Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

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.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

• Ephesians 5:1-33

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Ephesians 5:1-2 ‘the need for church fellowship’: “God has not designed us to live like hermits in a cave. He has designed us to live in friendship and fellowship and community with others. That’s why the church, the body of Christ, is so very important, for it is there that we are drawn together in love and mutual encouragement. We’re meant to be a part of one another’s lives. Otherwise, we pull back, focusing on ourselves-thinking how hard we have it or how unfair others are.”

• Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

Ephesians 5:1-2 ‘beyond meditation’: “Meditation is a happy, holy, profitable engagement; and it will instruct us, strengthen us, comfort us, inspire our hearts, and make our souls steadfast. But we may not stop at meditation. We must go on to imitation of the character of God. We must let our spiritual life not only bud and blossom in devout thought, but let it bring forth fruit in holy action. We must not be satisfied with feeding the soul by meditation but rise up from the banquet and use the strength we have gained. Sitting at the feet of Jesus must be succeeded by following in the footsteps of Jesus.“

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Ephesians 5:1-2 ‘A Worthy Example’: “If you’ve ever thought about what you want to be doing next year, in five years, or even in ten years, you’ve probably thought about it in terms of what will be fulfilling and satisfying. Yet too many people find themselves pressured to make decisions that take them away from their goals rather than moving them toward them. Sometimes it’s for financial reasons, sometimes it’s due to family issues, and sometimes it’s just the logistics of making a change. And while all of those are real factors, it’s important to keep your goals in focus and remember that what you do should be an overflow of who you are. You were designed for a satisfying life.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 12 April)

Ephesians 5:2, 5, 7 ‘His Irresistible Fragrance’: “Have you ever walked into a greenhouse full of beautiful, fragrant flowers-orchids, gardenias, roses, and other aromatic blooms? Immediately, the air seems heavier than it is outside, densely perfumed with the flowers’ scents, so much so that if you spend a few minutes inside the greenhouse, the fragrance of the flowers clings to your clothing long after you’ve left.  You know that’s true because when you come into a different room filled with people, they know where you’ve been just by the fragrance you give off.
“Flowers aren’t the only things that have a penetrating fragrance. People do too.  Those who have the aroma of Christ have a pleasing fragrance, but people who intentionally sin give off a sickening stench to God.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 4 June)

Ephesians 5:2 ‘God grants gifts for whatever you are lacking’: “Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child. ‘You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him. Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us’ (Ephesians 5:1-2).
“Want to learn to forgive? Then consider how you’ve been forgiven. ‘Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ’ (Ephesians 4:32).
“Finding it hard to put others first? Think of the way Christ put you first. ‘Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit’ (Philippians 2:6).
“Need more patience? Drink from the patience of God (2 Peter 3:9). Is generosity an elusive virtue? Then consider how generous God has been with you (Romans 5:8). Having trouble putting up with ungrateful relatives or cranky neighbors? God puts up with you when you act the same.  ‘He is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin’ (Luke 6:35). “

• Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving

Ephesians 5:3 ‘The world’s idea of love is wrong.’: “I’ve seen it too many times with some of the players I have been around through my years in football, players who were not told that sex outside marriage has consequences. The proof? Many of them are fathers who didn’t plan to be at the time.
“Valentine’s Day aside, television and films seem to fuel inappropriate and sensual messages designed to jeopardize the sexual purity of our children and young adults. I think we need to talk to them about the danger of these messages and help them see that God created them as sexual beings, with the best parameters to abide by.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 14 February)

Ephesians 5:4 ‘not fitting’: “These three inappropriate sins of the tongue include any speech that is obscene and degrading or foolish and dirty, as well as suggestive and immoral. All such expressions are destructive of holy living and godly testimony and should be confessed, forsaken, and replaced by open thankfulness to God (cf. Col. 3:8).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ephesians 5:5-6 ‘The Certainty of God’s Wrath’: “Believers in Christ are not to walk in the old way, in immorality and impurity, ‘which are not fitting’ (Ephesians 5:4), but are to walk ‘as is proper among saints’ (verse 3). They are to be ‘imitators of God, as beloved children’ (verse 1). Christians are to walk in love, just as Christ loved and gave Himself for us. Believers no longer have an interest in the immoral and impure affairs of the lost. The unsaved are cut off and shall never see the glory of the Lord in eternity.”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

