Ephesians 5:22-33
An Exegesis of Ephesians 5:22-33

Main Idea

Ephesians 5:22-33 likens the relationship of husband and wife to the relationship of Christ and His Church. The first three verses are imperatives directed to wives: they are told to submit to their husbands in the same way that the Church submits to Christ (Eph 5:22-24). Christ is likened to the head of the Church, and wives are told that their husbands are the heads or superiors of them. If Christ rules over, guides, and directs His Church, wives are reminded that they should expect no less from their husbands and that they should be subject to the men they marry.

The next eight verses are imperatives directed to husbands. Husbands are commanded to love their wives just as Christ loved His Church (Eph 5:25-28). The husband is reminded that just as the Church is the Mystical ody of Christ so too is the wife…...

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Bibliography

Arnold, Clinton E. Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Ephesians. MI:

Zondervan, 2010.

Dawes, Gregory W. The Body in Question: Metaphor and Meaning in the Interpretation

of Ephesians 5:21-33. MA: Brill.

Ephesians 5: 21-33 is considered by some in the modern world to be one of the most controversial passages in the New Testament. It deals with the theme of submission; submission to the Church, submission in terms of marriage, and specifically it calls on wives to submit to the authority of their husbands. hile some have pulled certain portions of this passage out of context in order to support individual social and political views, a complete reading of this passage will demonstrate that the idea of submission expressed in this passage is a mutual submission that is built on the foundation of love and respect.
Verse 21 specifically states that married people should submit "yourselves one to another in the fear of God." (Campbell 2010) It is very clear that both the husband and the wife are to submit to each other. Exactly how this submission is to be accomplished is…...

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Works Cited

Campbell, Gordon. King James Bible. Oxford: Oxford UP. 2010. Print.

Mays, James Luther. Harper's Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988. Print.

Peake, A.S., Black, M., and Rowley, H.H.. Peake's Commentary on the Bible. London: Routledge, 2001. Print.

Salvation is a gift from God through faith as it is depicted as ability one has to "quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (6:16).
In 6:18, prayer is viewed as an activity connected to the taking up of God's armor. The author also prays on the church's behalf for their strength and understanding (cf. 3:13-19). The church is instructed to pray for all the saints and for the author as well. The cosmic adversaries of 6:12 carry on an eschatological tinge as the imagery of God taking up His armor in preparation to seek justice was related in the first century culture to the notion of the day of the Lord. In Ephesians' reworking of the imagery, the battle with cosmic forces is not a simple battle delayed for a future day of God's judgment, but it is a present battle believers must engage on a regular…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arnold, Clinton E., Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (ZIBBC), vol. 3,

Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Baylis, Albert H., From Creation to the Cross, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Hayford, Jack, Ephesians & Colossians. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005.

Ephesians
The book of Ephesians is one of Paul's writings, or at least attributed to Paul. Paul develops his strong and well-articulated spiritual philosophy and theology, which he presents in this letter to the people of Ephesus. Central to an understanding of Paul's theology as it is expressed in Ephesians is the conversion of Paul and the power it had over him and his life mission. Paul's vision of Christ empowered him to preach Christ's word, and he begins the epistle with a positive and upbeat tone: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ," (Ephesians 1:3). Paul also establishes the truth of Christ as God's Son, in whom "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace," (Ephesians 1:7). Thus, the cornerstone of…...

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References

Bible: New International Version.

Ford, D.F. (2001). "He is our peace": The Letter to the Ephesians and the Theology of Fulfilment -- A Dialogue with Peter Ochs." Journal of Scriptural Reasoning 1(1). Retrieved online:  http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/journals/ssr/issues/volume1/number1/ssr01-01-a01.html 

McRay, J. (1996). Ephesians, theology of. Retrieved online:  http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/ephesians-theology-of.html 

Slusser, W.T. (2003). Toward a biblical theology of Ephesians: A life worthy of the calling. Retrieved online: http://www.slusser.us/papers/Ephesians%20paper.pdf

Bible Passage Ephesians 3:14-20
Historical and Cultural Background of the Book of Ephesians

Ephesus was a small town located near Cayster iver on the west side of the roman province in Asia. The town is what is today referred as Turkey. This was the capital of the oman province of Asia and its population composed of mainly the Ephesians and the Jews. Majority of the people in Ephesus worshiped various gods and goddesses such as Artemis. Ephesians worshiped their gods in the temple and other areas specifically designed for worshiping. The Jews in Ephesus also had a synagogue in which Paul the apostle of Christ began his mission in Ephesus.

