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Ephesians 5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore do not become partners with them;

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

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

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

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

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

because we are members of his body.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 5

Paul calls believers to walk in love (agapē) as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God—a sacrificial love that becomes the standard and motive for all Christian conduct. Sexual immorality and covetousness (pleonexia) must not even be named among the sanctified, for such vices signal exclusion from God's kingdom, inconsistent with the identity of God's holy people. Instead, believers are to walk as children of light, manifesting the fruit of light—goodness, righteousness, and truth—while exposing the unfruitful deeds of darkness and redeeming the time because the days are evil, moving counter-culturally through a fallen age. Intoxication yields to being filled with the Spirit, producing a community of mutual exhortation through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs—worship that arises from hearts overflowing with the Spirit's fullness. The household code (haustafeln) begins here: wives are called to submit to husbands as to the Lord (just as the church submits to Christ), while husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, sanctifying and cleansing her by the word, presenting her as a glorious, spotless, and blameless bride. Paul identifies this marriage relationship as to mega mysterion (the great mystery)—a truth hidden in the creation account (Genesis 2:24) now revealed to point to Christ and the church, making every Christian marriage a living parable of the gospel's reconciling, covenantal love.

Ephesians 5:20

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — the constant disposition: eucharisteuō ('give thanks') pantote ('always') peri pantōn ('for all things') tō theō kai patri ('to God and Father') en tō onomati ('in the name') tou kyriou Iēsou Christou ('of Lord Jesus Christ').

Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ — the transitional verse introducing household codes: hupotassō ('submit,' 'place under') allelon ('one another') en phobō Christou ('in reverence of Christ'), mutual submission grounded in Christological reverence.

Ephesians 5:22

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord — the first household code: gynaikes, hupotassō ('wives, submit') tois idiois andrasin ('to your own husbands') hōs tō kyriō ('as to the Lord'), establishing the authority structure while grounding it in Christ.

Ephesians 5:23

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior — the theological basis: ho anēr kephalē tēs gynaikos ('the husband is head of the wife') kathos Christos kephalē tēs ekklēsiās ('as Christ is head of the church'), Christ as savior (sōtēr) of the sōma ('body').

Ephesians 5:24

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything — the parallel: hōs hē ekklēsia hupotassō Christō ('as the church submits to Christ'), outo kai ta gynaikes... ('so also the wives') tois andrasin... ('to their husbands') en panti ('in all things').

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her — the command reverses authority with sacrificial love: hoi andres, agapaō ('husbands, love') tas gynaikes ('your wives'), kathos Christos agapaō ('as Christ loved') tēn ekklēsiān ('the church') kai paradidōmi ('and gave himself up') hyper autēs ('for her'), Christ's self-sacrifice is the measure.

Ephesians 5:26

To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word — the purpose: hina hagiazo ('that he might sanctify her'), kathrizō ('cleanse') through loutron hydatos ('the washing of water') en rhēmati ('through the word'), sacramental and verbal purification.

Ephesians 5:27

And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless — the goal: paristēmi ('to present') heautō ('to himself') the ekklēsiān endoxos ('church glorious,' splendid), a-spilos ('without stain'), unwrinkled (a-rhytis), without blemish (a-mōmon), hagia ('holy') and a-mōmos ('blameless'), the church's eschatological perfection.

Ephesians 5:28

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself — the extension: houtōs opheilō ('in this way ought') hoi andres agapaō ('husbands to love') tas heautōn gynaikes hōs ta heautōn sōmata ('their own wives as their own bodies'); ho agapan tēn idian gynaika heauton agapā ('he who loves his wife loves himself'), the unity principle.

Ephesians 5:29

After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church — the principle: oudeis gar pot tēn heautou sarka ebasen ('nobody ever hated their own flesh'), alla ektrephō ('but nourishes') kai thalpō ('and cherishes') autēn ('it'), kathos kai ho Christos tēn ekklēsiān ('as Christ also the church'), Christ's care for the body of believers.

Ephesians 5:30

For we are members of his body — the foundation: dioti esmon mele ('because we are members') tou sōmatos autou ('of his body'), the organic unity.

Ephesians 5:31

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh — the quotation of Genesis 2:24 (ekleipō pater kai mēter, katakollao, mia sarx) establishes the heterosexual union as the primordial pattern of human bonding.

Ephesians 5:32

This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church — the Christological interpretation: to mystērion touto mega estin ('this mystery is profound'), but ego legō eis Christon kai tēn ekklēsiān ('I speak concerning Christ and the church'), the marriage union becomes theophany, revealing Christ's love for the redeemed.

Ephesians 5:33

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband — the summary: hekastos ... agapaō ('each one ... love') tēn heautou gynaika ('his own wife') hōs heauton ('as himself'), and the gyne phobeomai ('the wife fear,' 'respect') ton andra ('her husband'), reciprocal obligation.

