Outline
- The Divine Purpose: The Glory and Headship of Christ (1:3-14)
- Prayer That Christians May Realize God's Purpose and
Power (1:15-23)
- Steps Toward the Fulfillment of God's Purpose
(chs. 2-3)
VI.
Conclusion, Final
Greetings and Benediction (6:21-24)
21 And further, submit to one another out
of reverence for Christ.
22 For wives, this means submit to your
husbands as to the Lord.
23 For a husband is the head of his wife
as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the
church.
24 As the church submits to Christ, so you
wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
25 For husbands, this means love your
wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her
26 to make her holy and clean, washed by
the cleansing of God’s word.
27 He did this to present her to himself
as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead,
she will be holy and without fault.
28In the same way, husbands ought to love
their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually
shows love for himself.
29 No one hates his own body but feeds
and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
30And we are members of his body.
31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves
his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into
one.”
32 This is a great mystery, but it is an
illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.
33 So again I say,
each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her
husband.
Ephesians
6 NLT
1 Children, obey your parents because
you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.
2 “Honor your father and mother.” This
is the first commandment with a promise:
3 If you honor your father and mother,
“things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the
earth.”
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children
to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline
and instruction that comes from the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters
with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve
Christ.
6 Try to please them all the time, not
just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with
all your heart.
7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you
were working for the Lord rather than for people.
8 Remember that the Lord will reward
each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
9 Masters, treat your slaves in the
same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in
heaven, and he has no favorites.
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power.
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you
will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen
world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in
the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of
God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after
the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the
belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that
comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up
the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and
take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and
on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all
believers everywhere.
19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give
me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good
News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
20 I am in chains now, still preaching
this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly
for him, as I should.
21 To bring you up to date, Tychicus
will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along.
He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work.
22 I have sent him to you for this very
purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.
23 Peace be with you, dear brothers and
sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness.
24 May God’s grace be
eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
