The love
of a husband toward his wife can never be compared with the
love of Christ
toward the church.
Therefore
no husband
should ever think the love he has given to his wife is too much.
Eph. 5:29 “For no one ever hated his
own flesh
but nourishes and cherishes it
just as the Lord does
the church.”
YLT: “for no one ever his own flesh did hate
but
doth nourish and cherish it
as also the Lord -- the assembly
”
Literal Meaning: “nourishes
and cherishes”
“nourish” focuses on
feeding
supply
the nutrition to the body.
“Cherish” emphasizes the attendance
showing amiable
consideration.
“Just as the Lord does the Church”
Christ gave the church the
spiritual nutrition and gave her intimate attendance
just like
a mother does
her nursing baby.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christ
loves the church
like one loves his own body
always “nurturing” ---- feeding
and “cherishing”
her ---- taking care of. Admittedly
how unceasingly
that Christ is always feeding
the church with His riches to make the church grow up
and how tenderly He always cares for the church so that the church
is protected. To such Christ who loves
the church so much
how can we not love Him
long for Him
and submit to Him?
2) The husband should nourish and
cherish the wife and meet
all her need and warm her heart with soft and gentle love as he does his body.
3) That the husband
“nourishes and cherishes” his wife must include protection
nourishing
caring
and cherishing.
Eph. 5:30 “For we are members of His
body
of His flesh and of His bones.”
YLT: “because members we are of his body
of his
flesh
and of his bones;”
Literal Meaning: the Lord nourishes and cherishes the church that
much
for the church is His body and we are the members of His body ---- we are of His flesh and of His bones
for the church is a part of the Lord Himself
like Eve who was out of
Adam. The church partakes of the flesh and
bones only
not the blood Christ
for His blood
had been shed on the cross for us. The risen Christ has
bones and flesh
but no blood. That means He has put off the natural
life
and only the risen life remains. Therefore
the church is the body of Christ.
Eph. 5:31 “"For this reason a man
shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife
and the two shall
become one flesh." ”
YLT: “`for this cause shall a man leave his father
and mother
and shall be joined to his wife
and they shall be -- the two --
for one flesh;'”
Literal Meaning: “a
man shall leave his father and mother”
it does not teach us that we shall
disregard our parents
and not take
care of them
but
that marriage is the most divine one
among all the relationships in mankind.
If any of them
either the husband or the wife
has not been delivered from the influence
on their parents in their marriage
it will be hard to live a joyful life.
“Be joined to his wife”
in the original
it means
“sticking” to his wife
whose meaning is deeper than being united.
“The two shall become one flesh”
originally
the wife is a part of the husband. Now the wife is going back to husband and the two shall
become one flesh. “One
flesh” is not only the union in the flesh
but also in mind
and spirit
which typifies that Christ will be jointed to the church completely.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is an unchangeable law that children
should honor their
parents. The union
of husband and wife is
even more intimate than the relationship between parents and children.
2) The life
of marriage must manifest
the reality of unity. If the Christian
couples have very
superficial relationships and merely constrain
to maintain their
marriage
they
have violated the teaching that “the two
become one flesh.”
3) The love
of the husband towards his wife transcends his love
towards his parents.
4) “A man
shall leave his father and mother”
it means getting rid of
the initial and traditional relationship. “Join to his wife
and the two
shall become one flesh”
it
speaks of the complete
union of
Christ and the church.
The experience of the believers
can verify that only when the church
has been more completely separated
from all the old and
traditional elements
will the
church be able to have a more
profound and intimate union with Christ. Concerning this matter
we need the intense work of the cross.
Eph. 5:32 “This is a great mystery
but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
YLT: “this secret is great
and I speak in regard
to Christ and to the assembly;”
Literal Meaning: that
the husband and the wife shall become one
flesh is a great
mystery
but the apostle refers this to Christ and the church. Since the church is out of Christ
the
two shall become
one.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The mystery of the union of
Christ and the church can only be understood slightly from the relationship of the husband and the wife that will
be one flesh.