Historically, the book of Ephesians is a letter by Paul to the people of Ephesus. Writing of the book took place from about 60- 61 A.D targeting the Christians of the early church in Ephesus. Historical information shows that when the Jews in…...

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References

Youssef, Michael. 2012. Leading the Way through Ephesians. Oregon: Harvest House Publisher

Hiegel, L.T. Travel through Ephesians. United States of America: West Bow Press Books, 2013

Nee, Lee. 1990. Two Spirits: Two Spirits- the Divine Spirit and the Human Spirit. United States

of America: Living Stream Ministry.

"
Finally, the last line, "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all," evokes the ubiquity of God and the percolating nature of divinity. God spreads his influence to infuse all the fields of human existence and all the parts of creation, and it is this influence that should raise people's awareness and invite them to achieve a perfect communion upon earth.

As Paul Stroble points out, the text therefore highlights Paul's gospel as a declaration of God's intent on uniting all the separate parts of creation into a single body of Christ: The text highlights the implications of the restatement of Paul's gospel as the declaration of God's plan to unite the whole human race in the one body of Christ. The ethical implications of all these are spelled out in 4.1-6.9, with an ethic of unity which is built upon the teaching…...

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Bibliography

Ballenger, Isam. "Ephesians." Interpretation 51.n3 (July 1997): p.p292(4).

Bridges, Ronaid and Luther a. Weigle. The Bible Word Book: Concerning Obsolete and Archaic Words in the King James Version of the Bible. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1960

Caird, G.B. And L.D. Hurst. ed. New Testament Theology. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Hunter, Archibald M. 1959. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians -- the Layman's Bible Commentary. Richmond, VA: John Knox Press.

Kitchen, Martin. Ephesians. New York: Routledge, 1994

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ,” (Ephesians 5:21). This outstanding sentence clarifies one of Paul’s main objectives in outlining the household codes of Ephesians. Christ is the head of the Church, to which all Christians belong. However, Paul quickly shifts focus to the patriarchal marriage union to model Christian social norms: “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything,” (Ephesians 5:24). Paul therefore uses the household code partly as an opportunity to provide a “theological justification and motivation for the subordination of wives, children and slaves to the head of the household,” (MacDonald, n.d., p. 341). Yet somewhat mysteriously, Paul switches back again and states, “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church,” (5:32). Modern readers should not take Paul’s message about marriage customs and gender roles seriously, but should pay close attention to…...

This is how you can also receive eternal life: by dying to one life and taking that leap of faith. You must open your heart to receive Christ. In Christ, you are liberated. "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence," (Ephesians 3:12). Have that confidence, for with eternal life comes many benefits that are impossible to receive in the world of sin.
The benefits of receiving eternal life begin with our knowledge that we are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul states, we are "heirs together with Israel, members together of one body," (Ephesians 3:6). In eternal life we become spiritually strong, a strength that far surpasses that of the physical body. Christ shall "strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being," (Ephesians 3:16). Eternal life means that we understand the love that "surpasses knowledge," a transcendent gift…...

hile Powlison may not agree with those approaches, he does acknowledge their existence. Therefore, in the second part of his book, Powlison examines psychological knowledge of human behavior and motivation.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the Bible is the basis for all of Powlison's discussions. hile he may develop a personality theory, it is a personality theory based on Scripture. According to reviewer Bob Kelleman:

"the strength of this section is found in Powlison's insistence on building a view of human nature not coram anthropos (from the perspective of humanity), but coram Theos (from the perspective of God). e can understand people via people, or we can understand people via God. Powlison rightly chooses to understand the creature not through the creature but through the Creator (Kelleman).

To do this, Powlison uses x-ray questions, which he says reveal what God sees when he looks at an individual. He…...

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Works Cited

Cross, F.L., ed. "Atonement." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York:

Oxford University Press. 2005.

Kelleman, Bob. "Book Review: Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition

through the Lens of Scripture." Discerning Reader. N.p. 2 Aug. 2009. Web. 22 Oct. 2010.

It is because of this that God is able to love us -- in John 3:16 it says, "For God so loved the world…," yet God loves man first and yet we were not loveable. "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" (Ephesians 2:5). This says that even though we were laden with sin and we were set for eternal death and damnation, God brought us back to life and gave us the same gift that He gave his one and only son, Jesus Christ.
Through these verses in Ephesians and other books, we can see that there is only one way to have eternal life and therefore I and my friend have to accept that we are not perfect in God's eyes, but yet He loves us so much anyway and He is able to use his abundant…...

New Testament
What city is central to the development of Acts? How so?

