Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“EPHESIANS 5:15 – 6:9”
EPHESIANS
SUMMARY: THE GLORIOUS MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL CHURCH
J. 5:15-6:9 THE SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIAN WALK
1. 5:15-21 THE CHRISTIAN WALK AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
a. 5:15-16 A WISE AND CAREFUL WALK REDEEMS THE SEASON
BLEpe-te oun ak-riBOS pos pe-ri-paTEIte [4043], me hos Aso-phoi, all’ hos soPHOI [4680];
Look therefore carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
e-xa-go-raZOme-noi [1805] ton kaiRON [2540], HOti hai heMErai po-neRAI ei-sin.
16 redeeming the season, because the days are evil.
b. 5:17 IT IS FOOLISHNESS NOT TO KNOW GOD’S WILL
diA TOUto me GInes-the APHro-nes [878], alLA suNIe-te [4920] ti to THEle-ma tou KuRIou.
Therefore become not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
c. 5:18-21 A SPIRIT-FILLED WALK HAS EVIDENCE
kai me meTHUSkes-the [3182] OIno [3631],
And be not drunken with wine,
en ho es-tin a-soTIa [810], alLA pleROUSthe [4137] en PNEUma-ti [4151];
wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit;
laLOUNtes he-auTOIS psalMOIS [5568] kai HUMnois [5215] kai Odais [5603] pneu-ma-tiKAIS,
19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
Adon-tes [103] kai PSALlon-tes [5567] te karDIa huMON to KuRIo;
singing and psalming with your :heart to the Lord;
eu-cha-risTOUNtes [2168] PANto-te huPER PANton en oNOma-ti tou KuRIou heMON
20 thanking alway for all in our Lord Jesus Christ’s name
IeSOU ChrisTOU to TheO kai paTRI;
the God and Father;
hu-po-tasSOme-noi [5293] alLElois en PHObo ChrisTOU.
21 subjecting yourselves one to another in fear of Christ.
2. 5:22-33 THE MARRIAGE WALK FOR WIVES AND HUSBANDS
a. 5:22-23 SPIRIT-FILLED WIVES ARE SUBJECT TO HUSBANDS
Hai guNAIkes [1135], tois iDIois anDRAsin [435], hos to KuRIo,
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord,
HOti aNER [435] ke-phaLE es-tin [2776] tes gu-naiKOS
23 because the husband is the wife’s head
hos kai ho ChrisTOS ke-phaLE tes ek-kleSIas, auTOS soTER [4990] tou SOma-tos.
as also the Christ is head of the church, himself savior of the body.
b. 5:24 CHURCH AND CHRIST: PATTERN FOR WIVES AND HUSBANDS
alLA hos he ek-kleSIa hu-poTASse-tai to ChrisTO,
But as the church is subject to the Christ,
HOUtos kai hai guNAIkes tois anDRAsin en panTI.
so the wives be also to their husbands in everything.
c. 5:25-27 HOW HUSBANDS ARE TO LOVE WIVES
Hoi ANdres, a-gaPAte [25] tas guNAIkas, kaTHOS kai ho ChrisTOS eGApe-sen ten ek-kleSIan,
:Husbands, love the wives, even as the Christ also loved the church,
kai he-auTON paREdo-ken [3860] huPER auTES;
and gave himself up for it;
HIna auTEN ha-giAse [37],
26 that he might sanctify it,
ka-thaRIsas [2511] to louTRO [3067] tou HUda-tos en HREma-ti,
having cleansed it by the washing of the water with the word,
HIna pa-raSTEse [3936] auTOS he-auTO ENdo-xon ten ek-kleSIan,
27 that himself might present to himself the church glorious,
me Echou-san SPIlon [4695] e hruTIda [4512] e ti ton toiOUton;
not having spot or wrinkle or any :such thing;
all’ HIna e haGIa kai Amo-mos [299].
but that it be holy and without blemish.
d. 5:28a A MAN’S BODY: A PATTERN FOR HIS LOVE TO WIFE
HOUtos oPHEIlou-sin kai hoi ANdres a-gaPAN tas He-auTON guNAIkas
Thus ought the husbands also to love their own wives
hos ta he-auTON SOma-ta.
as their own :bodies.
e. 5:28b-30 UNITY OF BODY MEMBERS: A PATTERN FOR HUSBAND TO WIFE
ho a-gaPON ten he-auTOU guNAIka he-auTON a-gaPA:
Who loves his own :wife loves himself:
ouDEIS gar po-te ten he-auTOU SARka eMIse-sen [3404];
29 for no one ever hated his own :flesh;
alLA ekTREphei [1625] kai THALpei [2282] auTEN, kaTHOS kai ho ChrisTOS ten ek-kleSIan;
but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Christ also the church;
HOti MEle esMEN tou SOma-tos auTOU.
