Ephesians: Session 11 – A Great Mystery

Notes:

A Great Mystery – Eph.5:22-32

  • We must know the doctrine of marriage before we talk about practicalities.
  • To understand marriage we must understand the relationship between Christ & the Church.
  • Eph. 5:31-32. It is a great mystery, i.e. a truth that was hidden but has now been revealed. Where did God hide it? In Adam and Eve.
  • The main purpose of marriage is revealed here. It is to meet the need of loneliness. It is a covenant of companionship, (Prov. 2:17; Mal.2:14). “You will never be lonely as long as I live.”
  • Problem: When God created man on the 6th day, He had finished His creation. But Eve had not been created
  • She already existed – in Adam.
  • God put Adam to sleep, opened his side, extracted a rib and created the woman.
  • This is a great mystery. Eve was in Adam as long as Adam lived.
  • Eph. 1:4. In the mind and eternal purpose of God we have always been in Christ.
  • Adam was incomplete without Eve. Thus, the Church is, “the fullness of Christ”, Eph. 1:23.
  • She is the glory of man, (1 Cor.11:7-9). The Church is the exhibited glory of Christ.
  • In order to bring forth Eve, who was in Adam, an operation was performed on the side of Adam. His flesh was opened and a rib extracted, and Eve was built from this, (Gen.2:23).
  • God performed an operation on the side of Jesus to bring forth the Church (Jn.19:34).
  • Eve was made from the rib of Adam. She shared his life.
  • Marriage is a shared life.
  • So is the Christian life, (1 Cor.6:17).

 Application

1) “Wives, Submit To Your Husbands”

  • Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the Head of the Church. See Eph. 1:22.
  • What does that mean? The head is the source and centre of the life of the body.
  • There is only way the Church can function as the Church, i.e. in submission to Christ. A Church that acts independently of Christ is like a body without a head.
  • No authority is inherent. I have authority as a pastor, husband, and father only because I am under authority. That authority is for the purpose of doing God’s will.
  • Submission is something which is given, not taken.
  • It is addressed to ‘wives’ not husbands. If it’s given it is submission; if it’s taken it is control.
  • It is voluntary submission to godly leadership.
  • A wife seeks to meet four special needs of her husband: respect; honour; appreciation; physical Intimacy.

2) “Husbands, Love Your Wives”

  • Love seeks the highest good of the other person.
  • This is A) A realistic love; B) A sacrificial love, (Eph. 5:25); C) A purposeful love, (Eph. 5:26-28); D) A practical love, (Ephesians 5:33).
  • True love is not self-serving.
  • So, walking in love the husband seeks to understand and meet four special needs of his wife. These are: security (physical, financial and emotional); commitment; affection; emotional intimacy (communication).


  # Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.