Pastor Ken Frese:Five Takes on Ephesians 5

Sermon slidesAugust 26, 2012

First Lutheran Church of Venice, California

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Ephesians 5:22-33

Five Takes On a Toxic TextEphesians 5:22-33

Lectionary(schedule of Bible readings)

Revised Common

• Ephesians 1:3-14

• Ephesians 2:11-22

• Ephesians 3:14-21

• Ephesians 4:1-16

• Ephesians 4:25-5:2

• Ephesians 5:15-20

• Ephesians 6:10-20

LCMS

• Ephesians 1:3-14• Ephesians 2:11-

22• Ephesians 3:14-

21• Ephesians 4:1-16• Ephesians 4:17-

5:2• Ephesians 5:6-21• Ephesians 5:22-

33• Ephesians 6:10-

20

1 – Accommodational • Ephesians 5:22-33 is hierarchical,

patriarchal, sexist, and oppressive to women.

• But it is a late text, not written by Paul.

• Doesn’t fit the life and teachings of Jesus.

• Doesn’t fit the undisputed writings of Paul: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

• This text is not at the core of the Christian message, but it accommodates to the culture instead.

2 – DeclarationalGod’s Word – God has declared it! Has nothing to do with:

equality in God’s eyes; relative worth of male vis-a-vis female (vs Aristotle, Josephus); the role of women in society;non-Christians.

A very specific and practical arrangement intended to lessen the potential for conflict in a human relationship very prone to conflict.

Forward-looking in terms of gender differentiation and male responsibility.

“Respect” (5:33) husband as he serves you, even to the point of dying for you.

3 – TransformationalContext: Paul is about to tell husbands to

do something unprecedented at that time – or any time.

“Be subject” = literally “to place under”, for care and protection as much as for obligation and service.Addresses wives directly – with dignity – not

indirectly through their husbands.Not “obey”.Not for the “benefit” or “prestige” of their

husbands, but “as you are to the Lord”. “Head” does not mean brains or command

center. Jews and Christians didn’t think with their heads – they thought with their “hearts”.

3 – Transformational Husband is given 3x more instruction than the

wife (143 words vs 47 words). The husband is not told to “control” or

“govern” his wife (as in Plutarch and others) but to “love [serve]”, “nourish”, “tenderly care for”, “give himself up [die] for” her.

Paul uses concepts current in his culture and radically transforms them in the light of the Gospel, just as the Gospel trans- form marriages to this day.

4 – Applicational• Ephesians 5:22-33 is an application

of a general principle found in Ephesians 5:2: “Be subject to one another out of love for Christ”.

• Ephesians 1:3-14

• Ephesians 2:11-22

• Ephesians 3:14-21

• Ephesians 4:1-16

• Ephesians 4:17-5:2

• Ephesians 5:6-21

• Ephesians 5:22-33

• Ephesians 6:10-20

4 – Applicational• 5:21 and 5:22 are so closely tied

together that there is no verb in 5:22 – it depends on 5:21 for its verb (“be subject”).

• Ephesians 5:21is the heading, the title sentence for all of 5:22-33 – “Be subject to one another out of love for Christ.”

• “Be subject” (wife) = “Love/Serve/Die” (husband)

• The principle never changes, but it can be applied in different ways at different times and in different cultures.

5 – ChristologicalChrist is mentioned from beginning to end

in Ephesians 5:22-33 (in 9 out of the 11 verses). For example, “just as Christ is the head of the church” (5:23)“just as Christ loved the church” (5:25)“just as Christ does for the church” (5:29)“I am applying it to Christ and the church (5:32)

The goal of the passage is not to lay down rules but to make the generous, joyful, and empowering presence of Christ real in a marriage relationship.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband is to provide leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. (The Message)

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church – a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her. . . and that is how husbands ought to love their wives. (The Message)

Ephesians 5:22-33

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