Ephesians 5:21 Meaning and Explanation
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Out of reverence for Christ, we yield to one another, putting each other's good ahead of our own.
The Context of Ephesians 5:21
This verse caps Paul's call to be filled with the Spirit (verse 18) and opens the section on Christian households that follows. It is a hinge, the heading over everything Paul is about to say to husbands and wives, parents and children.
What Does Ephesians 5:21 Mean?
Paul has been describing what a Spirit-filled life looks like, and here he names one of its surest marks: "submitting yourselves one to another." To submit is to lower oneself, to yield, to set another's good ahead of one's own claims. What is striking is the direction: "one to another," each toward the other. This is the air a Christian community breathes, a mutual deference where no one insists on being first. It flows from being filled with the Spirit, the fruit of God's life working its way into how we treat each other.
Paul anchors it all "in the fear of God," a deep reverence for Christ. We yield to one another because we stand in awe of Him. And we have His own example to follow, the One who, though He was Lord of all, took the lowest place and washed His friends' feet. To give way to one another in love is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, who put our good ahead of His own comfort all the way to the cross.
Ephesians 5:21 in the Original Language
hupotasso (ὑποτάσσω), 'submitting' -- to place oneself under, to yield and defer to another out of love.
How to Apply Ephesians 5:21 Today
When pride tells us to stand on our rights, this verse invites a humbler way: to yield to one another out of reverence for Christ. We can look for the other person's good before insisting on our own, following the One who took the lowest place for us. Mutual deference is how love makes room.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ephesians 5:21
What does Ephesians 5:21 mean?
Out of reverence for Christ, we yield to one another, putting each other's good ahead of our own.
What is the context of Ephesians 5:21?
This verse caps Paul's call to be filled with the Spirit (verse 18) and opens the section on Christian households that follows. It is a hinge, the heading over everything Paul is about to say to husbands and wives, parents and children.
How can I apply Ephesians 5:21 today?
When pride tells us to stand on our rights, this verse invites a humbler way: to yield to one another out of reverence for Christ. We can look for the other person's good before insisting on our own, following the One who took the lowest place for us. Mutual deference is how love makes room.