"THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

Chapter Five

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THE CHAPTER

1. To see the importance of walking in love, light, and wisdom
2. To understand the responsibilities wives and husbands have toward each other
3. To appreciate the high esteem and great love the Lord has for His church

SUMMARY

Paul continues to exhort Christians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling (cf. 4:1). Having described the need to walk in unity and in purity, he now urges them to imitate God and "walk in love" with Christ as their example. Such love requires that all forms of immorality and filthy speech not even be named among them. Since the wrath of God is to come upon the sons of disobedience, Christians must not be deceived by nor partake with those who engage in such evil deeds (1-6).

Having passed from darkness to light in coming to Christ, we should also "walk as children of light". This includes producing the fruit of the Spirit such as goodness, righteousness and truth, thereby demonstrating what is acceptable to the Lord. We cannot participate in the shameful works of darkness, but instead must expose them. This we do by letting Christ's light shine in us, for such light will naturally make the darkness manifest by way of contrast (7-14).

As the days are evil and the time is short, Christians must "walk as wise" and make the best use of their time. This requires an understanding of the Lord's will. Christians are also to be filled with the Spirit, as evidenced by singing together, praying with thanksgiving, and submitting to one another in the fear of God (15-21).

The chapter ends with what we might describe as a call to "walk in matrimonial harmony". Wives are exhorted to respect their husbands, submitting to them as to the Lord. Husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and even as they love their own bodies. In the course of such instructions Paul takes the opportunity to reveal the Lord's desire to present to Himself a glorious church, holy and without blemish, which is why He gave Himself for it (22-33).

OUTLINE

1. A CALL TO WALK IN LOVE (1-7)
1. AS CHRIST LOVED US (1-2)
1. Be followers of God as dear children (1)
2. Walk in love as Christ loved us (2)
1. Who gave Himself for us
2. As a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God
2. NOT IN IMMORALITY AND WORLDLINESS (3-7)
1. Things which should not even be named among saints (3-4)
1. Fornication
2. All uncleanness
3. Covetousness
4. Filthiness
5. Foolish talking
6. Coarse jesting
-- Rather, giving of thanks
2. For such have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (5)
1. No fornicator or unclean person
2. No covetous man, who is an idolater
3. Upon sons of disobedience will come the wrath of God (6-7)
1. So don't let anyone deceive you with empty words
2. Do not be partakers with them
2. A CALL TO WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT (7-14)
1. AS THOSE WHO ARE NOW LIGHT IN THE LORD (7-10)
1. Though once darkness, they are now light in the Lord (7a)
2. They should walk as children of light (7b-10)
1. Bearing the fruit of the Spirit (or light) in all goodness, righteousness and truth
2. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord
2. HAVING NO FELLOWSHIP WITH WORKS OF DARKNESS (11-14)
1. Instead expose them (11-12)
1. For they are unfruitful
2. It is even shameful to even speak of those things done in secret
2. Which shall be exposed (13-14)
1. When made manifest by the light
2. Thus we should be the light which Christ gives us
3. A CALL TO WALK AS WISE (15-21)
1. WALKING CIRCUMSPECTLY (15-17)
1. Not as fools but as wise (15)
2. Redeeming the time, for the days are evil (16)
3. Not as unwise, but understanding the will of the Lord (17)
2. FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, NOT WINE (18-21)
1. Singing (19)
1. Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs
2. Making melody in your heart to the Lord
2. Giving thanks (20)
1. Always for all things
2. To God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
3. Submitting to one another in the fear of God (21)
4. A CALL TO WALK IN MATRIMONIAL HARMONY (22-33)
1. DUTIES OF WIVES (22-24)
1. Submit to their own husbands, as to the Lord (22-23)
1. For the husband is the head of the wife
2. Even as Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the Body
2. Be subject to their husbands in everything, just as the church is subject to Christ (24)
2. DUTIES OF HUSBANDS (25-32)
1. Love their wives, as Christ loved the church (25-27)
1. He gave Himself for it
2. This He did that He might:
1. Sanctify and cleanse the church through the washing of water by the word
2. Present it to Himself a glorious church
1. Having no spot or wrinkle
2. Holy and without blemish
2. Love their wives as their own bodies (28-32)
1. For he who loves his wife loves himself
2. For no one hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it
1. Even as the Lord does His church
2. For we are members of His body
3. For in marriage man and woman become one, just as with Christ and His church
3. SUMMARY OF DUTIES (33)
1. Let each man love his wife as himself (33a)
2. Let the wife respect her husband (33b)

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER

Show / Hide Answers

1. What are the main points of this chapter?
• A call to walk in love (1-7)
• A call to walk as children of light (8-14)
• A call to walk as wise (15-21)
• A call to walk in matrimonial harmony (22-33)
2. What are Christians to be? (1)
• Followers of God as dear children
3. How are we to walk (live)? (2)
• In love, even as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us
4. What things are not fitting for saints? (3-4)
• Fornication
• All uncleanness
• Covetousness
• Filthiness
• Foolish talking
• Coarse jesting
5. What is fitting for saints? (4)
• The giving of thanks
6. Who has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God? (5)
• No fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous person
7. Of what is a covetous person guilty? (5)
• Idolatry
8. What is to come upon the sons of disobedience? (6)
• The wrath of God
9. What are we now in the Lord? How then should we walk? (8-10)
• Light in the Lord
• As children of light, proving what is acceptable to the Lord
10. What is the fruit of the Spirit (light)? (9)
• Goodness, righteousness, and truth
11. What are Christians to do regarding unfruitful works of darkness? (11)
• Have no fellowship with them
• Expose them
12. How else are Christians to live? Why? (15-16)
• Circumspectly, as wise, redeeming the time
• Because the days are evil
13. What other responsibilities do we have as Christians? (17-18)
• To understand the will of the Lord
• To be filled with the Spirit
14. What is either the means or the evidence of one filled with the Spirit? (19-21)
• Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
• Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
• Giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ
• Submitting to one another in the fear of God
15. What are the responsibilities of wives toward their husbands? (22-24)
• To submit and be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord
16. What is revealed about the relation of Christ to His church? (23)
• He is the head of the church and the Savior of the body
17. What are the responsibilities of husbands toward their wives? (25-31)
• To love their wives as Christ loved the church
• To nourish and cherish their wives, as they do their own bodies
18. Why did Jesus love and give Himself for the church? (25-27)
• That He might sanctify and cleanse the church
• That He might present it to Himself a glorious church
• That it might be holy and without blemish
19. What is Paul's summation regarding marital responsibilities? (33)
• A husband is to love his wife as himself
• A wife is to respect her husband