Principles of Marriage | Scripture Reference |
---|---|
Marriage is part of the “mystery” of God's will | Eph. 1:9; 3:3; 5:32 |
Paul's instructions are directed to Spirit-filled believers | Eph. 5:18 |
Wives are called to submit, men are called to love | Eph. 5:21–33 |
Headship entails authority | Eph. 5:23–24 (cf. Eph. 1:22; 4:15) |
Submission is still required of Christian wives | Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18 (cf. Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:3) |
Marriage involves spiritual warfare, which requires husbands and wives to put on the full armor of God | Eph. 6:10–18 |
Ephesians 5:21 (KJV) actually speaks of mutual submission: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." The section begins with a reference to fear of God and it ends in 5:33 with the verbal form of fear or respect. 5:22 should be rendered by an ellipsis: "Wives...to your own husbands as to the Lord" since the verb is absent from the Greek text.
Anyone who wants a broader discussion could look at Carolyn Osiek's A Woman's Place: house churches in Earliest Christianity (2005 Fortress), chapter 6, "Ephesians 5 and the Politics of Marriage" which sets this passage in the broader context of women's role in managing house churches and the entire letter to the Ephesians. Here's a review of the book from RBL.
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