Humanitext Reader

New Testament · Ephesians §5.1-5.33

Walking in Light and Love: Husbands and Wives

Passage 5 of 6 · Greek

Summary

Believers are exhorted to walk in love and light, and the relationship between husbands and wives is explained through the model of Christ and the church.

§5.1γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά, καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ, §5.2καθὼς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν "προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν" τῷ θεῷ "εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. " §5.3Πορνεία δὲ καὶ ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα ἢ πλεονεξία μηδὲ ὀνομαζέσθω ἐν ὑμῖν, §5.4καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις, καὶ αἰσχρότης καὶ μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία, ἃ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for you, an "offering and a sacrifice" to God "as a fragrant aroma." But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
§5.5τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης, ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης, οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ.
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
§5.6Μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς ἀπατάτω κενοῖς λόγοις, διὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθίας.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
§5.7μὴ οὖν γίνεσθε συνμέτοχοι αὐτῶν· §5.8ἦτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν κυρίῳ· §5.9ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε, ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τοῦ φωτὸς ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ, §5.10δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ·
Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
§5.11καὶ μὴ συνκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε, §5.12τὰ γὰρ κρυφῇ γινόμενα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν αἰσχρόν ἐστιν καὶ λέγειν·
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
§5.13τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται, πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστίν.
But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
§5.14διὸ λέγει Ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων, καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ χριστός. §5.15Βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί, §5.16ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν.
For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
§5.17διὰ τοῦτο μὴ γίνεσθε ἄφρονες, ἀλλὰ συνίετε τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου·
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
§5.18καὶ "μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ," ἐν ᾧ ἐστὶν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, §5.19λαλοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς, ᾁδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν τῷ κυρίῳ, §5.20εὐχαριστοῦντες πάντοτε ὑπὲρ πάντων ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί, §5.21ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἐν φόβῳ Χριστοῦ.
And "do not get drunk with wine," for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
§5.22Αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ,
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
§5.23ὅτι ἀνήρ ἐστιν κεφαλὴ τῆς γυναικὸς ὡς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς κεφαλὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, αὐτὸς σωτὴρ τοῦ σώματος.
For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
§5.24ἀλλὰ ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία ὑποτάσσεται τῷ χριστῷ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί.
But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
§5.25Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, §5.26ἵνα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι, §5.27ἵνα παραστήσῃ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοξον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, μὴ ἔχουσαν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
§5.28οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν [καὶ] οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαπᾷν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖκας ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν σώματα·
So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies.
ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷ, §5.29οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐμίσησεν, ἀλλὰ ἐκτρέφει καὶ θάλπει αὐτήν, καθὼς καὶ ὁ χριστὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, §5.30ὅτι μέλη ἐσμὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ.
He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.
§5.31"ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος [τὸν] πατέρα καὶ [τὴν] μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται" "πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. " §5.32τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ [εἰς] τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
"FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
§5.33πλὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς οἱ καθʼ ἕνα ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα οὕτως ἀγαπάτω ὡς ἑαυτόν, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἵνα φοβῆται τὸν ἄνδρα.
Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Notes

  1. §5.5ἴστε γινώσκοντες — The combination of the verb ἴστε (either imperative or indicative of οἶδα) with the participle γινώσκοντες is an emphatic construction. Here it is interpreted as indicative ('you know with certainty').
  2. §5.13πᾶν γὰρ τὸ φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστίν. — The participle τὸ φανερούμενον is interpreted here as passive ('everything that is made visible'). In this context, whatever is exposed and illuminated by the light becomes light itself.
  3. §5.22Αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ, — There is no verb in this verse; a verb of submission (such as ὑποτασσέσθωσαν, 'let them submit') is supplied from the participle ὑποτασσόμενοι ('subjecting yourselves') in verse 21.
  4. §5.26καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι, — The aorist participle καθαρίσας is interpreted as instrumental to the main verb ἁγιάσῃ ('sanctify by cleansing her'). The prepositional phrase ἐν ῥήματι ('by the word') modifies either the washing or the action of cleansing.

Cite this passage

New Testament, Ephesians §5.1-5.33. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg010.humanitext-grc2:5.1-5.33

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