2) In a certain marriage
both the husband and the wife should be
identified with the way that Christ deals with the church and that the church
deals with Christ and treat each other accordingly.
Eph. 5:33 “Nevertheless let each one
of you in particular so love his own wife as himself
and let the wife see that
she respects her husband. ”
YLT: “but ye also
every one in particular -- let
each his own wife so love as himself
and the wife -- that she may reverence
the husband.”
Literal Meaning: “love
your wife”:
nourish and cherish;
“Respects”
in
original text
it
is “fear”. The
Lord commands the husband to love his wife
yet the wife should
also take two responsibilities:
(1) submit; (2)fear. Wife should submit and fear her husband
because the husband is the head on behalf of Christ.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If the husband does not love the wife and the
wife also does not respect or
fear the husband
they have
not only committed the moral sins
but also violated the typification of God. To commit moral sins is serious
matter
but to violate the typification
and order of God is a much more serious matter.
2) Husband should love the wife
like Christ loves the church. The wife should also learn to
submit to and
fear the husband
like they obey and
fear the Lord.
3) The unselfish love of the husband to his wife will greatly encourage
the wife to submit. A husband who does
not love
his wife with his heart is
unqualified
to demand his wife's submission.
4) The more the wife submits to and fears
her husband
the more will she
receive the love of the husband.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
The Behavior One Should Have in the New Life
A. As Dear Children:
1. Who shall walk in love (v.1-2)
2. Who shall have a sanctified life (v.3-6)
B. As the Children of Light:
1. The reason why believers should be like te
children of light (v.7-8)
2. The nature of the fruit of light (v.9-10)
3. The significance of the light lies in
exposing the darkness (v.11-13)
4. They shall awake
that Christ will give them light (v.14)
C. As Wise:
1. Who shall walk circumspectly ---- do not
be fools (v.15)
2. Who shall redeem the
time ---- do not follow the days(v.16)
3. Who shall understand what the will of the Lord
is ---- do not be unwise (v.17).
4. Who shall be filled with the Holy Spirit
---- do not be
drunk with wine (v.18)
5. Who shall give
thanks always for all things to God
---- do not grumble at God (v.19-20)
6. Who shall submit to
one another ---- do not despise
Christ (v.21)
Seven Pictures of Being Filled with the Holy
Spirit
A. Who are like the dear children (v.1)
B. Who walks in love (v.2)
C. Who gives oneself to God (v.2)
D. Whose words are fit for the saints (v.4)
E. Christ reigns in the believer’s heart (v.5)
F. Who has the enlightenment of Christ (v.14)
G. Who understands the will of the Lord (v.17)
Seven “Shall”s for the Conduct of Believers
A. They shall walk circumspectly (v.15).
B. They shall redeem the
time (v.16).
C. They shall understand the will of the Lord
(v.17).
D. They shall be filled with the Holy Spirit
(v.18).
E. They shall always praise the Lord (v.19).
F. They shall do everything in the name of the
Lord (v.20)
G. They shall submit to
one another in the fear of Christ (v.21)
The Responsibilities of the Wife
A. Who shall “submit”
to her own husband
(v.22)
B. Who shall be
subject to her husband “in
everything” (v.24)
C. Who shall be holy and without blemish for the sake of her husband (v.26-27)
D. Who shall “fear” her husband (v.32)
The Responsibilities of the Husband
A. Who shall love his wife and give himself for her (v.25)
B. Who shall love his wife as his own body
(v.28-29)
C. Who shall nourishes and cherishes his wife (v.29)
D. Who shall be joined to his wife (v.31)
The Relationship Between Christ and the
Church
A. Christ is the head of the church (v.23)
and
the church is His body (v.30).
B. Christ is the Savior of the whole church (v.23).
C. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her (v.25).
D. Christ might sanctify and
cleanse the church with the washing of water
by the word (v.26-27).
E. Christ nourishes and
cherishes the church (v.29).
F. Christ and the church shall become one flesh (v.31-32).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Overcomer Wu & Mary
Zhou