What is the meaning of Ephesians 5:22? Wives The verse begins by addressing “Wives,” making it clear that Paul is speaking to married women in the church family. Just as God spoke directly to Eve in Genesis 3:16, Paul speaks directly to wives here, treating them as responsible covenant partners. The call is personal and relational, not generic. Similar direct addresses appear in Colossians 3:18 and 1 Peter 3:1, where wives are likewise encouraged in their distinct role within marriage. Notice that Scripture never portrays wives as second-class citizens; Galatians 3:28 reminds us all are one in Christ Jesus. Yet equality in value coexists with difference in role, and Paul now focuses on that God-given role. submit “Submit” can sound heavy, so Paul’s choice to place it in a household context matters. Submission here is: • Voluntary—never forced, echoing Christ’s own willing submission to the Father (Luke 22:42). • Respectful—expressed through honor and cooperation, not through silence or passivity (Proverbs 31:10-31). • Purposeful—designed to reflect divine order, as seen in 1 Corinthians 11:3 where Christ Himself models submission within the Trinity. It is not: • Inferiority—both husband and wife bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27). • Blind obedience—Peter and the apostles show that obeying God comes first (Acts 5:29). Colossians 3:18 echoes the same word, calling submission “fitting in the Lord,” underscoring that this posture aligns with God’s good design. to your husbands Paul narrows the sphere: a wife’s submission is directed “to your husbands,” not to all men everywhere. This safeguards her dignity and clarifies authority. Other passages underline the husband’s corresponding responsibility: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). Leadership without sacrificial love is foreign to biblical headship. Headship means: • Accountability—husbands will answer to Christ for how they lead (1 Peter 3:7). • Service—modeled after Jesus washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:14-15). • Provision and protection—reflected in God’s care for His people (Psalm 23:1-3). When a husband serves this way, submission becomes a partnership, not a power struggle. as to the Lord The phrase “as to the Lord” anchors the whole command. A wife’s ultimate loyalty is to Christ; her submission to her husband flows out of that higher devotion. This means: • Motivation—her actions seek to please Jesus first (Colossians 3:23-24). • Boundaries—if a husband asks something contrary to God’s Word, obedience to Christ prevails (Acts 5:29). • Worship—daily marital interactions become acts of worship, mirroring the church’s submission to Christ (Ephesians 5:24). Just as the church gladly follows her Savior, a wife’s respectful submission becomes a living testimony of the gospel within her home. summary Ephesians 5:22 calls wives to a willing, respectful partnership with their own husbands, patterned after the church’s loving submission to Christ. This submission is voluntary, limited to the marriage relationship, and ultimately offered to the Lord Himself. When lived out alongside a husband’s Christ-like leadership, it showcases God’s beautiful design for marriage and paints a vivid picture of the gospel to everyone watching. |
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