Ephesians chapter 5

Have you heard the story of the man who was searching for God’s will? “He took his Bible, opened it at random, and dropped his index finger onto the page. He assumed that the verse on which his finger landed would tell him what to do. But much to his amazement, his finger fell on Matthew 27:5 which says: Judas ‘went and hanged himself.’ Obviously the pages must have stuck together, so the man thought he had better try again. This time his finger came to rest on the admonition found in Luke 10:37: ‘Go, and do thou likewise.’ When he followed the procedure the third time, his finger pointed to John 13:27, which states: “What thou doest, do quickly.” This demonstrates how many Christians approach the Scriptures without regard to dispensational distinctions. How can we ever hope to have a full knowledge of His will when passages are taken out of context and merely applied devotionally?

Vs. 1… When Paul instructs us to be “followers of God,” he uses the Greek verb mimetes from which we get our English word “mimic.” To put it simply, we are to be “imitators of God” as dearly loved children. But in what sense could we ever hope to imitate God, who is infinite?

Theologians divide the attributes of God into two groups: noncommunicable and communicable: Noncommunicable simply refers to those attributes that are unique to God. They clearly distinguish Him from His creation; therefore, we are unable to partake in them. For example, God is omniscient, that is, He has knowledge of all things.

Communicable attributes are those attributes that we share with God, although not to the same degree or depth. They encompass love, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, etc.

Vs. 2 …Christ Himself is our example of how to walk in love. Love gives of itself. When we came to Christ someone cared. Someone visited us and told us of the Savior’s redeeming grace. Someone stopped by the hospital to pray for us. Someone loved us. If we are walking in love we will love our neighbor. Paul says: “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10).

Vs. 3-4… Now here is a surprising twist to the concept of love; we generally think about it in terms of doing kind deeds for others. However, here we are admonished to demonstrate love to others by fleeing fornication, all uncleanness, and covetousness. We should carefully note the apostle’s statement that these sins of the flesh are “not to be once named among you.” The philosophy of the world is: “One time won’t hurt anything; after all, you owe it to yourself. Who’s going to find out?”

Vs. 5-7…Fornication, whoremongering, and idolatry are pretty serious sins for a Christian, and Paul says those who practice these sins will lose their inheritance Now some Christians believe this passage is about lost people because Paul calls these sinners "the unrighteous," but this whole passage is addressed to and is about Christians. So what exactly does it mean to “not inherit the kingdom of God”?

Now another passage which deals with Christian flesh and the old nature is found in Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” There is absolutely NO question that Paul is discussing Christian flesh in this passage. In Romans 7:23 he points out: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Paul adds verse 18 because he is reminding those Christians who will do some of the sins Paul lists, or who will see others do them, that we are no longer under the law. These are the works of Christian flesh and Paul tells them the penalty for their sin---it is no longer death by stoning, it is a loss of inheritance. Galatians 5:21: “...of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” The inheritance is an EARNED REWARD not the loss of salvation. Colossians 3:24: “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

The purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ is not to determine an individual's salvation but rather to determine what rewards he will receive for the work he did while he was alive on the earth. Every Church Age Christian will face this judgment. II Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Notice we are judged for those things done in our bodies of flesh. In those bodies there is a continual conflict between the old and new natures. It is the eternal struggle which will only end in death or at the rapture, but we are told to yield ourselves to righteousness. Romans 6:19: “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” This yielding will earn us rewards, but unfortunately not all Christians yield to the Lord.

Many Christians continue to live as though they were lost. Paul exhorted all of us about this more than once. Galatians 5:16: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” He had to exhort us because the old man, the fleshly man, is so strong and as to be overpowering. Yielding to him leads to a defeated Christian life and loss at the Judgment Seat.

Vs. 8-9... When our first parents yielded to the tempter’s deception, they brought death and darkness upon the whole human race. This spiritual darkness keeps men from the love of God and leads to eternal condemnation. Darkness, then, is closely associated with unrighteousness. Please notice in regard to our former manner of life that Paul did not say, “we were in darkness,” although that is true too! Rather, we “were darkness.” We were by nature the children of wrath. Why does a dog bark? Because it has a dog’s nature. Likewise, a man sins because he is a sinner by nature.

Notice that the apostle also does not merely say “we are in the light” but rather we are light. Light speaks of righteousness, knowledge, and truth. If God has made you light, you don’t have to try to be light. Every form of life has its enemies. Birds prey on insects, but will fly away quickly when a cat is present. The chief enemy of the light is darkness. Your very presence in the midst of the unfruitful works of darkness will make the unbeliever uncomfortable.

Vs. 10…Having shown the importance of walking as the children of light, the apostle now gives us further instructions as how to accomplish this objective to the glory of God. First, we must understand the necessity of “proving what is acceptable unto the Lord”. Proving has the idea of putting things to a test. Although we take safety precautions to insure our own personal well being, we are often careless when it comes to our spiritual lives. How many times believers fall victim to a faulty decision making process, simply because they failed to ask the simple question, “What is God’s will in this matter?” The spiritually minded man proves all things to determine what is acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. This can only be achieved by having a well-rounded knowledge of the Scriptures. The Word of God is our guide to ascertain whether a thing “is” or “is not” well-pleasing to the Lord.

Vs. 11-13…Although we have passed from law to the dispensation of Grace, the principle of separation is still an integral part of God’s plans and purposes. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II Cor. 6:14,17). Believers are never to establish alliances, partnerships, or marriages with the unfruitful works of darkness. Of course, we must be careful to distinguish between separation and isolation. Believers are in the world, but are not to be of the world. We are to have contact with the unbeliever, if for no other reason than to share the gospel with them. Nevertheless, we must never partake in their manner of life. We, too, are a peculiar people—a light shining in a dark place (Titus 2:14).

Vs. 14…Here the apostle likens the believer to one who has been lulled to sleep by the attractions of the world. He challenges the Christian to arise from the dead---that is, we are not to entangle ourselves with the affairs of those who are spiritually dead. Time is too precious of a commodity to be wasted on things that have no eternal value. The Word of God, rightly divided, will direct our every step along the pathway of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Vs. 15-17…As Paul penned these words from his prison cell; he knew it would not be long before a great persecution would descend upon the Church. Since the days were growing more and more evil, the apostle wisely instructed the saints of that day to walk circumspectly. In other words, they were to walk carefully, accurately, with precision.

Paul cautions us further that we are to walk not as fools [unwise].” Those who live for themselves are unwise. The unwise man’s possessions are his life. Of course, there is nothing wrong with having material possessions. The problem arises when they possess you! Essentially, the apostle is admonishing us to make sure we have our priorities straight.

Vs. 18...The important word in this verse is the Greek word asotia (excess) literally it means unsavableness, destructive, ruinous, suicidal, deadly, road to ruin. This is the same word Jesus used in Luke 15 in describing the prodigal son when He said “riotous living”. Paul is not encouraging the saints at Ephesus to be moderate drinkers. The word excess is not talking about the amount of alcohol you consume; he is warning them that drinking alcoholic wine is a destructive, suicidal lifestyle. The Romans actually had a god of wine to whom they gave themselves in drunken debauchery. The god of wine is Bacchus. The alternative to following after alcoholic beverage is to be filled with the Spirit. This has nothing to do with being drunk in the Spirit or getting high on Jesus as the Pentecostals like to talk about. It has everything to do with Eph. 3:16…being strengthened with might in the inner man”.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is mentioned fifteen times specifically in the New Testament, and all the references to it are found in the writings of Luke and Paul. In the Gospel of Luke it occurs four times (Luke 1:15; 1:41; 1:67 and 4: 1); in the book of Acts it is mentioned ten times ( 2: 4; 4: 8; 4: 31; 6: 3; 6: 5; 7: 55; 9: 17; 11: 24; 13: 9 and 13: 52); it is referred to in Ephesians once (5: 18), the only occurrence in Paul’s 13 epistles.

The first question we need to ask is, "Is the filling of the Holy Spirit a normal experience for all believers today?" If by "filling" of the Spirit one refers to instances where the fullness expresses a characteristic quality in the believer's life “And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 13:52), we would say, "definitely yes!” If, on the other hand, by "filling" we mean the instances where the Spirit came upon the disciples for special empowerment to perform miracles or speak prophetically (Acts 2: 4; 4: 3 1; 13: 9), we must say, "Emphatically no! This kind of filling was always seen as a sovereign act of God related to ministry, and not to maturity. Spiritual maturity may have increased the likelihood of being filled this way, but this type of filling was not seen as producing the maturity. Christian maturity is based on our identification with the Lord Jesus in His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Reckoning on our co-death with Him sets us free from the governing power of the principle of sin in our lives, while reckoning on our co-resurrection and ascension with Him brings the Spirit's ministry of providing His power to live the Christ-life. This twin theme is seen again and again in New Testament Scripture (Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:7-17; Gal. 2:20; 3:27; Eph. 1:3-14; 4:21-24; Phil. 3:10,11; Col. 3:1-3; 2 Tim. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:21-4:1).

Vs. 19-25… There is a vast difference between a Christian home and place where Christians dwell. Simply because a number of family members know the Lord does not necessarily mean that there is peace, harmony, and a spiritual climate in that home. Mr. James Weed of the National Center for Health Statistics has determined that newlyweds today have a greater than 50% chance of being divorced at some point in the future. Although studies differ, the current rate of marriages ending in divorce is estimated to be as follows: First year of marriage–61.6% end in divorce, five years–51.9%, and ten years–40%. Those are sobering statistics, that should cause each of us to ask the question: What can be done to turn the tide? The solution is really quite simple; we must submit ourselves to the Author and Finisher of our faith, who designed marriage in the beginning.

Since God designed the institution of marriage, wouldn’t it be reasonable to check with Him concerning the blueprint of the marriage relationship? God has established roles within the relationship that, if obeyed, will ultimately bring marital enjoyment. It was God who designed the marriage relationship and gave us the regulations to govern it. In fact, God Himself walked the first bride down the aisle (“and brought her unto the man”) and presented her to her husband-to-be.

Although we are living in the dispensation of Grace, the Holy Spirit reminds us in vs. 31 that the blueprint of marriage remains the same. The first rule of thumb for beginning the marriage relationship on the right foot is what has been called the “leaving and cleaving” process. The Lord is very clear that the man and the woman are to leave their father and mother, that is, they are no longer directly responsible to them.
First, once a young adult experiences his or her independence, they are less inclined to obey the wishes of their parents if they return home. In short, it teaches them responsibility. Second, it gives them more incentive to make their marriage work if they understand they can’t come running home at the first sign of a problem.

Within the marriage relationship God has established roles to ensure harmony. Husbands are instructed to love their wives, while the wife is given the role of submission. Although these roles are equally important, they are not one and the same. The husband, by order of creation, is given the position of headship. In other words, he was created first. The head of the woman is the man. The Scriptures clearly state: “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (I Cor. 11:8,9).

Submission plays a very important role in our lives. Although a wife may be just as capable as her husband regarding matters at home, she is instructed by God to place herself under her husband’s watchful care. As members of the Body of Christ we have willingly placed ourselves under His authority. “Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing” (Eph. 5:24). In a Christ-centered home, the woman’s first responsibility is to her family. Paul says: “The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness...teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).

The apostle instructs the older women (mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts, etc.) to teach the younger women “to be keepers at home.” In other words, how to cook, sew, clean, organize, and raise their little ones in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

While the Scriptures do give liberty for the woman to work outside the home, it is preferable if she doesn’t, especially if little ones are involved. A mother is only given one opportunity to have a positive impact upon her young. There are a number of examples in the Scriptures where women worked both within and outside the home. As we know, the virtuous woman burned the midnight oil. “She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard....She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff....She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant” (Prov. 31:16-24).

Vs. 23 & 33…The role the Lord has given to the man in the marriage relationship is headship. Many men have confused headship with dictatorship. A dictator selfishly demands the servitude of his subjects without regard to their will. He often rules oppressively through fear and unreasonable demands. Such behavior has no place in the Christian home. The husband who tramples his wife’s emotions under foot like a doormat should remember that she, too, is created in the image of God. Husbands are responsible to provide loving leadership for their wives to follow. In so doing, they are emulating Christ’s Headship. Notice that the Lord’s Headship is bound inseparably to love. Love does not come naturally in this sin cursed world; it must be learned (Titus 2:3-5). This strongly implies that men tend to be preoccupied with themselves. When the Lord confronted Adam about his disobedience, he sought to defend himself without any regard for the welfare of his wife. “It’s that woman you gave me, she’s to blame.” Love would have said, “Lord, I am the guilty party who failed to shield my wife from the words of the tempter.”

