Introduction

In Ephesians 5:22–6:9, Paul explores the dynamics of relationships in the body of Christ, addressing power dynamics within families and workplaces. He calls believers to reflect Christ’s self-sacrificial love and humility in their unique roles, whether as husbands, wives, children, parents, slaves, or masters. By submitting to one another in love and obedience to Christ, the Church reflects the unity and devotion of Christ’s relationship with His people.

Key Points

• Main Point: We are the body of Christ whom Christ our head loves wholeheartedly, even to the point of death.
• Purpose: Wholeheartedly submit to one another in our unique roles given by Christ our head.

Ephesians 5:22–23

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

Paul transitions from mutual submission (5:21) to applying this principle within various relationships, such as families and workplaces (5:22–6:9). This submission reflects a Christ-centered humility, where each person considers the needs of others above their own, mirroring Christ’s love and leadership as the head of the church. Such humility transcends age, gender, employment status, or societal labels, binding all members of God’s family together as one unified church under Christ.

Ephesians 5:24; 33b

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands…and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Paul instructs Christian wives to submit to and respect their husbands, reflecting the church’s joyful submission to Christ as its head. This submission becomes a natural response when the husband mirrors Christ’s self-sacrificial love (5:25–30). For those who are wives or aspire to be, this joyful submission is not about subjugation but about reflecting the beautiful dynamic between Christ and His church, embracing the husband’s Christ-like leadership with respect and trust.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Paul instructs Christian husbands to love their wives in a way that mirrors Christ’s self-sacrificial love for the church, even to the point of death. This love is not an opportunity for authority to be abused or for self-centered rule, but a call to embody Christ’s joyful, self-giving character. If you are a husband or aspire to be one, your role is to reflect Christ’s love by joyfully and wholeheartedly loving your wife, prioritizing her well-being above your own, even at the greatest personal cost.

Ephesians 5:26

…that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…

Paul portrays Christ’s life-giving love for His bride, the church, by highlighting how Christ actively cleanses her through His word, removing every stain of sin through His death and resurrection. This purification prepares the church to reflect His purity and holiness. For us, this means that Jesus, through His Spirit, cleanses us from both material and immaterial sinful habits. As we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, the Bible, our hearts and minds are grounded in Christ’s purity, transforming us to live lives that reflect His holiness.

Ephesians 5:27

…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Christ purifies His church, preparing her for the future wedding day when she will stand before Him, radiant and flawless, as described in Revelation 21:1–4. His cleansing work is not merely about removing sin but about transforming us into a bride adorned in purity and glory. The ultimate goal of this process is to unite us with Him forever. This beautiful preparation calls us to embrace His transforming grace now, knowing that one day we will live in His lovely presence for eternity, as His radiant and spotless bride.

Ephesians 5:28a

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

Paul emphasizes that husbands are called to emulate Christ, not by cleansing their wives of sin, but by joyfully and sacrificially taking every initiative to love and care for their wives in all aspects of their well-being. If you are a husband or aspire to be one, you reflect Christ’s love by prioritizing and cherishing your wife selflessly, even at the cost of your entire life.

Ephesians 5:28b–29a

He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it…

Paul draws a clear analogy: just as the head cares for the body, a husband must selflessly care for his wife. This care involves nourishing and cherishing her, reflecting Christ’s loving care for the church. If you are a husband or aspire to be one, you emulate Christ’s love by joyfully and tenderly meeting your wife’s needs, cherishing her as a precious gift and prioritizing her well-being.

Ephesians 5:29b–30

…just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

While Paul uses this detail to encourage husbands to love and cherish their wives, it also points to Christ’s role as the church’s husband, showing how He selflessly loves, nourishes, and cherishes us as members of His body. In our pursuit of Christlikeness, we must continually root ourselves in His tender, selfless care—both individually and corporately—savoring and enjoying the depths of His love together.

Ephesians 5:31

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Marriage is more than a civil arrangement; it is the inseparable union of one man and one woman into one body, echoing the creation of Eve from Adam’s side (Gn 2:18–25) and standing as a lifelong, selfless, life-giving commitment before God. We cannot trivialize marriage or casually sever it through divorce, because it is not a subjective human decision but a divine commission for a man and a woman to love each other faithfully for life, reflecting Christ’s selfless love for His church (5:32).