Ephesians 5:8 ‘darkness … light’: “Darkness describes the character of the life of the unconverted as void of truth and virtue in intellectual and moral matters (cf. 1 John 1:5-7). The realm of darkness is presided over by the ‘power of darkness’ (Luke 22:53; Col. 1:13), who rules those headed for ‘eternal darkness’ (Matt. 8:12; 2 Pet. 2:17). Tragically, sinners love the darkness (John 3:19-21). It is that very darkness from which salvation in Christ delivers sinners (see notes on John 8:12; Col. 1:13; 1 Pet. 2:9; cf. Ps. 27:1).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ephesians 5:11 ‘works of darkness’: “Sins are ‘works of darkness.’ They delight in concealment. They are not fit to be seen. They flourish in the darkness of the unrenewed heart. They are most fully maintained in the ignorance of a soul that is without the knowledge of the ever-blessed God. There is no true light, no real joy, in sin. They are works of darkness, too, because they tend to further darkness. The man who pursues them goes from blackness to a deeper blackness, and in the end his portion will be darkness unbroken by a ray of hope.“

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Ephesians 5:13 ‘for whatever makes manifest is light’: “This phrase should probably be part of verse 14, and is better translated, ‘for it is light that makes everything visible.’ The pure and illuminating light of God’s Word exposes all the secrets of sin.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ephesians 5:14 ‘The love of the Creator for the Creature’: ” ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’ (Eph. 5:14). This is also what Michelangelo meant. Resting on the young earth, Adam is so solidly and intimately connected with the ground on which he lies that in his still dreamy existence, he himself is quite unusual, quite miraculous, and yet still a bit of earth; indeed, it is precisely this complete unity with the blessed soil of the created earth that reveals the full glory of the first human being. And in this resting on the earth, in this deep sleep of creation, the man now experiences life through bodily contact with the finger of God-it is the same hand that made the man that now touches him from a distance and awakens him to life. The hand of God does not hold the man nearer, clasped in its grip, but sets him free, and its creative power becomes the longing love of the Creator for the creature. The hand of God in this picture in the Sistine Chapel reveals more knowledge about the creation than many a profound speculation.”

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You, devotional compiled from several of his writings

Ephesians 5:15-18 ‘Filled with the Holy Spirit’: “I wish I could forget some of the moments from the past where I was less than careful and wise with some of the decisions I made. I recall some foolish and rash choices that did not glorify God. I regret them, and at times they haunt me, but I accept that it’s God’s way of keeping me from doing them again.
“We need to live carefully and wisely. Everything we do and say will have an immediate impact-positively or negatively-on at least one other person, possibly affecting them for the rest of their lives. We should make the most of every opportunity, many of which don’t look like opportunities at all. What looks like hard work or uphill battles, God may have put in our paths to make us live up to our potential. With that in mind, I didn’t want to waste any opportunity because my mind was under the influence of alcohol.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 6 December)

Ephesians 5:16 ‘on the winning side’: “We must meet the present emergency with a spirit of optimism. This is no time for repining, no time for looking backward; no time for self-pity or defeated complaining. We are on the winning side and we cannot lose. ‘Lo, I am-with you alway’ (Matthew 28:20) makes ultimate defeat impossible.
“Surely the days are evil and the times are waxing late, but the true Christian·is not caught unawares. He has been forewarned of just such times as these and has been expecting them. Present events only confirm the long-range wisdom of Jesus Christ and prove the authenticity of the prophetic Word. So the believer actually turns defeat into victory and draws strength from the knowledge that1the Lord in whom he trusts has foretold events and is in full command of the situation.
“Let us beware allowing our-spiritual comforts to rise and fall with world news or the changing political and economic situation. We who lean upon Jesus and trust in the watchful love of a heavenly Father are not dependent upon those things for our peace.”