Ephesians 5:1

Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God — the supreme ethical imperative: mimeomai ('imitate') theon ('God') as tekna agapēta ('beloved children'), peripateuō ('walk') en agapē ('in love'), kata to paradeigma ('according to the pattern') of Christ's agapē ('love'), his paradidōmi ('self-giving'), defined as osphrē euōdias ('fragrant offering,' aroma of thanksgiving) kai thusia theō ('and sacrifice to God').

Ephesians 5:2

And live as children of light — the ethical life is peripatēō ('walk') as tekna phōtos ('children of light'), a wisdom/revelation motif, the illuminated life.

Ephesians 5:3

For you yourselves know that sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among God's people — the vices: porneia ('sexual immorality,' illicit sexuality), akatharsia ('uncleanness,' moral defilement), and pleonexia ('greed,' covetousness) should be akoustos ('not even named,' not discussed) in the community, an absolute standard.

Ephesians 5:4

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving — further exclusions: aischrologia ('obscenity,' shameful talk), mōrologia ('foolish talk,' silly banter), eutrapelia ('coarse joking,' witty jesting) are anaprepē ('inappropriate,' 'out of place'), eucharistia ('thanksgiving') is the replacement.

Ephesians 5:5

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God — the solemn warning: the pornos ('sexually immoral'), akathartos ('unclean'), or pleonektēs ('greedy') is an eidololatres ('idolater,' one who practices greed as worship), excluded from the klēronomia ('inheritance') in the basileia ('kingdom') of Christou kai theou ('Christ and God').

Ephesians 5:6

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient — Paul's warning against apatan ('deception') by logous kenos ('empty words,' hollow rhetoric); these vices trigger the orgē theou ('wrath of God') upon tous disobedient ('the disobedient').

Ephesians 5:7

Therefore do not be partners with them — the exhortation: mē ginesthe sunkoinōnoi ('do not become fellow-participants,' 'do not share in') with perpetrators of such vice.

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light — the transformation: ēte pote skotos ('you were once darkness,' in the realm of spiritual blindness), nyn phos ('now light,' enlightened), en kyriō ('in the Lord'), therefore peripateuō ('walk') as tekna phōtos ('children of light').

Ephesians 5:9

For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth — the karpos tou phōtos ('fruit of the light') manifests: agathosynē ('goodness,' generosity), dikaiosynē ('righteousness,' justice), and alētheia ('truth,' authenticity), the illuminated life's practical outcomes.

Ephesians 5:10

And find out what pleases the Lord — the believers' task: dokimazō ('test,' 'discern') ti euareston ('what is pleasing') tō kyriō ('to the Lord'), the discernment of God's will.

Ephesians 5:11

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them — the sharp boundary: mē synkoinōneō ('do not participate') en ergois akarpois tou skotous ('in the unfruitful works of darkness'), instead elenchō ('expose,' 'convict') them, bringing them to light.

Ephesians 5:12

It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret — the standard aidos ('shame') forbids autos legein ('to even speak of') the hidden deeds (ta en kryptō) of disobedience.

Ephesians 5:13

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible — for it is light that makes everything visible — the paradox: when phanerōō ('made evident,' 'revealed'), even darkness becomes visible through phōs ('light'); the lógos plays on visibility and revelation.

Ephesians 5:14

This is why it is said: 'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you' — the citation (possibly from a baptismal hymn) calls the community: egeirō ('wake up,' 'rise'), anistēmi ('arise') ek tōn nekrōn ('from the dead'), and epiphainō ('Christ will shine upon you,' illuminate you), eschatological wakefulness.

Ephesians 5:15

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise — the exhortation: akribōs ('very carefully,' 'precisely') peripateuō ('walk,' conduct), not as asophoi ('foolish') but as sophoi ('wise'), the sage/fool binary recalling wisdom literature.

Ephesians 5:16

Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil — the reason: exagorazō ('make the most of,' 'buy up,' redeem) ton kairon ('the opportunity,' the fitting time), dia to ta hemeroi pneuma ('because the days are evil,' eschatological urgency), a realized urgency.

Ephesians 5:17

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is — the final command: mē ginesthe aphrones ('do not be foolish'), but synienai ('understand') ti to thelēma tou kyriou ('what is the will of the Lord'), the pursuit of divine wisdom.

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit — the antithetical pair: methuskō ('be drunk') en oinō ('with wine') leads to asōtia ('debauchery,' profligacy); instead, plēroō ('be filled') en pneumati ('with the Spirit'), the Spirit's filling replacing intoxication.

Ephesians 5:19

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord — the community life: laleo ('speak') pros heautous ('to one another') in psalmois ('psalms,' biblical songs), hymnois ('hymns,' praises), and ōdais pneumatikais ('spiritual songs'), the entire assembly aido ('singing') and psallo ('making melody') en tē kardia ('from the heart') tō kyriō ('to the Lord').