1. Ephesians Class Schedule
11/4/18 Eph 5: R. Henderson

2. The Family Life 5:15-6:9*
General Direction of Personal Conduct 5:15-21
Care with Regard to One’s Walk 5:15-16
Persistence with Regard to God’s Will 5:17
Being filled with/by the Sprit of God 5:18
Results of being filled with/by the Spirit 5:19-21
Subjection (to line up under) in Believers 5:21-6:9
As Pertains to the One Another 5:21
As Pertains to the Wife 5:22-24
As Pertains to the Husband 5:25-33
As Pertains to the Children/Parents 6:1-4
As Pertains to the Slaves/Masters 6:5-9
* adapted from McCalley

3. Review from last week
18a And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation,
18b but be filled with(by) the Spirit,
19a speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
19b singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
21  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Five participles follow with each describing the results of the filling of the Holy Spirit McCalley

4. 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ
21  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. 22  Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

5. 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
be subject - hypotassō - military term, "to rank under"
(hypo, "under," tassō, "to arrange")
passive voice, “to subject oneself.”
(present, passive, imperative sense)
to one another (first example of subjection)
note: all believers are to subject themselves to one another - see Gal 5:13, Phil 2:3, 1 Pet 5:5
in the fear of Christ - reverential fear of God - 2 Cor 5:11,
Acts 9:31, Eph 6:5
Submission to one another is placed on the highest footing: mutual submission of all to the headship of Christ. McCalley

6. 22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
The second example of subjection is wives to her husband
1st be subject to your own husbands (see Titus 2:5, 1 Pet 3:1)
2nd as be subject to the Lord (“as” setup an analogy)
saying it another way being subject to your husband reflects your being subject to the Lord
The submission of the wife to the husband is placed on a very high plane -- "as unto the Lord." ---this is not difficult for the wife to do providing the husband is unto her as he is enjoined to be in verse 25, where we read that the husband is to love his wife even as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it.
Chafer
How are we to be subject to the Lord?

7. God is always the focus in subjection
fear of Christ
believer
(subject)
as to the Lord
wife
husband
(subject)

8. the husband is the head of the wife (is = eimi)
23  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
Paul now gives us more details about subjection - headship!
for or because
the husband is the head of the wife (is = eimi)
head - kephalē - metaphorically of persons, i.e., the
head, chief, one to whom others are
subordinate
parallel verse:
1 Cor 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

9. 1 Cor 11:3 is a picture of God’s hierarchy (headship)
When does hierarchy involve superiority? *
God is the head of Christ
is God superior to Christ?
Christ is the head of every man
is Christ superior to man?
man is the head of a woman
is man superior to women?
* adapted from McCalley

10. as – denotes comparison with the former
23  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
as – denotes comparison with the former
Christ also is the head of the church
is - eimi – the state in which someone or something
continuously exists (present, indicative, active)
“head of the church” identifies who Christ is
parallel verse:
Eph 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave (to appoint) Him as head over all things to the church
also see Col 1:18, Eph 4:15

11. He Himself being the Savior of the body.
23  For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
He Himself being the Savior of the body.
What body is being spoken of in this verse?
others verses:
John 4: for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world."
1 Timothy 4: we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1 John 4:14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
What does this imply about the husband?

12. 24  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
More explanation and comparison on submission
But as the church is subject to Christ
but - alla - but now, but indeed, but further, moreover.
is subject - hypotassō – same as before – to line up under
(present, indicative, passive)
so also
the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything
in this manner also the wives should subject themselves in obedience to their husbands in all things Wuest

13. Comparison 1
head of
Christ
the Church
husband
head of
the wife
Comparison 2
subjects
itself
the Church
to Christ
subjects
herself
wife
to husband

14. two questions that arise about submission
24  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
two questions that arise about submission
Question 1- Does submission indicates inferiority?
answer: 1 Cor 15:28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
Question 2 – Does submission deny the right of independent
action?
answer: Luke 2:49-51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.