Introduction
The extraordinary contemporary relevance of this section of Ephesians to a dwindling Australian church is its consistent application of how Jesus is “Lord”, “Saviour” and “Master” of all basic relationships of life (5:22, 23, 6:1, 4, 7, 8, 9). “Conservative” and “liberal” political correctness is a matter of indifference; what is at stake is the connection between Christ and his people.
God’s eternal purpose (1:4; 11) is the creation of “one new humanity” (2:15) as mature as his own Son (4:13). This body finds its first concrete manifestation in the social conditions of the household. Disorder in Christian households excludes any serious spiritual transformation in the wider social sphere.
1. Mutual Submission (5:21)
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (5:21) heads this entire section. “Submission” involves free and willing acceptance of authority but excludes tyranny and subservience. Mutual submission does not mean identical submission; else the roles outlined would be indistinguishable.
“Reverence” means “holy fear”, an unlimited obligation of loving gratitude to Jesus drawn out by Christ’s overwhelming sacrificial love (5:2, 25). How we fulfil the instructions that follow will be in exact proportion to the depth of our total dependence on Christ.
2. The Role of Wives (5:22-24, 33b)
Wives, like children and slaves, are addressed first, as it is the person in the “weaker” position who is in the position to carry forward relational progress, since Christ’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The wives relationship to their husbands is completely symmetrical to their relationship with Jesus. There is no appeal to nature, culture, law or the fall, so these words retain their relevance for every age. “Submission” is to the “headship” of Christ and husband. (In line with Paul’s teaching in 4:15-16 this means for the husband care not control and responsibility not rule. The goal of the “head” is to see the “body” completely fulfilled (1:23).)
It is the wife whose voluntary, joyful, free and grateful submission to her husband leads in imaging through marriage the subordination of the whole church to Messiah. In their marital submission “in everything” Christian women actually witness to their husbands the delights of total commitment to Jesus. This is as deep a “fear” deep as honouring Christ (vv.33b, 21).
Practically, wives will submit to their husbands without rebellion or manipulation to the degree they submit to Jesus. This means a final deferring to the authority of the spouse in all matters not contradictory to the teaching of scripture. Mature dialogue and partnership is in no way excluded, but where differences persist, the final decision and weight of responsibility lies with the man.
3. The Role of Husbands (5:25-33a)
Husbands are to be Christ to their wives. Above all this means a “love” (vv. 25, 28, 33) shaped after the other – centred sacrificial love of Jesus (v.25). It is essentially servanthood. Husbands are not to imitate Jesus, Christ’s life expressed in them is the reality of love for their wives (Galatians 2:20). Men are to be the leaders in intimacy.
As through baptism and the gospel (v.26) Jesus executes his vision for a future glorious perfected partner (vv. 26 -27), so the husband envisions the formation of the inner beauty of his wife through selfless love. The one who loves his wife “loves himself” (v.28) for he receives by giving. Under the loving influence of her husband the wife becomes like his body, not used or abused but the very enactment of his person (vv. 28- 29).
The “mystery” or hidden meaning of the “one flesh” of marriage is not found in God’s in Eden (Genesis 2:24), but the developing and dynamic process of interpersonal union found in Christ and the church (v.31 -32). All earthly marriage unions are temporary and limited, but all of which marriage symbolises will be perfected in heaven. This relieves us of the social expectations that marriage cam meet all our personal needs.
4. Children and Parents (6:1-4)
Obedience of children to their parents “in the Lord” (v.1) draws its reality from Jesus’ total obedience to his Father (Romans 5:19; Philippians 2:8). This is not unreasoning as it is “right” (v.1), in accordance to the duty children owe parents as life- givers. It brings with it a special divine “promise” of material prosperity and long life (vv.2 – 3). This is so because to honour our parents is to honour God who has given them to us as the first and most important of his image – bearers.
The social breakdown following rejection of parental authority is not a mere sociological fact but a judgement of God. This does not call for unquestioning obedience in everything, but a prayerful heart unwilling to displease except where parents contradict the teaching of scripture.
Fathers for their part should know that all fatherhood derives from “the one God and Father of us all” (3:14- 15; 4:6). The tender discipline “of the Lord” (v.4) gives no grounds for frustration or anxiety. Angry male responses to childhood indiscipline perpetuate in adult life that which they seek to remove.
5. Slaves and Masters (6:5-9)
Though slave’s conditions were improving in Paul’s day, the fact that he addresses this underclass is amazing. He treats slaves as fully responsible and able to obey their “earthly masters” as part of their vocation in obeying Christ “from the heart” (vv.5 -7). “Fear” (v.5), is the manifestation of having to answer to Christ at the last judgement, not a fear of men’s power to punish and reward (vv.7-8).
Christian masters are to treat their slaves “in the same way” without threatening, because the “Master” of all, slave or free, has no favourites (v.9). In practice, this meant that a master should not treat his slave in a way he would not treat Jesus his Saviour. Given these sorts of conditions, it was inevitable that slavery would eventually be undermined in Christian civilisation.
By application, Christian employees and employers are to treat others as they would Christ.
6. Conclusion
Despite claims to be enlightened our culture is in moral decay. The realms of marriage, family and economics need desperately to be brought under the Lordship of Christ. This can never happen until his household of, the church, learns to submit to her Lord with a passion proportional to his own self- sacrificing love. The crisis that has penetrated so many Christian marriages, families and businesses in out time is symptomatic of the tragedy that we have as a body have largely abandoned him as our first love.