Eph 5 Bible Study
SECTION OUTLINE FIVE (EPHESIANS 5)
Paul likens the church to obedient children, husbands, and wives.
I. Obedient Children (5:1–21): Twelve rules for the Father’s household:
A. Follow Christ in love (5:1–2).
“A fragrant offering” means; we please God when we imitate Christ in our lives. Because our love for Christ, we make personal sacrifices.
B. Avoid all immorality (5:3).
covetousness, means = the desire of having more.
“Let it not be once named “God goes as far as to tell us not to even talk about it, let alone do it.
There should be a dramatic difference between Christian’s life and the unsaved. (3-7) We should be changing or growing.
C. Refrain from obscene language (5:4–5).
God would have give thanks to Him, than to do idle talk.
God would rather for us to uplift someone than to jest with someone and in doing so bring them down.
D. Don’t allow others to deceive you (5:6–7).
Don’t let people talk you into that they are having a good time and you need to come and join them.
The fact of the matter is the world does not have a continual good time at anything. They are all searching for something?
Because of their disobedience God will bring His wrath upon them.
E. Walk in the light (5:8–9, 11–14).
F. Seek God’s will and do it (5:10, 17).
G. Use every opportunity for doing good (5:15–16).
H. Don’t get drunk on wine (5:18a).
I. Be filled with the Spirit (5:18b).
J. Use music to encourage each other and to worship God (5:19).
K. Be thankful for all things (5:20). We should thank God for all He has done every chance we get.
L. Submit to one another (5:21).
II. Obedient Husbands and Wives (5:22–33)
A. Wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ (5:22–24).
1. The word submit means = to respond to your own husband as unto the Lord.
2. We love God so much we want to do all we can to please Him. This is what we are to do to your husbands.
a) It goes back to; it is all about others and not about us.
3. Wives are to respond to their husbands in a loving way as unto the Lord.
4. Wires are to submit to their husbands just like we as the church is to submit to Christ.
a) 1 Corinthians 11:3-9,3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
b) 1 Peter 3:1,1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
c) Colossians 3:18,18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
d) If a marriage relationship is where it should be in God, there really will not be any commands to obey.
(1) A wife should be in love with her husband and want to do everything within her power to make her husband live well. Just like we should do everything to please God.
(2) If this happens, there is neither a command given or something to obey.
(3) There should be such mutual love for each other for this to happen.
(4) What a woman does in submission is as unto the Lord. (Col 3:18)
(a) When you give money to God, you give it to the church. This is the same thing when a woman submits to her husband, she is giving to God.
5. Each partner in marriage has a privilege.
a) The husband’s privilege is to put his wife first, as Christ put us first when He died for us. The wife’s privilege is to set the tone of submission by being responsive and caring.[1]
b) Neither is “over” the other; each ministers to the other in his or her special way.[2]
c) Do you remember when I gave you the illustration about being under the law (driving a car)
6. Lets take a look back into the Garden of Eden.
a) Gen 2:18-24, God did not give Adam a woman until he knew he had a need for her.
b) Man is only half a man without a woman. When God made woman and put them together they became one. (Verse 24)
c) Man was given a “helpmeet”. (Verse 20) The animals did not give Adam what he needed or long for.
d) Man and woman each one needing the other to fulfill what life has to give. One is not complete without the other.
(1) You may think you can, put it will leave a void in you life.
(2) We should help each other, put also inspire each other.
(3) Nathaniel Hawthorne was a clerk. He worked in a government customs office in New York City, and he was fired for inefficiency. He came home and sat down discouraged and defeated. His wife came up and put her arm around him and said, “Now, Nathaniel, you can do what you always wanted to do: you can write.” He wrote The House of the Seven Gables, The Scarlet Letter, “The Great Stone Face,” and other great works. So, you see, it does work out in life. It has worked out in the lives of multitudes of folk.[3]
(4) Think about this! A man and a woman are two different beings. One has emotions the other does not. One is strong and the other is not. One looks different than the other.
(5) Two opposites that are attracted to each other. God really knew what He was doing. Each one has what the other needs.
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[1]Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader's companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
[2]Richards, L. 1991. The Bible reader's companion. Includes index. Victor Books: Wheaton, Ill.
[3]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville