Ephesians 5:22-33

This is my final paper subject due May 2. Yeah.

As I struggle with the Greek, I wonder what is the "mystery" Paul speaks of in verse 32. Anyone have a great idea? Is the mystery about God and his church? Or is it about how married couples are to relate to one another?

Most would probably say it is about God and his church. So what specifically about God and his church? Is it how he saves the church through Jesus? Or is in how Jesus will purify his church? Or something else I can't think of right now?

I suspect they were as selfish and unlovable as we are today. Is that what the mystery is? How did they get pure and by washing with the word? That expression is a bit of a mystery to me. Different translations might imply different things. But most don't try to explain it. It is still a mystery.

Verse 21 introduces this section on specific roles Paul wants to speak on, first marriage, then child parent relations, they slave master relations "give way to one another". He must know these are places where the Ephesians need help.

Notice in verse 22 submission is only about wives to their own husbands. Paul advises wives to do this. And he gives reasons. But when he comes to husbands he gives a command. It's a polite command no doubt but the tone is different. Twice when he tells husbands to love their wives, this is a command in Greek.

But at least here, this is not about women submitting to men in general. And I'd read other passages carefully too. We are not to overgeneralize this passage here. Wives are to submit to their own husbands, not to any other man. Paul makes this crystal clear.

I think the difference in tone may be significant. And then Paul explains how to do these things by using the analogy to Christ and his church. We learn about submission in how we submit to God in Christ. We learn how to love by seeing how Christ loves us, sacrificially.

Of course a wife has no fear in submitting if her husband is loving her sacrificially as Jesus did for us. How rarely does that happen though. Paul has set a high bar to reach. Husbands really do not have the right to demand such submission if they cannot say they are loving like Jesus does us.

Paul's illustration about love to men is so great. We are to love our wives as we love ourselves. And before we object, "But I don't love myself." - I've heard this objection and even tried to use it - Paul cuts that off. He says, "Yeah you do, you feed your body and take care of it!" No matter how depressed you might get you still eat and get dressed in the morning.

I'd say this passage is about interpersonal relationships mainly. He draws in the analogy of Christ and his church to show us how to love and how to submit. Paul does not want to give them the excuse of ignorance.