If you are looking for a biblical chapter that is very nice to read and listen to, and that is also a lesson in Christian behavior and values, we invite you to discover the beautiful text of Ephesians 5. A very powerful text!
Ephesians 5 of the KJV Bible
To a greater or lesser extent, all Christians know the message that Jesus left in the world, and the rules of behavior associated with it.
Although the word rule sounds a bit harsh in a free world, the only way to follow firmly on God’s path is to renounce some ephemeral pleasures and constantly cultivate our spirit with the Holy Scriptures.
This is the message that Paul of Tarsus wanted to give to the Christians of Ephesus, with the chapter Ephesians 5 that you are going to discover today. In Tu Biblia Online we are going to do a Bible study of Ephesians 5 so that you can keep what helps you the most to be close to God.
If you are eager to learn about Ephesians 5 and its profound meaning, feel free to read on!
Ephesians 5 complete in English and large print
Next, you will be able to read Ephesians 5 King James Version to complete your knowledge of the text, prior to the biblical commentary. Look carefully at the tone and meaning of each verse to see if you can notice Paul’s love for the Christians in Ephesus.
Walk as children of light
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;
4 neither dishonest words, nor foolishness, nor filthy lucre, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth),
10 proving what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them;
12 for it is shameful even to speak of what they do in secret.
13 But all things, when they are made manifest by the light, are made manifest; for it is the light that makes all things manifest.
14 Wherefore he says:
Wake up, you who sleep,
And rise from the dead,
And Christ will enlighten you.
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 making good use of the weather, because the days are bad.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 Be not drunk with wine, wherein is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord in your hearts;
20 giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another
21 Submit to one another in the fear of God.
22 Let married women be subject to their 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, which is his body, and he is her Savior.
24 Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be subject to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her,
26 to sanctify it, having cleansed it with the washing of water by the word,
27 that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church,
30 for we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery; but I say this concerning Christ and the church.
33 Moreover, let each of you also love his wife as himself; and let the wife respect her husband.
Explanation and meaning of Ephesians 5
Given the depth and complexity of the text, we will now analyze the most important verses of Ephesians 5 and give you the clearest possible explanation of each one of them. Here we go!
- Ephesians 5:1
“Be ye therefore imitators of God as beloved children.”
The first verse of Ephesians 5 is a summary of what the life of any Christian should be. The correct way of living is that which imitates God as a child imitates his parents, that is to say, that which follows without hesitation the Word of God written in the Holy Scriptures.
This tells us that we Christians have to live loving the people around us, forgiving those who hurt us and preaching the Word of God so that everyone can be a partaker of it.
- Ephesians 5:8
“For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.”
This verse is followed by others, in which Paul condemns the sins of people who do not follow God’s message, since every follower of Christ must have a life away from sin.
Thus, in this verse Paul reminds us that the Lord makes us beings of light, beacons for all people who have not yet discovered the message of Jesus.
It is important to note that Paul does not say that we lived in darkness before the coming of Christ, but that we were that darkness. This nuance gives us the responsibility to put light in our lives and in the lives of others through the Word of God.
- Ephesians 5:11
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
In this verse Paul finishes off what we have commented on in Ephesians 5:8: we cease to be darkness to fight against the works that darkness creates.
Our life should be a constant struggle to make the world a better place, full of love and peace where all people know the Word of God and can live a full and truly happy life.
- Ephesians 5:16
“making good use of the weather, because the days are bad.”
Here Paul speaks to us about taking advantage of time. This idea should not be confused with the idea of doing as many things as possible in our day to day lives and getting into an unstoppable vortex, a fact so present in our lives today.
In this case, making the most of time means making the most of it for Jesus in every day-to-day situation. This is combined with the phrase “the days are evil” referring to the fact that there will be many people who will take advantage of any moment to promote wrong ideas and far from God.
Thus, in the face of this constant bombardment of erroneous information, we must be active in rectifying and preaching the Word of God. If we act according to His Word in every moment of our lives, there will be less room for injustice, sin and hatred.
- Ephesians 5:18
“Be not drunk with wine, wherein is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
In this verse Paul makes a beautiful metaphor of what our life should be. He tells us not to get drunk with wine referring to not seeking short and false happiness in earthly pleasures, but to be filled with spirit and live knowing and studying the Word of God.
In addition, being in contact with the Holy Scriptures on a daily basis will help us to stay away from everything that does not contribute to our true happiness, so it is a very good idea to pray and read the Bible whenever we have a moment to do so.
Ephesians 5:20
“giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Something very important that we do not always take into account is that a good Christian not only prays and acts according to the message of Jesus, but also thanks God for all that He has given us and continues to give us.
Giving thanks is equally or more important than asking God for things in our prayers so we have to try to do it and incorporate it as a habit in our lives.
- Ephesians 5:22 and Ephesians 5:23
” Let married women be subject to their own husbands, as to the Lord;”
“for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, which is his body, and he is her Savior.”
Verse 22 can be a bit confusing to interpret. We must remember that in ancient times, men and women had many social inequalities and this is sometimes reflected in the Bible.
What we should take from this verse is that in Christian marriage, both members should live as a unit, performing all the actions that are required for the whole to be prosperous.
Both people must be submissive to God and follow His Scriptures in order to have a happy marriage. However, today many marriages are born far from God’s message and this is why it is so common to find unhappy couples who often end up separated.
- Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for her,”
Continuing with the theme of marriage, Paul reminds the people of how husband and wife should love each other in marriage.
It must be a dedicated love, based on the love that Christ gave to humanity during his passage through the world. There can be no room for selfishness or rancor, everything must be based on understanding and forgiveness towards the person you love.
- Ephesians 5:28
“So also husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
Here again we find the idea of unity in marriage. Both parties should love each other as if they loved themselves, since in reality, one is the extension of the other.
The union in marriage must be strong as if it were a single member. This is the true idea of Christian marriage and affectionate love between human beings.
Context of Ephesians 5
Have you noticed how Paul of Tarsus loved the inhabitants of Ephesus? In order for you to know a little more about the history behind this text, let’s first look at its context.
Ephesians 5 is the fifth chapter of the New Testament Epistle to the Ephesians written by St. Paul during his travels in the Mediterranean and nearby territories. Paul wanted the inhabitants of these regions to know the message that Christ brought to the world and to this end he wrote them very didactic letters that continue to teach us things today.
Most of the letters to other cities were intended to refute some erroneous ideas about Christianity and to correct some erroneous behaviors of the faithful. In this case, Paul rather makes a treatise that lays the foundations of Christianity and of the church of Ephesus.
According to some scholars, Paul wrote this epistle during his first imprisonment in the city of Rome around the year 62. At that time, Paul had already visited the city of Ephesus on several occasions and had preached his message there.
Remember that you can always add your own reflections and prayers to the interpretations we have made so that you can have the complete experience of knowing the Word of God.
For our part this is all, thank you for reading our articles and if you wish, you can continue browsing Tu Biblia Online to learn more about the Word of God.
Until next time, God bless you!