• A. W. Tozer, Of God and Men

Ephesians 5:21-25 ‘A Two-Way Street’: “The relationship between a husband and wife is a two-way street. If the wife is going to submit to her husband-a word that makes many people uncomfortable-it has to be in the context of the husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church, enough to give up his life for her day after day.
“Similarly, if the husband is expected to give up his life for his wife, she has to be submitted in love and devotion to him. The mutual responsibilities of the husband to the wife and the wife to the husband are complementary to each other. They fit together just as the differences between the husband and wife complement each other.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 4 September)

Ephesians 5:25-27 ‘The Future Glory of the Church’: “Christ’s Care for the church is the supreme example of the way husbands are to relate to their wives. Christ cherishes the church (Ephesians 5:29), gave Himself for her (verse 25), and makes the individual believers ‘members of His body’ (verse 30). In a wedding, the father generally presents the bride to the bridegroom, but Christ will present the church to Himself ‘in all her glory’ (verse 27). Lenski states, ‘This sanctification which presents the believer in the perfection of holiness, when every stain and wrinkle of the flesh are finally removed, is explained in more detail in the rest of verse 27. It is Christ’s ultimate final purpose’ (Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians, p. 632).”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

Ephesians 5:25-27, 31-32 ‘The church is the bride of Christ’: ”Ephesians 5 introduces another metaphor to describe the true nature of the church. He tells us that the church is a bride.  … Then Paul quotes the words of God in Genesis. …
“The church is a bride, and Paul says that Christ is preparing the church as a bride so that He might present her to Himself. Isn’t that what every bridegroom desires-that his bride shall be his alone? During their early time of dating, she may go out with some other fellows, but once they are engaged she has promised to be his. Throughout their engagement, they await the day when that can be fully and finally realized.
“At last the wedding day comes. They stand before the altar and promise to love, honor, and cherish one another until death should part them. They then become each other’s­ she is his and he is hers, for the enjoyment of each other throughout their lifetime. That is a picture of the Christian (the bride) in relation to Christ (the groom).
“Do you ever think of yourself this way? My own devotional life was revolutionized when it dawned on me that the Lord Jesus was looking forward to our time together. If I missed our time together, He was disappointed! I realized that not only was I receiving from Him, but He was receiving.“

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ephesians 5:25 ‘Countless Ways to Honor’: “The reporter thought I was joking when I said I cleaned the house. It’s not what you expect an NFL coach to do on a Friday during the playoffs. But I was serious. This was something I could do to help her out, and at the time it made more sense than taking her out or buying her some jewelry. I wanted to do something that would actually benefit her well-being.
“I still try to find ways to make our home a sanctuary for Lauren. I learned that from my dad, who frequently took us kids out to a park in order to give mom some space and time to herself. And she did the same for him. They took care of each other’s needs.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 18 December)

Ephesians 5:25 ‘The love of Jesus’: “The love of Jesus-what a theme it is! The apostle said it passes knowledge; and if it passes knowledge, much more does it excel any description that can be given of it. This love of Christ is the most amazing thing under heaven, if not in heaven itself. Love between mortal and mortal is natural and comprehensible, but love between the infinite God and us poor sinful finite creatures, though conceivable in one sense, is utterly inconceivable in another. Who can grasp such an idea? Who can fully understand it? This is the miracle of miracles.“

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Ephesians 5:31-33 ‘Complementary Gifts’: “Talking about the roles of men and women in marriage can stir up a lot of controversy. The idea of well-defined roles makes many of us uncomfortable in this day and age, me included. What concerns me is that these discussions tend to focus on who gets to be in charge. But the Bible makes it clear that both husbands and wives are supposed to be looking out for each other’s well-being, not concentrating on who has the power. That means, as a husband, I’m supposed to be doing everything for the good of my wife.
“Look at it another way: God is not only my Father, He’s also my spouse’s Father. That means He’s my Father-in-law. That’s a pretty heavy responsibility. That motivates me to serve, not to figure out who‘s in charge.”

• Tony Dungy, Uncommon Life – Daily Challenge (excerpt from devotion for 10 July)

Ephesians 5:32 ‘a great mystery’: “In the NT, mystery identifies some reality hidden in the past and revealed in the NT age to be written in Scripture. Marriage is a sacred reflection of the magnificent and beautiful mystery of union between the Messiah and His church, completely unknown until the NT. See notes on 3:4, 5; Matthew 13:11; 1 Corinthians 2:7.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

Ephesians 5 continues the practical things that Christians can do to show love to one another.

