Last class was certainly an exciting and different way to look at God's word together. I appreciate everyone's participation and help in working through the logistics of splitting up and the debrief.
Read Ephesians 5:29- 33
What are the key messages you hear in these verses?
Who is Paul talking to in verse 29? Who is he talking to in verse 30?
29 –
30 –
Read Ephesians 5:29 to your spouse if you are a husband – ask them if you are loving them as part of yourself. If not (that would be all of us in some way) – ask them how else you could…
Read Ephesians 5:30 – This is for everyone – Why does Christ care about the Church?
The reason why Christ cares for the church is made clear in verse 30. It is because Christians are living parts of His body. In Ephesians 4:25 (remember the start of last Sunday’s lesson) Paul has dealt with the relationship of the member to one another individually. Here he is concerned with their relationship as a whole. Earlier in the letter he has spoken about the church as a body whose head is Christ (1:22, 23; 4:12; 16). Here he stresses the closeness of the Christian’s communion with Christ as a part (mele) of Himself, just as the branches are part of the vine.
Do we see our family as part of our own body?
Do we let our hand on our own body wither or do we take care of it?
How should we take care of our own body (our family and especially our spouse)? - What SPECIFIC things can you site about how you ensure the love for your family helps the family live?
Read verse 31 –
Why is this verse called the summary of everything before it around marriage?
What does this verse mean?
Why is this verse important?
Read Genesis 2:24
Paul introduces the verse from Genesis at this point to substantiate his argument from Scripture, as did Jesus himself. It had already been shaping his thought in this section.
“For this reason” (anti toutou) is not a preface to the quotation but part of it. When Adam recognized that Eve was part of himself (“bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” Gen 2:23), Genesis 24 adds: “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh”. The marriage tie takes precedence over every other human relationship and for this reason is to be regarded as inviolable. Nevertheless, what is basically a divine ordinance is graciously designed for mutual satisfaction and delight. “United” means closely joined (proskollesthesetai, literally, “will be glued”). It is because of this exalted biblical view of marital relations that the church has taken its stand on the indissolubility of the marital bond.
Read verse 32 –
What does this verse mean to you?
Why is it important to your walk with Christ?
The grammatically correct translation is “this mystery is great.” “Great” (mega) expresses magnitude rather than intensity. We might say “it is of far-reaching importance” or “has many implications” or “This is a profound mystery.” But what is meant by “mystery” here? Already we have seen that for Paul in this letter mysterion means a secret revelation made known through a special dispensation of grace (Eph 3:2,3). Usually it embraces the total sweep of God’s purposes in Christ (1:9, 3:3, 4, 9; 6:19), but it may also refer to some specific truth within that wider revelation (as in Rom 11:25 and 1 Cor 15:51). Genesis 2:24 enunciates a more profound truth than was realized till Christ came to win His bride, the church, by giving Himself for her on the cross (v.25).
Paul does not add the words “but I am talking about Christ and the church” as if he had been diverted from his theme. Rather, he is saying that so far, as he is concerned he refers to the mystery to the relation between Christ and the church. Although this verse enshrines the highest possible view of marriage, it does not support the Roman doctrine of marriage as a sacrament. The misunderstanding has arisen from the fact that sacramentum is the Latin equivalent of mysterion. The best Roman Catholic scholarship today repudiates any attempt to appeal to this verse.
Read verse 33 -
What does this verse mean and why are the specific words used important?
If you are a wife – concentrate on what this verse means – what are you to do? What does it mean? (if you are a husband, skip this question)
If you are a husband – concentrate on what this verse means – what are you to do? What does it mean? (if you are a wife, skip this question)
The final word in this section is a practical one (I TOLD YOU we would get there!). Whether or not Paul’s we have fully understood his allusions to the profound mystery in the last verse, we should at least get hold of the essential instructions he has been endeavoring to convey. Paul addresses every husband individually (literally, “you each, one by one”) without naming him as such. He is to go on loving his wife as his very self (vv 25, 28, 29). This is to be out of our great following and love for Christ that we can love our wives as we should.
The wife for her part is it give her husband the respect (phobetai) that is due him in the Lord (v.22). As v.21 has made plain, such respect is conditioned by and expressive of the reverence (phobos) of Christ.
Those who are puzzled because Paul does not tell wives that they are to love their husbands fail to appreciate the almost rabbinical precision with which the analogy is handled. Christ loves the church; the church’s love for Christ is expressed in submission.
Are you ready………?? Let’s follow up to last week’s triangle on the board…
Wives – are you looking to Christ alone and therefore worthy to be loved?
Husbands – are you looking to Christ alone and therefore worthy of respect?
Have a great week!
Andy
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