Ephesians Bible Study:

Week 11

Nagib & Becca Hermes | November 17, 2021

Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.28 In the same way husbands should 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 Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to 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.

Discussion Questions:

1. Given all we have seen in Ephesians about how big God’s love is for us, what is one place you need to walk in faith and submit to him? What keeps you from submitting to Christ? What keeps you from submitting to “one another?”

 

2. What does it mean to you, personally, that you are part of Christ’s wife, a member of his body, “one flesh” with him?

 

3. Whether you are single or married, what is your biggest practical takeaway from this passage - a change in attitude, an action you need to take, an action you need to stop, or words you need to say or stop saying? Ask God to move you towards that as one who is “strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (4:16), and “nourished by Christ” (5:29).