Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19931128.htm

EPHESIANS: THE BUILDING AND COMPLETING OF THE CHURCH
Part III: The Construction of God's Church, Ephesians 2:1-6:20
C. God's Church Organization for Christian Unity, 4:4-16
3. "Truthing" In Love About Marital Relationships, 5:22-33
(Ephesians 2:1-6:20, 4:4-16, 5:22-33)
  1. Introduction
    1. The initial institution of human social relationships is marriage, Gen. 2:19-25. As such, it forms the foundation of all human interactions.
    2. However, marriage itself is under siege. Half of all marriages formed this year will end in divorce, and, as William F. Buckley has said, the illegitimate child is America's single greatest social tragedy. People who know the Lord as Savior are not immune, either.
    3. In "truthing" in love, the Apostle Paul relates the information pastors and teachers in the church are to convey to believers regarding the institution of marriage so that the Church can be unified and edified in love in Ephesians 5:22-33.
  2. "Truthing" In Love About Marital Relationships, Ephesians 5:22-33.
    1. A word to the Subordinate Party, the Christian Wife, Ephesians 5:22-24,33b.
      1. A Christian wife is to "submit" to her own husband as unto the Lord, Eph. 5:22.
      2. What this MEANS is described in Eph. 5:23-24,33b as follows:
        1. We must understand what "submission" of the wife is NOT: (1) It is not a license for a husband to abuse his wife to meet his own whims, for it is the WIFE--not the husband--who submits! (2) It is not a self-squelching exercise of the wife where she loses her personhood or identity in becoming a robot for her spouse, for the submission is to the LORD who is ABOVE the husband, cf. Bible Knowledge Commentary, N.T., p. 640. (3) It is not submission to another man, but to the wife's OWN husband, cf. Eph. 5:22 where the Greek word idiois is translated "one's own", UBS The Greek New Testament, p. 676; Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon, p. 370.
        2. We must understand what the wife's "submission" IS: (1) It is a godly woman viewing her need to obey GOD who is OVER her husband, and that her obedience to GOD includes subordinating herself to her earthly husband, cf. 1 Cor. 11:3. (2 ) It is trusting the sovereignty of GOD to override any mistakes or evil in her husband as the woman subordinates herself to her husband, 1 Peter 3:1 with 4:19. (3) It is a godly wife subordinating herself to her husband in all areas of her experience, EVEN if he is unsaved or carnal, cf. 1 Peter 3:1-6.
    2. A word to the Overseeing Party, the Christian Husband, Ephesians 5:25-33a.
      1. The Christian husband is not to harm or drain his wife, but to place the cost of her welfare upon himself so that she is nourished in every area of her life, Eph. 5:28-29.
      2. The pattern for the Christian husband to follow is Christ's treatment of the Church, Ep. 5:25-27: more specifically, this includes the following:
        1. The husband is to disciple his wife for the edification of her spiritual welfare, Eph. 5:26-27/
        2. The husband is to care for the earthly needs of his wife, whether they be physical, emotional or mental, Eph. 5:28-30.
        3. This investment in one's wife must include the husband's loss of his earthly life if the need arises, Ephesians 5:25c.
Lesson: For the institution of human marriage to work, the CONTEXT of Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches that one must be filled with the Holy Spirit, Eph. 5:18-21,22ff. That means that one gets his marriage together by (1) believing in Christ to become in dwelt and equipped with the Holy Spirit to function well in marriage, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:9b. (2) Then he must confess any sins outstanding for CONTROL of his desires and actions in marriage, 1 Jn. 1:9. (3) As the Spirit equips him with the DESIRE to functio n properly with his marital partner (Gal. 5:16-22), the believer then heeds the input in Ephesians 5:22-33 listed above and finds ability to DO these directives quite simply and easily!!