30 because we are members of his :body.
f. 5:31 MARRIAGE: CLOSER UNITY THAN A SON AND PARENTS
AnTI TOUtou ka-taLEIpsei [2641] ANthro-pos ton paTEra kai ten meTEra,
For this cause shall a man leave :father and :mother,
kai pros-kol-leTHEse-tai [4347] pros ten guNAIka auTOU;
and shall cleave to his :wife;
kai Eson-tai hoi DUo eis SARka MIan.
and the two shall be one flesh.
g. 5:32 MYSTERY: UNITY OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH IN ONE BODY
to musTEri-on [3466] TOUto MEga esTIN:
This :mystery is great:
eGO de LEgo eis ChrisTON kai eis ten ek-kleSIan.
but I speak in regard to Christ and to the church.
h. 5:33 CONCLUSION: HUSBANDS LOVE – WIVES RESPECT
plen kai huMEIS hoi kath’ HEna HEkas-tos ten he-auTOU guNAIka
Nevertheless love you also severally each his own :wife
HOUtos a-gaPAto hos he-auTON;
even as himself;
he de guNE HIna phoBEtai [5399] ton ANdra.
and the wife see that she fear the husband.
3. 6:1-4 THE BELIEVER’S WALK FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS
a. 6:1 OBLIGATION OF CHILDREN: OBEDIENCE TO PARENTS
Ta TEKna [5043], hu-paKOUe-te [5219] tois goNEUsin [1118] huMON en KuRIo:
:Children, obey your :parents in the Lord:
TOUto gar es-tin DIkai-on.
for this is right.
b. 6:2-3 HONORING PARENTS – BRINGS LONG LIFE
TIma [5091] ton paTEra sou kai ten meTEra
Honor your :father and :mother
(HEtis esTIN en-toLE [1785] PROte en e-pag-geLIa [1860]),
(which is the commandment first with promise),
HIna eu soi GEne-tai, kai Ese ma-kroCHROni-os [3118] ePI tes ges.
3 that it be well with you, and you be long-lived on the earth.
c. 6:4 TRAINING: OBLIGATION OF FATHERS TO CHILDREN
Kai, hoi paTEres, me pa-rorGIze-te [3949] ta TEKna huMON:
And, you, the fathers, provoke not your :children to wrath:
alLA ekTREphe-te [1625] auTA en paiDEIa [3809] kai nou-theSIa [3559] KuRIou.
but nurture them in the Lord’s chastening and admonition.
4. 6:5-9 THE WALK FOR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
a. 6:5-8 REASON FOR EMPLOYEES TO OBEY EMPLOYERS
Hoi DOUloi [1401], hu-paKOUe-te tois kaTA SARka kuRIois, meTA PHObou kai TROmou [5156], :Bondmen, be obedient to the lords, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,
en haPLOteti [572] tes karDIas huMON, hos to ChrisTO;
in singleness of your :heart, as unto the Christ;
me kat’ oph-thal-mo-douLIan [3787], hos an-throPAres-koi [441]; all’ hos DOUloi ChrisTOU,
6 not in eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as bondmen of Christ,
poiOUNtes to THEle-ma tou TheOU ek psuCHES met’ euNOIas [2133];
doing the will of :God from the soul with good will;
douLEUon-tes [1398], hos to KuRIo, kai ouk anTHROpois:
7 doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
eiDOtes HOti HEkas-tos eAN ti poiEse a-gaTHON,
8 knowing that whatsoever good each does,
TOUto koMIse-tai [2865] paRA KuRIou, EIte DOUlos EIte eLEUthe-ros [1658].
the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether bond or free.
b. 6:9 THE WALK OF SPIRIT-FILLED EMPLOYERS TOWARDS EMPLOYEES
kai, hoi KUri-oi, ta auTA poiEIte pros auTOUS, a-niENtes [447] ten a-peiLEN [547]:
And, you, the lords, do the same things unto them, forbearing :threatening:
eiDOtes HOti kai auTON kai huMON ho KUriOS es-tin en ou-raNOIS,
knowing that the Lord of both of them and you is in the heavens,
kai pro-so-po-lemPSIa [4382] ouk EStin par’ auTO.
and no respect of persons is with him.
NOTE: In 1946-48 I was attending St. Andrew’s College of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, one of the 9 United Church of Canada Seminaries at that time. I found out they were using me as a “decoy duck” to have young men enroll as candidates for the ministry, and I had what I had in spite of my denomination. I was awaiting them to put me out for my conservative, spirit-filled stance, and overlooked completely their wisdom. Immediately upon learning this, I resigned four positions: President of the Student Body at St. Andrews; candidate for the ministry; Bible Study Convener for the youth of Saskatchewan; and member of Third Avenue United Church of Saskatoon.
One other straw in the wind that helped in this decision: the President of our Seminary in Homiletics class assigned a sermon outline for each member. I chose the above passage of Ephesians 5:15 -6:9, and used as my main points the 4 divisions in “The Walk” that Paul sets forth: One, 5:15-21: The Spirit-filled Christian Walk; Two: 5:22-33 – The Marriage Walk of Wives and Husbands; Three: 6:1-4 – The Believer’s Walk for Children and Parents; and Four: 6:5-9 – The Walk for Employees and Employers.
Our President’s comment: “True to the passage, Jim – but SURELY you wouldn’t preach it!” I assured him I would!
“To the Torah (Word of Teaching) and its testimony: if they speak not according to THIS word (entire Bible) – it is because there is NO LIGHT in them.” Isaiah 8:20
It takes courage, boldness and complete dedication to declare such truths as this, even in our evangelical churches of today. Let’s join together, like Oswald Chambers – and determine to let our light shine in accordance with the FULL COUNSEL of the Word of God as exemplified in this Ephesians passage. This is what Paul did for the Ephesians according to Acts 20.