and submit to each other out of respect for Christ. For example, wives should submit to their husbands as if to the Lord. A husband is the head of his wife like Christ is head of the church, that is, the savior of the body. So wives submit to their husbands in everything like the church submits to Christ. As for husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. He did this to make her holy by washing her in a bath of water with the word. He did this to present himself with a splendid church, one without any sort of stain or wrinkle on her clothes, but rather one that is holy and blameless. That’s how husbands ought to love their wives—in the same way as they do their own bodies. Anyone who loves his wife loves himself. No one ever hates his own body, but feeds it and takes care of it just like Christ does for the church because we are parts of his body. This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two of them will be one body. Marriage is a significant allegory, and I’m applying it to Christ and the church. In any case, as for you individually, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and wives should respect their husbands. As for children, obey your parents in the Lord, because it is right. The commandment Honor your father and mother is the first one with a promise attached: so that things will go well for you, and you will live for a long time in the land. As for parents, don’t provoke your children to anger, but raise them with discipline and instruction about the Lord. As for slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling and with sincere devotion to Christ. Don’t work to make yourself look good and try to flatter people, but act like slaves of Christ carrying out God’s will from the heart. Serve your owners enthusiastically, as though you were serving the Lord and not human beings. You know that the Lord will reward every person who does what is right, whether that person is a slave or a free person. As for masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Stop threatening them, because you know that both you and your slaves have a master in heaven. He doesn’t distinguish between people on the basis of status. (Ephesians 5:21-6:9, CEB)
This is an update to the household codes of the day when this was written. Men would have ruled over the household. They were the top and everyone else answered to them.
The author (who is not Paul) says that husbands should love their wives and respect them as they do their own bodies. This was a way to turn this text and help make women more equal. Even though this is not saying that and still holds to the household codes. We can see a massaging of the system to help make us all more equal while still maintaining the power structures of the day. The last line does away with everything else before it in my opinion and is the line for the verse.
“He doesn’t distinguish between people on the basis of status.” He is God. God doesn’t see anyone any different than anyone else as we are all created in God’s image and on an even playing field with God. Nationality, economic status, or gender doesn’t change how we are seen by God. We are all beloved children and all equal.
Love like Jesus and know nothing makes anyone better in the eyes of God.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 