The Letters · New Testament
Ephesians 5
Ephesians 5: walking as children of light and the household turn
General context
Paul tells the readers to follow God as dear children and to walk in love, pointing to Christ giving himself as an offering and a sacrifice. Fornication, uncleanness and covetousness should not even be named among them, nor filthiness, foolish talking or jesting; thanksgiving takes their place. No whoremonger, unclean person or covetous man, whom he calls an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God; he warns against vain words and against sharing in what brings wrath on the children of disobedience. They were once darkness and are now light in the Lord, so they should walk as children of light and reprove the unfruitful works of darkness rather than share them, since light makes things visible. A quoted call to wake and rise follows. Then he tells them to walk carefully, not as fools, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Instead of being drunk with wine they are to be filled with the Spirit, speaking in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, giving thanks, and submitting one to another in the fear of God. From there the letter addresses a household. Wives are told to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, since the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the church. Husbands are told to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, and as their own bodies. A line about a man leaving father and mother and becoming one flesh with his wife is quoted, called a great mystery and applied to Christ and the church, before the section closes with love from the husband and reverence from the wife.
Cited passages: Ephesians 5:1, Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:3, Ephesians 5:4, Ephesians 5:5, Ephesians 5:6, Ephesians 5:7, Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 5:10, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13, Ephesians 5:14, Ephesians 5:15, Ephesians 5:16, Ephesians 5:17, Ephesians 5:18, Ephesians 5:19, Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:23, Ephesians 5:25, Ephesians 5:28, Ephesians 5:29, Ephesians 5:31, Ephesians 5:32, Ephesians 5:33
Ephesians 5 (KJV)
1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
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Historical context
Two quotations appear and the letter names a source for neither. Verse 14 is introduced as Wherefore he saith and printed as Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, with no book, prophet or psalm attached to it. Verse 31 prints For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24 prints Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh, so the letter reads joined unto where Genesis reads cleave unto and adds the word two. The chapter then states outright that it is reading that line about something else, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. The household instructions name no individual, no city and no circumstance, and the chapter gives no date, journey or companion.
Cited passages: Ephesians 5:14, Ephesians 5:31, Ephesians 5:32, Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:25, Genesis 2:24
Literary context
One verb holds the first half together. Walk in love, walk as children of light, and walk circumspectly each restart the instruction, so conduct is treated as a road rather than a rule book. Light and darkness supply the reasoning in between, and the argument is practical: things become visible when they are reproved. The household section is joined to what comes before rather than announced. Verse 21 tells everyone to submit to one another, and only then does the letter turn to wives, husbands, and in the next chapter to children and servants. The space is unequal. Wives receive three verses, husbands the eight that follow, and a final verse addresses both. The husbands' instruction keeps returning to Christ giving himself rather than to authority. The quoted line about one flesh is read openly as a figure, which the writer says himself rather than leaving the reader to infer.
Cited passages: Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13, Ephesians 5:15, Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 5:22, Ephesians 5:24, Ephesians 5:25, Ephesians 5:27, Ephesians 5:31, Ephesians 5:32
Key moments
- Walk in love (Ephesians 5:2). The chapter opens by pointing to Christ's self-giving as the pattern.
- Darkness turned to light (Ephesians 5:8). The readers' past and present are named in one sentence.
- Awake thou that sleepest (Ephesians 5:14). A quoted call to wake and rise is introduced without a source.
- Filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Drunkenness is set against being filled with the Spirit.
- Submitting one to another (Ephesians 5:21). The household section opens with mutual submission.
- Love as Christ loved (Ephesians 5:25). Husbands are given self-giving as the measure.
- A great mystery (Ephesians 5:32). The quoted line about one flesh is openly read as a figure.
For reflection
The instruction to husbands is measured by Christ giving himself for the church rather than by what he is owed. Which is harder to hear in that, the standard or the fact that it comes with no limit attached?
