Ephesians 5
Modern English Version
5 Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. 2 Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.
3 And do not let sexual immorality, or any impurity, or greed be named among you, as these are not proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse joking, which are not fitting. Instead, give thanks. 5 For this you know, that no sexually immoral or impure person, or one who is greedy, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Walk as Children of Light
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8 For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth— 10 proving what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things are exposed when they are revealed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
15 See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise men, 16 making the most of the time because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. 20 Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 being submissive to one another in the fear of God.
Wives and Husbands
22 Wives, be submissive to your own husbands as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head and Savior of the church, which is His body. 24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 In this way men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord cares for the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.”[a] 32 This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Footnotes
Ephesians 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 5
1 So be imitators of God,[a] as beloved children,(A) 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.(B) 3 Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones,(C) 4 no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving.(D) 5 Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.(E)
Duty to Live in the Light. 6 (F)Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.[b] 7 So do not be associated with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light,(G) 9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.(H) 10 Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.(I) 11 Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them,(J) 12 for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,(K) 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says:(L)
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”[c]
15 [d]Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise,(M) 16 making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,(N) 19 addressing one another [in] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,(O) 20 giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.(P)
Wives and Husbands. 21 [e]Be subordinate to one another(Q) out of reverence for Christ.[f] 22 Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.(R) 23 For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.(S) 24 As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her(T) 26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,(U) 27 that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.(V) 28 So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.(W)
31 “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.”(X)
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.(Y) 33 In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.
Footnotes
- 5:1 Imitators of God: in forgiving (Eph 4:32) and in loving (as exhibited in how Christ loved us).
- 5:6 See note on Eph 2:2.
- 5:14 An early Christian hymn, possibly from a baptismal liturgy. For the content compare Eph 2:5–6; 3:9 and Is 60:1.
- 5:15–16, 19–20 The wording is similar to Col 4:5 and Eph 3:16–17.
- 5:21–6:9 Cf. notes on Col 3:18–4:1 and 1 Pt 2:18–3:7 for a similar listing of household duties where the inferior is admonished first (wives, Eph 5:22; children, Eph 6:1; slaves, Eph 6:5), then the superior (husbands, Eph 5:25; fathers, Eph 6:4; masters, Eph 6:9). Paul varies this pattern by an emphasis on mutuality (see Eph 5:20); use of Old Testament material about father and mother in Eph 6:2; the judgment to come for slave-owners (you have a Master in heaven, Eph 6:9); and above all the initial principle of subordination to one another under Christ, thus effectively undermining exclusive claims to domination by one party. Into the section on wives and husbands an elaborate teaching on Christ and the church has been woven (Eph 5:22–33).
- 5:21–33 The apostle exhorts married Christians to a strong mutual love. Holding with Gn 2:24 that marriage is a divine institution (Eph 5:31), Paul sees Christian marriage as taking on a new meaning symbolic of the intimate relationship of love between Christ and the church. The wife should serve her husband in the same spirit as that of the church’s service to Christ (Eph 5:22, 24), and the husband should care for his wife with the devotion of Christ to the church (Eph 5:25–30). Paul gives to the Genesis passage its highest meaning in the light of the union of Christ and the church, of which Christlike loyalty and devotion in Christian marriage are a clear reflection (Eph 5:31–33).
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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