What is the meaning of Ephesians 5:24?

Now

- The word “Now” connects this command to the Spirit-filled lifestyle already described (Ephesians 5:18-21, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ,”).

- It signals that what follows is not a cultural footnote but a God-ordained pattern for believers living under Christ’s lordship.

---

as the church submits to Christ

- The marriage model mirrors the church’s relationship to its Savior (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).

- The church yields willingly because Christ’s headship is loving, protective, and sacrificial (Ephesians 5:25; John 10:11).

- Submission involves trust, listening, and obedience—never grudging compliance (Matthew 11:28-30).

---

so also wives should submit to their husbands

- In the same spirit, a wife places herself under her husband’s God-given leadership (Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:4-5).

- This design reaches back to creation (Genesis 2:18-24) and is affirmed in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:3).

- Submission is:

• Voluntary, not coerced (1 Peter 3:1-2).

• Respectful, not silent—she actively contributes wisdom (Proverbs 31:10-12).

• Nurtured by the husband’s sacrificial love (Ephesians 5:25).

---

in everything

- The scope touches every arena—finances, parenting, worship, daily choices—while never sanctioning sin (Acts 5:29).

- When practiced within righteousness, full-orbed submission produces:

• Unity (Philippians 2:2).

• Peace (Amos 3:3).

• A powerful witness to the gospel (Matthew 5:16).

---

summary

Paul sets the church-Christ relationship as the pattern for marriage. Just as believers gladly follow their loving Lord, wives are called to embrace their husbands’ leadership in all things consistent with God’s will. This comprehensive submission, paired with a husband’s Christ-like love, showcases the beauty and order of God’s design and allows the home to reflect the gospel to a watching world.