Ephesians 5:15-21

Any conversation about marriage finds itself investigating Ephesians 5:22-33. This is the classic passage that sets out that the gold standard for a marriage is to reflect Christ and the Church. A beautiful text and a high calling.

However, laying out that that wives should submit to their husbands because a difficult construction when verse 21 says we should submit to each other.

Voddie Baucham greatly helped in understanding this. The following outline was provded by him at a conference. To date, I have listened to about five of his messages, three of which left me stunned at his Biblical clarity.

To rightly understand Ephesians 5:22-33, we must understand the context. A closer examination of 5:22, however, reveals a couple of things:

1. "Hupotasso" (be subject) is not found in verse 22. It is borrowed from verse 21.

2. Verse 21 is the end of a sentence, therefore we need to work up futher to the beginning of the thought. This will take us up to verse 15.

From verse 15, Voddie laid out a pattern of three threes (I'll attempt to display them in outline format.

Contrast One: Unwise/wise (v 15)

Contrast Two: Foolish/Understand (v 17)

Contrast Three: Drunk/Filled w/Spirit (v 18).
Commandment One: Worship (v 19)
Commandment Two: Thanksgiving (v 20)
Commandment Three: Submission (v 21)
Context One: Wife/Husband (v 22-33)
Context Two: Child/Father (6:1-4)
Context Three: Employee/Employer (6:5-9)

Paul draws a great picture. WIth his third contrast, he offers three commandments. On the third commandment, he offers three contexts.

Whether toward a boss, toward a parent or toward a husband, a believer can show that they are Spirit filled by their response to authority. Being Spirit filled is God's pleasing desire for us, similar to being wise and having understanding. I found this observation interesting for the following reasons:

1. It's totally cool to see the detail Paul uses. It truly is like watching an artist!

2. It gives feet to the sometimes nebulous concept of being Spirit filled. Though not necessarily an exclusive list, we at least know a Spirit filled person worships, gives thanks and submits.

3. Makes more sense of marriage. I've struggled with verse 21, thinking it fits into verse 22. Is the husband to submit to his wife? Does submission work that way? If the husband and wife are to submit to one another, does that mean Christ occasionaly submits to the Church?

Furthermore, the other two examples (parenting and workplace) do not seem to convey mutual submission. Instead, they convey that we all submit to appropriate authority.

[As a side, there is nothing wrong or unequal when speaking of submission. Submission does not mean inequality. Consider the Trinity. Christ submits to the Father but is fully equal to the Father. Conversely, we never see the Father submitting to the Son. As His image bearers, we reflect the Trinity when we respond properly to authority, not out of inequality, but out of genuine Biblical submission.]