Ephesians 5
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-3:21\\ The Position of the Christian
A. \\#1:1-14\\ Praise for Redemption
1. \\#1:1, 2\\ Salutation from Paul
2. \\#1:3-6\\ Chosen by the Father
3. \\#1:7-12\\ Redeemed by the Son
4. \\#1:13, 14\\ Sealed by the Spirit
B. \\#1:15-23\\ Prayer for the Ephesians
C. \\#2:1-2:22\\ Position of the Christian
1. \\#2:1-10\\ The Christian’s Position Individually
2. \\#2:11-2:22\\ The Christian’s Position Corporately
D. \\#3:1-13\\ Paul’s Ministry in God’s Work
E. \\#3:14-19\\ Paul’s Prayer and Desire for the Ephesians
F. \\#3:20-21\\ Paul’s Doxology
II. \\#4:1-6:24\\ The Practice of the Christian
A. \\#4:1-16\\ Exhortation to Unity
1.\\#4:1-3\\ Unity in the Church
2.\\#4:4-6\\ Commonality in the Church
3. \\#4:7\\ The Difference in the Church
4. \\#4:8-16\\ The Gifts in the Church
B. \\#4:17-5:21\\ Exhortation to Holiness
1. \\#4:17-22\\ Put Off the Old Man
2. \\#4:23-32\\ Put On the New Man
3. \\#5:1-5:20\\ Be Followers of Christ
c. \\#5:1-2\\ Be Loving
d. \\#5:3-5\\ Be Clean
e. \\#5:6-20\\ Be Wise
C. \\#5:21-6:9\\ Exhortation to Submission
1. \\#5:21\\ The Command
2. \\#5:22-24\\ Wives: Submit to Your Husbands
3. \\#5:25-33\\ Husbands: Love Your Wives
4. \\#6:1-4\\ Children: Obey Your Parents
5. \\#6:5-8\\ Servants
6. \\#6:9\\ Masters
D. \\#6:10-18\\ Conduct in the Conflict
1. \\#6:10\\ Be Strong in the Lord
2. \\#6:11-18\\ Put On the Armor of God
E. \\#6:19-24\\ Conclusion
1. \\#19-20\\ Pray for Boldness
2. \\#21-24\\ Good Bye
I. \\#5:1-20\\ Be Followers of Christ
A. \\#5:1-2\\ Be Loving
1. \\#1\\ "Be ye… followers of God" - Do as God as done.
2. \\#2\\ "walk in love, as Christ… loved us" - This is a
similar thought as \\#Eph 4:32\\. Christ has set the
standard of what love and forgiveness is.
3. "an offering and sacrifice to God" - Paul could have spoken
for volumes on how Christ fulfilled the Old Testament
sacrificial system, but he only mentioned it.
B. \\#5:3-5\\ Be Clean - More things that need to be stopped and
started.
1. \\#3\\ "fornication" - sexual sins
2. "uncleanness" - moral sins
3. "covetousness" - lust sins
a. "let it not be once named" - The pronoun "it" indicates
that Paul was talking about singular sin not the whole
list mentioned so far.
b. Why mention covetousness as being a sin that should not
even be named? Perhaps because lust is the root of
most sins. If we do not desire a win, we are less
likely to commit it.
4. \\#4\\ "filthiness" - Obscene sins
5. "foolish talking, jesting, which are not convenient"
a. All of this refers to improper speech whether in
conversation or as a joke.
b. "rather giving of thanks" - Instead we should use our
speech to give thanks to God. I am not certain Paul
meant that is all we can do without speech as much as
all of our speech should accomplish that end.
Anything that is spoken which cannot be used to
praise and uplift our Savior is best left unspoken.
6. \\#5\\ Why stop and start these things?
a. "For this ye know" - The Ephesians had been taught
Biblical truths as Christians today need to be taught.
b. Paul now lists three groups of people that lacks "any
inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God."
(1) That is, these people are lost.
(2) This is not the declaration of a man but of God.
If you are engaged in some sins, you are not
backslidden. You are lost.
c. What sins?
(1) "whoremonger" - A prostitute. The Bible does not
offer exceptions for hardship or rearing. The
body was created and given to man to be God’s
temple. If we can abuse and pervert it in this
way, God says we are not His.
(2) "unclean person" - Someone who violates the moral
purity of the law. This could be done in varying
degrees but would seem to be a person who
generally has no respect for God’s law but lives
by their own rules and code of conduct.
(3) "covetous man, who is an idolater"
(a) To be covetous is to be one who seeks or
lusts after possessions, wealth, position,
or things.
(b) An idolater is one who worships idols.
(c) God considers these two sins connected.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are
upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:
(4) Why? Simply put, to lust after a thing is to
worship that thing. It is to delight or take
joy in it, and that is a level of joy that
God insists we reserve for Him.