According to the eternal purpose of God, Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. To which the apostle adds: “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that 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.” When the trump sounds, the members of the Body of Christ will have the unique honor of being presented to the Lord. Think of it, sinners saved by grace, sanctified by grace, and delivered to glory by grace, will be displayed before the host of heaven as the trophies of His grace! This will one day be a reality because Christ loved us with a sacrificial love. In this same context the apostle states: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church” (Eph. 5:26-29). Husbands are to love their wives with a sacrificial love. The husband is to care for his wife and protect her, even as Christ does the Church. He is to cherish her as he does his own body. Paul is illustrating that, if a husband pays this type of attention to his wife, she will naturally reciprocate by following his leadership.

As we have seen, according to Ephesians 5:23, the husband is “the head of the wife.” Headship means leadership, that is, leadership governed by love. Biblical leadership involves responsibility, management, love, and compassion.

Interestingly, when Paul wrote to Timothy concerning the qualifications for those who desired to be an elder, he states: “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” (I Tim. 3:4,5).

Although we are unable to fully comprehend the mystical union that believers share in Christ, Paul uses Adam and Eve, by way of comparison, to help our understanding.

1. In the beginning God created the first man and woman. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Gen. 1:27).

2. We are a new creature in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17).

3. Eve received her life from Adam. “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Gen. 2:21, 22).

4. As members of the Body of Christ we receive our life from Christ. “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Col. 3:4; Gal. 2:20).

5. Since Adam was first formed then Eve, the head of the woman is the man. “But I would have you know that the … head of the woman is the man” (I Cor. 11:3).

6. Christ is the head of the Church, which is His Body. “And He is the head of the Body, the Church… that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).

7. God called their name Adam. “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created” (Gen. 5:1,2). Now, we have Adam (him) without Eve called Adam and both Adam and Eve called Adam.

8. According to the determinate counsel of God we are called the Church, the Body of Christ. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (I Cor. 12:12).

9. When God brought Adam and Eve together the two became one flesh. “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:23, 24).

10. The members of the Body of Christ are said to be one flesh with Him. “For we are members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” “So we, being many, are one Body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Eph. 5:30; Rom. 12:5). While Adam and Eve had no knowledge of what God had planned and purposed before the foundation of the world with regard to the Body of Christ, they nevertheless are used as a divine illustration of a wonderful truth. Namely, “they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.”

It is essential we keep in mind that the Church, the Body of Christ was hid in God from ages and generations past. Thus with the start of the dispensation of Grace a number of new metaphors are applied to the Church, such as: Body, stewards, ambassadors, etc. Some seem to think that Paul also speaks of us as the Bride of Christ here in Ephesians 5. But they have failed to distinguish between Paul’s usage of a metaphor and a simile. ‘Metaphor’ places one thing for another. It is representation. ‘Simile’ is a resemblance. We must therefore not say when comparing one thing with another that that one thing is another. Notice how Paul compares Christ and the Church of His Body, and the conduct of wives and husbands. Note the use of simile in every instance: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, AS UNTO THE LORD” (Eph. 5:22). “For the husband is the head of the wife, even AS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH”(vs. 23). “Husbands, love your wives even AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH, and gave Himself for it” (vs. 25). “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even AS THE LORD THE CHURCH” (vs. 29). So then, by using a simile instead of a metaphor Paul is desiring to show the resemblance between the marriage relationship and Christ and His Church. Paul points to the love relationship to demonstrate that “as Christ loved the Church,” husbands should love their wives. In like manner, wives are to resemble the Church by submitting to their own husbands. Nowhere does the apostle use the metaphor of a bride. In fact, just the opposite is true: “and He is the Savior of the BODY” (vs. 23). “For we are members of His BODY, of His flesh, and of His bones” (vs. 30).

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you AS A CHASTE VIRGIN TO CHRIST” (II Cor. 11:2).

Since the Corinthians lived careless lives, the apostle again uses the marriage relationship to show the importance of living a godly life in Christ Jesus. Marriages are built on trust, fidelity, and purity of heart and life. Paul was challenging the Corinthians to be faithful to the one who called them into His grace.