Ephesians 5: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

33 verses · 7 video commentaries from 5 courses · Berean Standard Bible

¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

²and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

³But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

⁷Therefore do not be partakers with them.

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

⁹for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

¹⁰Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

¹¹Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.

¹⁴So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

²⁶to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

²⁷and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

²⁸In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

³⁰For we are members of His body.

³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

³²This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

³³Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 5 Section and Chapter Commentary

Eph 5:21-33

Ephesians shows literary dependence on Colossians

Ephesians, also attributed to Paul, exhibits strong literary links and dependence on Colossians, with many parallel passages appearing as elaborations or conflations of ideas found in Colossians. This dependence, along with the fact that both letters claim to be delivered by Tychicus, suggests that Ephesians was written by someone who knew and built upon Colossians, a text whose Pauline authorship is already questioned.

Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 22: In Paul’s Name | The Disputed Letters · watch the clip

Eph 5:22-33

Household Codes in Deutero-Pauline Epistles

The household codes in Ephesians and Colossians provide guidelines for behavior within Greco-Roman households, addressing husbands, wives, children, and enslaved people. While emphasizing wives' submission to husbands, these letters also instruct husbands to love and treat their wives well, which could align with Paul's emphasis on mutual responsibilities in 1 Corinthians, though some scholars see a more rigid hierarchy here.

Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 4: In Thecla's Wake | Women, Gender, and the Legacies of Paul in Early Christianity · watch the clip

Eph 5:24-32

Israel as God's bride, the Church as Christ's bride

The Hebrew Bible uses the metaphor of Israel as God's bride, emphasizing marital fidelity as loyalty to God. Paul extends this imagery, presenting the Church as Christ's 'pure bride,' warning the Corinthians against 'cheating' on Christ by listening to other apostles. Ephesians further transposes this metaphor, describing the Church as a 'bride without spot or wrinkle' to Christ.

Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 11: The Christian Body | Ascetic Enthusiasm · watch the clip

Ephesians 5 Verse Notes

Eph 5:2

Sacrifice as a Model of Salvation

Paul also conceptualizes Christ's death as a sacrifice, akin to the animal sacrifices performed in the temple to atone for sins. In this model, Jesus' death is understood as a human sacrifice that covers or makes amends for human transgressions, establishing a means of forgiveness and purification.

Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 5: The Gospel of Paul · watch the clip

Eph 5:22-24

Violence against women justified by biblical passages

Violence against women, often private, has been justified by biblical interpretations that emphasize women's obedience and submission to their husbands. This has led to cases where women are advised against leaving abusive relationships, reinforcing a cycle of violence under religious pretense.

Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 7: A History of Hatred, Intolerance, and Violence | Is the Bible to Blame? · watch the clip

Eph 5:28-29

Critique of Abstinence in Ephesians

Ephesians appears to critique abstinence within marriage, stating that 'no one ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes it and tenderly cares for it.' This contrasts with Paul's stance in 1 Corinthians, where he champions abstinence and views sexual activity within marriage as a concession to prevent worse desires, suggesting a potential inconsistency with Paul's authentic letters.

Eph 5:32

Marriage as a 'Great Mystery' in Ephesians

Ephesians describes marriage as a 'great mystery' concerning Christ and the Church, seemingly elevating its importance. This perspective appears to diverge from Paul's view in 1 Corinthians, where he considers marriage primarily a concession to human desires and encourages remaining unmarried to focus on the Lord's affairs.