EphesiansStudy Guide

Chapter 5

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23For 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.

24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Key VerseEphesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

Overview

Paul calls believers to be followers of God as dear children, walking in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself as a sacrificial offering. He warns against fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, and foolish speech, declaring that such have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. He contrasts the darkness of sin with the light believers are called to walk in, urges them to be filled with the Spirit rather than drunk with wine, and presents the profound mystery of marriage as a picture of Christ and the church.

Key Themes

1

Walking in Love and Light

Believers are called to imitate God by walking in love as Christ loved us, and to walk as children of light, exposing and avoiding the unfruitful works of darkness.

2

Being Filled with the Spirit

Rather than seeking artificial stimulation, believers should be filled with the Spirit, resulting in worship, thanksgiving, and mutual submission.

3

Marriage as a Picture of Christ and the Church

The husband-wife relationship is a profound mystery that pictures Christ's love for the church — He gave Himself for her to sanctify and present her without spot or wrinkle.

Study Questions

1.

What does it mean to 'walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us' (v. 2)?

2.

How does Paul's command to 'redeem the time, because the days are evil' (v. 16) apply to how we use our time?

3.

What does being 'filled with the Spirit' (v. 18) look like in practice, and how is it different from a one-time event?

4.

How does the comparison of marriage to Christ and the church (vv. 25-33) elevate the purpose of marriage?

5.

Why does Paul call the relationship between Christ and the church a 'great mystery' (v. 32)?

Connection to Christ

Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it and present it to Himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. He is both the model and the source of sacrificial love, and every Christian marriage is meant to display this gospel reality.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Ephesians 5. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

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