The Wonderful; Bride of Christ

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Chapter 5 deals with the "Wonderful Bride of Christ". The "Church", of course, is the "Bride of Christ". In this chapter, Paul gives us instructions on how we should live as members of the "Body of Christ".

Imitators of God

["Click here for Ephesians 5:1-20"]

First, these verses instruct us to be "Imitators of God". To be imitators of God, we must know what it means. There are three qualifications that Paul mentions here.

  1. Be Holy, as God is Holy.
  2. Be merciful, as God is merciful.
  3. Be perfect, as God is perfect.

These are all very desirable to strive for but there is one characteristic of God that is most desirable to imitate, and that is His Love.

Paul says that if we are the Bride of Christ then we are His children. As God's children we should be recognizable as such, especially in our love for one another. Paul simply calls this, "Walking in love." Love should be the "principle" on which we live. Therefore we must put aside all immorality, impurity, covetousness, for these are not befitting those who are called the Bride of Christ.

Then Paul gets into other traits that we should abandon.

  1. Filthy or silly talk. (K.J. calls it foolish talk) Matthew Henry says: "There is no doubt that there was innocent and inoffensive jesting that the Apostle approved of, but certainly Paul would frown on filthy and obscene conversation."
  2. Take no part in "unfruitful" works of darkness. Unfruitful means that which bears no fruit or does not accomplish anything. Works of darkness are works of sin. Paul. therefore, charges us to refrain from works of sin in our lives for they will amount to nothing. Likewise, we are to have no part with anyone who commits works of sin. If we share with others in their sin, we must surly share in their plight. It is the work of the Christian to reprove sin, to reprove sinners, too try to convince them of the error of their ways by our words, but especially by our lives. So instead of "unfruitful works" of sin in our lives, let there be thanksgiving. Lets constantly reflect on God's Grace toward us.

Verse 5 had given problems to people for years. "Be sure that no immoral or impure man has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ." What is Paul saying? We speak quite a lot about the "rights" of the Christian but not so much about the "responsibilities". We can but suppose that a Christian will not "willfully" and "continually" live an immoral and impure life. Those who do this love the world and do not belong to the Kingdom of Grace and Paul says that we are not to associate with them. A very interesting "yardstick". Compare this with the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Paul warns that there will be those who will try to lead you astray, liberals, false teachers, those who will mis-use the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as a license to sin because "once saved, always saved", but if we desire the immoral and impure life and live in disobedience to God, we need to examine our conversion. The wrath of God comes upon the Sons of Disobedience.

So we as Christians should no longer walk in "darkness" but rather, walk in the "light". If we walk in the light, we must walk in the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, we are led of the Spirit, we listen to the Spirit, we do not grieve the Spirit. Let there be nothing in your life that you are ashamed of. We obviously can not do this in our own strength, we can only do this in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are promised, to aid us in our walk, understanding, strength and knowledge of His will, therefore, Paul says, do not be unwise, do not be foolish and do not get drunk with wine. Lets look briefly at these:

  1. Unwise. This means walking in wickedness as the Gentiles do who are void of all saving knowledge.
  2. Foolish. This means alienated from God by our own choice, a stranger to the household of faith, desiring worldly things rather than spiritual things.
  3. Drunk with wine. Some believe Paul was speaking of power. Some people get drunk with power, but most believe he was imploring the Ephesians to stay sober and not be tempted by the sins of drunkenness.

Do not do these things, rather, be filled with the Spirit, desiring to express this in hymns, psalms and spiritual songs, phrasing God and expressing love for one another in song. It is interesting to note that most of the gospel hymns that we sing were inspired by the "words of explanation" written by Matthew Henry. His commentary, inspires what Paul calls, "melody in the heart". Singing, when you can't hum a tune, giving thanks, when you're broke and loving the un-lovable.

Obligations of Wives and Husbands

["Click here for Ephesians 5:21-33"]

As we are part of the Wonderful Bride of Christ, we have certain obligations to our spouses. Verses 21 thru 24 give instructions to wives. Many would have you believe that these instructions are out dated. The Feminists would have this removed from the Bible. They say it is contrary to the E.R.A. But Paul is writing as he is led of the Spirit and so it is the word of God. He may not have understood it as he says in verse 32, it is a great mystery and he took it to mean that our relationship to our spouses was similar to Christ's relationship to the Church, His Bride.

Lets look briefly at Paul's instructions to the wives:

  1. Wives, be *subject to your husbands.

Matthew Henry says, "God has given the man pre-eminence and a right to direct and govern by creation. Generally the man has superiority in wisdom and knowledge. He is therefore, the head even as Christ is the head of the Church. Christ's authority is exercised over the Church for the saving of her from evil and the supplying of everything good to her. In like manner should the husband be employed for the protection and comfort of the wife."

There are those who would say that man has given up these rights by default, thus it had become necessary for women to assume men's rights because men have failed in their responsibilities.

Verses 25 thru 33 record Paul's instructions to the husband. "Husbands, love... (agape, to love in a social or moral sense, a companion to the Greek word phileo, denoting personal affection, while agape is wider in scope, being a matter of principal, duty and piety, the two stand related very much.) "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church." Christ "love" is "agape" or God like love of which we are not capable.

Matthew Henry says that the duty of the husband is to love the wife for without love, they would abuse their authority." Note, the love of Christ for the Church is an example of the principle and duty of a man's relationship to his wife, not considering the imperfections or failures that she might be guilty of any more that Christ considers the imperfections and failures of the Church. The love which God requires from the husband will make up for the subjection which He requires from the wife.

Notice, in these verses, the efforts of Christ toward the Church. He "sanctifies" it. The Church will not be without spot or wrinkle, but Christ will make of this a sanctified body, one that He can present spotless, before God. Holy and without blemish. This is the Wonderful Bride of Christ.


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