C. \\#5:6-20\\ Be Wise (Wise is mentioned in \\#15\\.)
1. \\#6-8\\ "Let no man deceive you with vain words"
a. Do not let others persuade your mind into thinking
error is truth.
b. The implication is that some will surely attempt to
do so.
c. "For…. cometh the wrath of God" - Doing sinful things
such as those listed above, causes God to move against
us, both in this life and the one to come, in
judgment.
d. "Be not …partakers" - Do not join with them.
e. \\#8\\ "ye were sometimes darkness but now… light"
That is the old you! As Paul did in
\\#Eph 2:2-3, 12\\, he reminds them that they are no
longer bound by that kind of sin.
2. \\#9-12\\ Instead, we should…
a. \\#9\\ Be marked by the "fruit of the Spirit" - But
the fruit of the Holy Spirit now manifests itself in
them (i.e. "goodness and righteousness and truth").
b. \\#10\\ "prove what is acceptable to the Lord."
(1) To prove means to test the things that we do,
say, and think against the Word of God, the life
of Christ, and the leadership of the Holy Ghost.
(2) To test a behavior implies that if it is found to
be lacking, we will abstain from it.
(3) This is not legalism as the liberals would have
us think. It is holy living.
c. \\#11-12\\ "have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness"
(1) This is a Biblical command for Christians to
separate themselves from the devil’s works
because they do not produce godly effects.
(2) There are several such New Testament commands
given.
Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Ac 2:40 And with many other words did he testify
and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this
untoward generation.
Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven,
saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be
not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive
not of her plagues.
Ro 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offences contrary to
the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid
them.
(3) Not counting the many Old Testament exhortations.
Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.
Pr 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and
pass away.
Jer 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the
mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of
thy hand: for thou hast filled me with
indignation.
(4) This is not being legalistic or judgmental as the
Biblical foolish today teach us. It is being
discerning, wise, and righteous.
(5) \\#12\\ "it is a shame even to speak of those
things" - Sinful behavior is not to be lusted
after by the believer. Rather, it is shameful
behavior to be avoided.
3. \\#11\\ And so doing, our behavior reproves the wicked.
Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are
made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth
make manifest is light.
a. If reproof occurs from godly living, it is brought by
the Light of Jesus Christ, not us.
b. When we do right and others feel condemned, it is not
we who are condemning them but the Light of God.
4. \\#14\\ Neither is it a bad thing, but good.
a. For this is God saying to the sinner….
Eph 5:14 …Awake thou that sleepest, and arise
from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
b. This is a loose quote probably from several different
Bible passages \\#Is 9:2, 26:19, 60:1\\.
5. \\#15-20\\ So we should make all the more effort to "walk
circumspectly (perfectly, carefully), not as fools, but
as wise,"
a. \\#16\\ "Redeeming the time" - Realizing that these
are "evil days," we should do as much as we can as
quickly as we can.
b. \\#17\\ "understanding what the will of the Lord is"
(1) This statement followed another encouragement to
be wise, thus connecting wisdom, understanding,
and living holy lives all together.
(2) No Christian is wise who does not understand the
need to live a holy and clean Christian life.
c. \\#18\\ "be filled with the Spirit"
(1) Christians should not be under the influence of
"excessive drink," but under the control of Holy
Spirit.
(2) Does the Bible condemn all drinking of strong
drink?
(a) No. However, it does condemn drunkenness
and those who serve liquor to make one
drunk.
(b) What is drunkenness? This passage would
indicate it is drinking enough to be
controlled by the drink.
(c) But why would a modern-day Christian want to
drink anything that could be addictive and
controlling?
d. \\#19\\ "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs"
(1) Interestingly, God considers how we encourage
ourselves a matter of wisdom and practical
importance.
(2) This passage clearly commands us to encourage
ourselves with spiritual songs, music, and
words.
(3) These songs should have "melody."
(4) And they should songs that can be dedicated "to
the Lord."
e. \\#20\\ Giving thanks always" - And part of being wise
is being thankful for all the things that come into
our lives.
II. \\#5:21-6:9\\ Exhortation to Submission
A. \\#5:21\\ The Command
1. It is interesting how many fail to see this command and
look only at its first application (i.e. that wives are
to submit to their husbands \\#22\\).
2. "Submitting yourselves one to another" - God gives that
same command to every Christian to submit to every other
Christian.
a. Such a command would mean that Christian husbands are
also to submit to their Christian wives, and
Christians parents are to submit to Christian
children, and so forth.
b. This does not lessen the importance of our roles but
it puts into prospective that no Christian has a
right or calling to take advantage of another.
c. God never gives authority for one to take advantage of
another but for us to help one another.
3. "in the fear of God" - God commands us to submit and lead
but always in the fear of the Lord.
B. \\#5:22-24\\ Wives, Submit to Your Husbands
1. \\#22\\ "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands"
a. Here we have an application of submission.
(1) This does mean that women are inferior to men, or
slaves to men, or that God thinks less of women.
(2) All of those are suppositions of a sinful mind.
b. All it means is what it says.