The first verse focuses on us walking in the way of love.  We are to show love in a sacrificial way, as Jesus did.  That does not necessarily mean giving up one’s own life, but it does not exclude that extreme.  But we can be sacrificial in our time, in our giving, and in our interactions with others.

The next few verses speak of three things that are not part of Christianity: immorality, impurity, and greed.  This paragraph begins and ends with these three.  Three more are added at first: obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking.  These seem to be lesser versions of the first three and may point to what is in the person’s heart even though they might not participate in the first three.  We are told not to do things these things but give thanks instead.  These things live in the shadows, in the darkness.  We must expose the deeds of darkness, the immorality, impurity, and greed with the light from Jesus so that they can be irradicated.  But we are to live in the Light.

We are to also sing songs to the Lord.  Some may not be able to carry a tune, but we can be in a prayerful and joyous disposition, as if we are singing.

Then we come to the second half of Ephesians 5, about the relationship of a husband and wife.  This has been controversial, probably since the days when Paul wrote it, but definitely since the Women’s liberation movement has established a foothold.

I have written that without a sin nature, the system would work perfectly.  It starts with both sides submitting to one another.

Then the duties of the wife are to submit to her husband.  This is not a misogynistic comment by Paul.  It is a repeat, a reminder, that part of the curse on “woman” in Genesis 3 was to remain submissive to her husband.  As I recently wrote in another post, accepting the thorns and briers of the workforce (the man’s curse) does not negate the female’s curse.  But if the man does as he is instructed, this submission should never become a problem.

Next the husband is to love as Jesus loved, giving of himself to his wife.  Specifically, it says as Christ loved the church.  The Church will be Christ’s bride in the new heaven and earth.  Christ gave His life for the church.  Husband’s should sacrificially give to the wife and family in their love, not just in words, but in everything.  Part of that should be to not make decisions without discussion.  And at the end of the chapter, Paul throws in one more thing for the wife, to respect her husband, but if a husband has sacrificed of himself, some of which is sacrificing some of his “authority”, then the husband has shown sacrificial love by respecting the wife in return.

I speak from experience that it works, but my wife was the daughter of a Dutch army officer and an Indonesian girl, both having lived through World War II occupation.  Her father was strict and demanding, especially hard on my wife as the eldest daughter.  He was not to be argued with.  Her mother was in the Asian mold of being a servant, especially to her husband.  Thus, my wife served without question even though she knew her American counterparts did not do what she did around the house.  It came naturally to her.  And for all that I did, I could never have done enough for it to be a fair trade.

Her having a different upbringing might have led to a lot more butting of heads.  I asked for my wife’s advice, and she freely gave it.  She was smart and often had very wise comments to add to each decision.  I respected her as much as she respected me.  And a few times when we remained in disagreement, I made the wrong decision, and she let me know about it.  I have often learned by my mistakes, but it is the wise who learns by his mistakes instead of making them again and again.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Ephesians 4:17-5:21 Living as Children of Light 1. What is one way you have seen the contrast of the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ in your life? What piece of ‘old life’ clothing seems to be skin-tight and hard to remove now?
“2. What are the positive and/or negative motivations which prompt you to live a Christian life? Where do you feel you are making progress in your Christian life at the moment?
“3. Of the different pictures of what it means to live as a Christian, which means the most to you, and why: (a) Putting off? (b) Putting on? (c) Imitating God as his ‘dearly beloved children’ (5:1)? (d) Being light instead of darkness?
“4. Compare Paul’s view of a Spirit filled life with your own life. In comparison, how full have you been with the Spirit this week? What do you want to work on, so that he may fill you more?
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 Wives and Husbands, Parents and Children, Slaves and Masters 1. What counter-cultural principles from Paul can you work on to help you be a better spouse (or potential spouse)?
“2. What does it mean for you to honor your parents? How can this help improve relationships with them?
“3. Applying Paul’s teaching in 6:5-9 to your work environment, what will you do differently this week?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

One set stretches between Ephesians  4 and 5.  The other set of questions stretches between Ephesians 5 and 6.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.