Letter to the Ephesians – Chapter 5

Continuing Paul’s practical exhortations, Ephesians 5 focuses on walking in love, light, and wisdom. Paul addresses relationships within the Christian community and family, emphasizing mutual submission and sacrificial love modeled after Christ. This chapter zeroes in on the call to holy living and the transformative work of grace.

Verses 1–7: Live (Walking) in Love

Believers should imitate God as beloved children, walking in love (peripateite en agapē) just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us (v. 2). This term peripateite implies an ongoing, habitual lifestyle. Walking in love involves sacrificial, Christlike actions, not just emotions. Walking in love means reflecting God’s love in all relationships and rejecting anything that dishonors God. Accordingly, he warns against behaviors such as sexual immorality (porneia, meaning to act like or to use a prostitute), impurity, greed, and coarse speech, emphasizing that such things are incompatible with the Kingdom of God (vv. 3–5).

Verses 8-21: Children of Light

Contrasting again the believers’ past life in darkness with their new identity as children of light (tekna phōtos), Paul exhorts them to expose the unfruitful works of darkness (v. 11) and live in goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9). He concludes with a call to awaken from spiritual sleep and live in the light of Christ (v. 14). Here, light symbolizes truth, purity, and divine revelation made readily available for all. This would be in stark contrast to the idolatry and occult practices that were prevalent in Ephesus. To walk as children of light is to live transparently and righteously before God and others, and the call to awaken reflects the God’s prevenient grace that stirs the soul to new life in Christ.

As children of light, believers are to live wisely, making the most of every opportunity (exagorazomenoi ton kairon, meaning redeeming the time). He contrasts being filled with wine, which leads to debauchery (a common aspect of pagan rituals), with being filled with the Spirit, which leads to worship, thanksgiving, and mutual submission (vv. 18–21).

Verses 22–33: Christ-like Love in Every Relationships

Using the typical Greco-Roman household as a template, Paul expounds here and into chapter 6 on the Spirit-enabled life of mutual submission (hypotassō). This term implies a voluntary yielding in love, not coercion or obligation. In the context of mutual submission (v. 21), it reflects the self-giving nature of Christlike love and relationship with the Church. This call to imitate Christ in mutual submission is for each member of the household – thus, wives submit to their husbands as to the Lord (v. 22), and husbands love self-sacrificially their wives as Christ loved the Church (v. 25). Paul highlights the sacrificial and sanctifying nature of this love, portraying marriage as a profound mystery (mystērion) that points to Christ and the Church (v. 32). The impact of Paul’s instructions challenges both Greco-Roman and Jewish norms, elevating the dignity and mutual responsibility of spouses. So that, a Spirit-enabled, Christ-centered life fosters holiness in every aspect of living, including marriage, reflecting God’s love and grace.

General Discussion Questions

Use any or all of the following questions, depending how much time you have:

  • How familiar were you with this week’s reading? Was there anything that surprised you

  • What did you learn about God and/or human nature from the reading?

  • What aspects of the reading give you comfort or assurance? What aspects of the reading do you find

  • difficult to accept?

  • Which verses stood out to you as significant in this chapter?

Discussion Questions

In verse 1, Paul talks of following God’s example and walking in the way of love. What are some examples of Jesus showing us how to love others well? What is one way that you are going to challenge yourself to love better this week?

Verse 8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” We are told in the Gospel that Jesus is the light of the world. What are some ways that we can shine light into the darkness of our world?

Through the lens of marriage, Paul emphasizes mutual submission as a hallmark of the Spirit-enabled life. How might this be lived out in other relationships (i.e. siblings, coworkers, etc.)?

Closing Prayer

O Lord, we give you our lives. May our heart, our minds, and our desires be yours. May our hands and feet and voices move as you would choose. May our moments and days flow in endless praise. Amen.