EPHESIANS 5:22-33
EPHESIANS 5:22-33
New International Version
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
EPHESIANS 5:33
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
REFLECTION
This verse gets tossed around and misused often. This whole chunk of scripture is one of the most beautiful glimpses of Jesus Christ (the Groom) and the Church (His bride). We see things like: “Husbands, love your wives and lay down your life just as Christ has done for His bride.” We also see: “Wives, submit to your husband as you do to the Lord.” Ultimately, this entire passage of scripture points to the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and the abundant life-changing grace that He purchased for us with His blood. There are very important lessons within marriage to be found here; but today, please focus on the main point. The main point is Jesus and His love for His bride. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we supernaturally serve, respect, honor, and submit ourselves to our spouses.
RESPONSE
What is your biggest takeaway from this passage?
Have you ever heard this verse being misquoted or misused?
Why is it difficult to serve, sacrifice, and submit without Jesus in our lives?