Ephesians 5:32

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

By drawing a parallel to the creation of Adam’s bride (Gn 2:18–25), we see that the Church was born from Christ’s side through His death (2:1–10; Rv 21:1–4). Therefore, what God has joined—our union with Christ—must not be separated (Mk 10:9), nor should we join ourselves to sin (1 Cor 6:15). We are more than servants or students; we are Christ’s bride—His beloved—nourished and cherished by Him as His own body. Through His death and resurrection, He has made us one with Himself (2:11–22; Jn 17:20–26).

Ephesians 5:33

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Paul summarizes godly marriage as husbands offering life-giving, loving headship (rather than tyrannical leadership) while wives respect that Christ-centered love. Both husband and wife hold complementary roles, humbly placing one another’s needs above their own through the Spirit’s power (5:18–21; Phil 2:3–4). Created in God’s image—male and female—they are called to reflect the profound love Christ has for His Church.

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Paul broadens the household conversation to include children and parents, instructing children to honor both father and mother. This command stands regardless of whether parents live honorably, because God has defined it as right and good. If we desire to honor God, we must also honor our parents, as honoring them reflects the honor due our heavenly Father (Hb 12:9).

Ephesians 6:2–3

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Paul quotes the fifth commandment and its accompanying promise, showing that children who honor their parents generally experience lasting blessings. If parents’ negative habits can propagate harm through generations, then how much more will adopting their positive, godly habits bring about generational blessings? Honoring our parents isn’t merely a divine mandate—it also unlocks practical benefits. When we choose to follow the good examples our parents set, we align ourselves with God’s design, reaping the blessings He has promised through the fifth commandment.

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Paul adds another dimension to a father’s responsibilities beyond loving and cherishing his wife (5:25–32): raising children in God’s ways, not through anger or excessive punishment but by the Spirit of wisdom (1:17) and continual instruction (Dt 6:4–9). If you are a father or aspire to be one, this means setting aside your own conventional wisdom at times and faithfully guiding your children to know God. Because God is our heavenly Father, children learn about His fatherly nature through the love, patience, and spiritual leadership they see in their earthly father.

Ephesians 6:5

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ…

Paul now addresses slaves and masters, instructing slaves to humbly obey their masters with reverence and sincerity, remembering that their true master is Christ. Although we no longer operate under the same system of Ephesian slavery, this principle applies to any modern setting where we work under someone’s authority, whether as students or employees. We are to work with excellence and integrity, ultimately serving Christ rather than people.

Ephesians 6:6–7a

…not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man…

Paul acknowledges that slaves might feel compelled to obey merely to gain favor from their masters. However, he redirects this motivation by reminding us that, as the church of Christ, we serve our ultimate Master. We therefore work wholeheartedly and excellently—not merely to impress human authorities, but to please Christ, whose judgment truly matters in the end. By viewing our labors through this lens, we recognize that our diligent service is ultimately an act of worship to God, rather than an attempt to earn approval from people.

Ephesians 6:7b–8

…knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.

Paul recognizes the hardships that slaves in Ephesian households face and reassures us that our faithful work will earn eternal rewards from God Himself. This promise is not limited to slaves; it extends to masters as well—anyone who does good will receive God’s rewards. Therefore, regardless of our role within any work hierarchy—whether we are employees, managers, or employers—our diligent and excellent work, whether seen or unseen, is remembered by God, and He will reward us for our efforts.

Ephesians 6:9

Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Paul emphasizes that masters, who are often also fathers, have an added responsibility to treat their slaves with humility and goodwill rather than oppression, recognizing that they are ultimately accountable to God Almighty. If you are a boss or aspire to be one, understand that you are serving as a manager in God’s enterprise. Therefore, you should humbly extend goodwill to your employees, knowing that God will justly and fairly evaluate both employees and employers.

Conclusion

Paul teaches that every relationship within the Church is an opportunity to reflect Christ’s love and humility. Husbands love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Wives respect their husbands as the Church submits to Christ. Parents and children, masters and slaves—all have roles to play in demonstrating mutual submission and Christ-centered devotion. By embracing these roles in reverence for Christ, the Church reflects His love and glorifies Him in every aspect of life.

Summary

• Wives are called to submit to and respect their husbands as the Church submits to Christ (5:22–24, 33b).
• Husbands are called to love their wives self-sacrificially, as Christ loves His Church (5:25–32).
• Children are to honor and obey their parents as an act of obedience to God, with a promise of blessing (6:1–3).
• Fathers are to raise their children in godliness without provoking anger (6:4).
• Employees should work sincerely and wholeheartedly, serving Christ in their work (6:5–8).
• Employers are to treat their employees with goodwill and fairness, knowing they are accountable to God (6:9).