Besides Jerusalem, the city most central to the development of Acts is probably Antioch. Acts chapter 11 narrates the founding of the church at Antioch, and in 11:26 the word "Christians" is used for the first time in the New Testament -- this is where the disciples were first called "Christians."

What are the "we passages "u in Acts?

In five separate sections of the book of Acts -- each reporting the missionary journeys of Paul -- the author suddenly shifts into the first person plural, as though to indicate the author of Acts was a traveling companion of Paul in the journey described. The "we passages" are Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; and the openings of chapters 27 and 28. The significance is that the author of the book appears to have had first-hand personal knowledge of Paul and his activities.

Describe…...

Apostles chronicles the events that transpired after Jesus' death and resurrection. It describes the creation of the ministry of the apostles to spread the word of Jesus to the gentiles as well as the Jews and introduces the 'character' of the Apostle Paul in the history of Christianity.
and 2 Thessalonians

Paul, raised Jewish and a former persecutor of Christians, sets out the mission of his ministry to the gentiles and defines the word of God to the new Christian community.

Corinthians

Paul is concerned about the reversion to pagan ways in Corinth and the immorality of its residents. He sets forth the doctrine of Christian love, as opposed to physical love.

Romans

Paul describes Jesus as a vehicle of salvation in this letter to the mixed community of Jews and gentiles of Rome. Jesus' sacrifice has enabled the redemption of sinful humanity, as distinct from Mosaic Law in the past.

Galatians

One of the most notable…...

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Work Cited

Bible Gateway.  http://www.biblegateway.com/

The Christ-hymn, or Christological Canticle from Colossians, contains several distinguishing features in its content and structure. One of the most unique elements, which has been a point of contention for Christians, is that the hymn points to Christ’s role in creation (cosmology), and Christ’s role in reconciliation (soteriology). The Canticle can be interpreted to show that Christ serves effectively as a “unifying principle, holding the universe together at its head,” (MacDonald, n.d., p. 65). Christ also holds together the church: positioning Christ clearly as the symbolic head and the Church as the body of Christ (MacDonald, n.d., p. 66). As MacDonald (n.d.) also points out, the cultural and historical context of the Christological Canticle informed some of its more mystical and symbolic dimensions. Extended to the global Christian community, the Christological Canticle from Colossians offers clear focus for how to worship, and particularly, how to worship within a Christian community.…...

Jesus' Teachings, Prayer, & Christian Life
"He (Jesus) Took the Bread. Giving Thanks Broke it. And gave it to his Disciples, saying, 'This is my Body, which is given to you.'" At Elevation time, during Catholic Mass, the priest establishes a mandate for Christian Living. Historically, at the Last Supper, Christ used bread and wine as a supreme metaphor for the rest of our lives. Jesus was in turmoil. He was aware of what was about to befall him -- namely, suffering and death. This was the last major lesson he would teach before his arrest following Judas' betrayal. Eschatologically speaking, the above set the stage for the Christian ministry of the apostles, evangelists and priests. Indeed, every Christian is called to give of him or herself for the Glory of God and the Glory of Mankind. The message at the Last Supper was powerful. People have put themselves through unimaginable…...

Paul went through many difficulties in Corinth. Corinth was an immoral city with many various religions. "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1-2, NIV). People were not told to follow certain rules and were sexually immoral. It was hard for someone with Christian values to come in, share his views with the populace, and be accepted.
Although Paul was accepted by some and gained followers, there were some problems that arose. Some of these problems had to do with old habits and immorality. Others had to deal with grief, mourning, and death. That being said, Paul addressed such pastoral difficulties in an epistle.

Corinthians or the epistle was written by Paul in Ephesus located on the west coast of what is now Turkey. Paul's letter was written during his time…...

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References

Authors, V. (2008). Holy Bible (NIV).

Calvin, J., Parker, T., Torrance, D. And Torrance, T. (1965). The epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

Calvin, J., Torrance, D., Torrance, T. And Mackenzie, R. (1960). The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and to the Thessalonians. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.

Grant, M. (1986). A guide to the ancient world. [Bronx, N.Y.]: H.W. Wilson.

Many people are familiar with the word “canon” as it is used when discussing fictional works.  It refers to those books or other works that are an official part of the created world, as opposed to those created by others, like fan fiction.  It also distinguishes the written word from speculation or theories built on that word, but not directly supported by it.  Canon has a similar meaning in Biblical studies of the New Testament.  It refers specifically to those books believed to have been divinely inspired and incorporated into the New Testament.  This makes Christianity somewhat different from many....