Wives and Husbands
October 2, 2022

…submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. —Ephesians 5:21-33


God brings

and to the systems of the world.

“…submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” —Ephesians 5:21

“For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.” —Galatians 5:13-14

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interest of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus…” —Philippians 2:3-5

Mutual

provides the foundation for mutual .

“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.” —Ephesians 5:22-24

Paul seeks

those who had no power.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of his body.” —Ephesians 5:25-30

Paul calls for those with

to live in reverence for Christ.

Submission is a “voluntary yielding in love.” —Mark Roberts

“A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. Do not deprive one another - except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again.” —1 Corinthians 7:4-5

is the leader of each marriage.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.” —Ephesians 5:31-33


For further study:
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, Galatians 5:13-14; Philippians 2:1-8
Resources: “The Story of God Bible Commentary: Ephesians” by Mark D. Roberts

Community Group Guide:
How do we see the effects of sin in the systems of our world?
How would the world look if the systems were more equal and compassionate?
What thoughts did you have during the section on Paul’s words to wives and husbands? Were you discouraged or encouraged?
What are ways that we can mutually submit to one another?

To prepare for next week: Children and Parents; Ephesians 6:1-4