(1) That women are not to be leaders in the home.
Husbands are.
(2) That is largely because God created man first and
then woman to assist man.
1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
(3) Those are simply the roles that God created for
us.
2. "as unto the Lord"
a. And how far is the wife to carry her submission to
her husband?
b. As far as she would submit to the Lord.
c. Of course, husbands can be corrupt whereas the
Lord is not. The Lord would not ask us to do
evil and a wife is not commanded to follow her
husband in evil.
3. But God is serious that the husband is to lead the home
as Christ leads the church and that the wife is to submit
to the husband as the church is to submit to the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the
wife, even as Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their own
husbands in everything.
4. Husbands should consider that Christ never abuses the
church, that the church chooses to submit, and many other
aspects of God’s comparison.
C. \\#5:25-33\\ Husbands, Love Your Wives
1. \\#25\\ "Husbands, love your wives"
a. The first command that Jesus gave to the husbands is
to love their wives.
b. No husband has the right to expect his wife to submit
like the Bible teaches until he loves his wife like
the Bible teaches. The command to submit may have
been listed first, but it does not come first.
c. Potential wives, if your man does not love you like
Christ loved the church, don’t marry him!!!
d. What is love?
(1) The Bible does not define loves.
(2) In 1 Corinthains 13, it describes love but never
defines it.
(3) My working definitions is "love is the permanent
state of putting another ahead of yourself."
(4) Gentlemen, just women need to be sure the man they
want to marry is one they can submit to the rest
of their lives, so you need to be sure the woman
is someone you want to love the rest of yours.
e. Might I say that this is a very high calling!
(1) What man can say that he loves his wife "like"
Christ??
(2) Most men are willing to love their wives more
than any other woman.
(3) Some are willing to love their wives more than
any other person or thing.
(4) But we have not even come close to obeying this
command until we love our wives more than
ourselves!
2. "as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it"
How does the Bible teach a husband to love his wife?
a. "as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it."
b. Jesus’ love for the church was absolute, free, and
sacrificial. It dealt no hurt, no pain, no abuse.
3. \\#26-27\\ To what end (for what reason) has God commanded
the husband to love the wife?
a. It is to the same end that God gave him authority
over the wife!
b. Those are for the same reasons Christ used His
authority.
(1) \\#26\\ "That he might sanctify and cleanse it"
(2) \\#27\\ "That he might present it to himself a
glorious church"
c. Authority is given to make us more like Jesus, to
love and to help make one another to "not have
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing."
d. God does not give men authority to lead for the
leader’s own benefit, but for the benefit of those he
leads and loves.
e. But even so, as Jesus gave the church freewill to
follow or not, so the wife has freewill to either
follow or not.
(1) Nowhere in the Bible does God ever give the
husband the authority to force his wife to
follow.
(2) Obedience is never required of a wife only
submission.
(3) Submission implies a willing choice and is of the
will. Obedience implies no choice and is of the
body.
(4) Obedience may be forced by the authority but
submission is always a gift of the follower.
(5) Submission can never be forced therefore God
never commanded the husbands to make their wives
submit.
4. \\#28-30\\ Men, really love them!
a. \\#28\\ "So ought men to love their wives as their
own bodies" - Love your wife like you love yourself.
(1) This is an appeal that Paul made several times to
man’s selfishness. Apparently, our selfishness
is so well known that Paul felt more men would
identify with it that any other emotion.
(2) "He that loveth his wife loveth himself."
Because loving her like yourself is good for
yourself.
(3) She will love and follow you, making your life
easy, pleasant, and joyful.
b. \\#29\\ "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh"
It makes no sense to not love your wife. That is
the same as hating yourself.
c. "nourisheth and cherisheth it" - As a man cares for
himself, so he should care for his wife.
d. "even as the Lord the church" - But since some do not
care for themselves, Paul listed a much higher
standard.
e. \\#30\\ "For we are members of his body…flesh…
bones" - How we treat our wives is how we are
treating our Lord for if we are both saved, she is
part of Jesus’ body."
5. \\#31-32\\ The Rule, the Bond, the Picture - Paul quoted
\\#Ge 2:24\\ to explain the rule, the bond, and the
picture between a man and a wife.
a. \\#31\\ The rule - At marriage, "a man leaves his
father and mother."
b. The bond - "they two shall be one flesh." They
should join together physically and in one sense,
never separate.
c. \\#32\\ The picture - Marriage is a picture of the
relationship between Christ and His church. For that
reason, if for no other, marriage should remain pure,
loving, and sacrificial.
6. \\#33\\ "in particular" - Paul did not want to end this
thought on the marriage being a spiritual comparison, but
on each couples individual marriage and a command to each
marriage partner.
a. To the husband - "love is wife even as himself" - Paul
repeated that husband should love his wife like he
loves himself.
b. To the wife - "reverence her husband" - The word
"reverence" means "to be in awe of," to be fearful
of."
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