Eph 5:22–33 — A Profound Mystery, Part 1

This passage has two layers of meaning. The first layer of meaning is the obvious instructions it contains concerning Christian marriage. Christian wives are instructed to submit to their husbands in everything. Christian husbands are commanded to love their wives, to nourish and cherish them, for he who loves his wife loves himself. Such practical instructions for the proper role relationships within marriage form the first layer of meaning of the text.

But in the process of giving these instructions, Paul introduces a second layer of meaning. In his directions to wives and husbands, Paul appeals to the relationship between Christ and the church as the theological paradigm or model for marriage. Wives must submit to their husbands, just as the church submits in all things to her Head, Jesus Christ. Husbands must love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

At first this appeal to Christ and the church seems innocent enough. But as Paul’s argument progresses, a funny thing happens. The theological paradigm begins to overshadow the practical instruction. By the time you get to the end of the argument, it seems as if Paul has lost sight of the practical instruction and is engrossed completely in the theological paradigm. He says that Moses’ statement in Genesis 2:24 is a profound mystery, because the union of man and woman at creation pointed beyond itself to the union of Christ and his church.

Read verses 31-32.

The term mystery here is being used in the same sense as previously in Ephesians. Paul isn’t saying that the union of Christ and his church is ineffable, unknowable or mystifying. Mystery for Paul always means that something previously hidden has been revealed.

Read Eph. 5:2-5.

So what Paul is saying is this: “In previous generations, the Genesis 2 account concerning the man and the woman becoming one flesh was understood only at its first layer; but the second layer, the Christological layer, was hidden and veiled. The ultimate significance of the Genesis 2 account has been fully revealed only in these last days in the disclosure of the oneness that exists between Christ and his church.”

So there are two layers of meaning in this passage. For this reason, I am going to spend two weeks on this section. Next week we will see how Paul applies the second layer to the first layer of the proper relationship of husbands and wives. This morning we are going to look at the second, Christological layer of meaning to see how the human marital union of a man and a woman, points beyond itself to the divine union of Christ and his church.

The first thing to point out is that this analogy is not an arbitrary one that Paul picked out of a hat. Paul isn’t like modern preachers today who look around for handy sermon illustrations from everyday life. The analogy between human marriage and the union of Christ and his church is an analogy that God himself established at creation. The account of God’s forming out of Adam’s side a helper suitable for Adam was ordained by God, even before the entrance of sin into the world, to be a type or picture of the covenant relationship and union between Christ and his blood-bought church.

In Pauline thought, the creation order was never an end in itself, but pointed beyond itself to a greater order to come. Paul states in Romans 5:14 that Adam was a type of Christ, the second Adam. The parallel or analogy between the two is that just as Adam was constituted the federal or covenant head of the human race, so Christ was made the federal head over the elect, a new race of redeemed men and women. Therefore, just as Adam’s disobedience and guilt were imputed or reckoned to his descendants, resulting in their condemnation, so Christ’s obedience and righteousness have been imputed and reckoned to us, resulting in justification of life. Now this analogy between Adam and Christ was not something that Paul made up. Adam’s role as federal head was set up by God at creation precisely in order to prepare the way for the unfolding plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. For even before creation, God the Father and God the Son decreed to permit Adam’s sin, and so they had counseled together in the eternal covenant of redemption, or pactum salutis, to make a way of salvation for the fallen sons of Adam. Here in Ephesians 5, Paul expands the two-Adam structure of biblical revelation by pointing out that just as Adam was the husband of his wife Eve, so Christ, the second Adam, is the head and husband of his body.

Let us look at this type and shadow and see in it the outlines of Christ the substance.

In Genesis 2, the narrative of the formation of the woman begins by pointing out the existence of a problem. “It is not good for man to be alone,” God said. “I will make a companion suitable for him.” But no suitable companion was found for Adam among the animal kingdom. A dog might be man’s best friend, but a dog is not “suitable” for man. The word “suitable” in Hebrew means “corresponding to.” It refers to more than mere utility. Although domesticated animals, like horses and cows and sheep and dogs, can perform certain tasks for man’s benefit, they aren’t suitable for man in the sense of corresponding to man. These living creatures are incapable of engaging in face-to-face relationship, because they are not made in the image of God as Adam was.

God therefore took Adam’s rib and fashioned it into a woman. And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” Man had at last found a companion that was suitable to him, that corresponded to him. And why did she correspond so perfectly to Adam? Because the woman was made from his side, made of the same substance as he. This is why Adam added, “She shall be called Isshah because she was taken out of Ish.” Although differing from Adam in those unique qualities that distinguish male and female, yet the woman was like the man in terms of those qualities that set man, both male and female, apart from the other living creatures. She was not below him, as if she were akin to the animal kingdom. Now was she above him, like the angels that have no physical form. She was just right, a fellow human being like Adam, made of flesh and bone, made in the image of God, and corresponding to him in every way.

Paul sees in this one-flesh union on the human level a picture of the suitableness and correspondence of the church to Christ. How did Christ achieve such a bride perfectly corresponding to him? The text reveals a three step process.

First, Christ set his love upon her, even when she was unlovely, and sacrificially gave himself up on the cross in her place (v. 25). Here is where the analogy between Adam and Eve and Christ and the church breaks down. This is because of sin, the initial work of forming the bride is a work of redemption from sin. Furthermore, there was nothing compelling Christ to seek a bride, since he would have been perfectly just to allow all mankind to perish in its sin. Nevertheless, we see that, just as for Adam, it is not good for Christ to be alone. He seeks us out, in spite of our sin. He pursues us even to the cross, in order to purchase his bride.

Ezekiel 16:1-6 shows us the way we were in his sight when he first set his love upon us. Initially, when he first found us, we were quite unsuitable to him. We did not possess the qualities that would cause him to see his own image reflected in us. But, wonder of wonders, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He took the initiative. We love him only because he first loved us, and gave himself up for us on the cross as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even while we were dead and trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ.

Second, Christ set us apart by a definitive sanctification, when he washed away our sins as signified and sealed in the water of baptism, and effected through the word of the gospel (v. 26). Most translations get this verse wrong, when they translate the main verb “sanctify” instead of “set apart.” Sanctify brings to mind the idea of progressive growth in obedience. But in Greek it is clear that the term here means to set something apart from the world as holy unto God. We were unholy, unclean, defiled in God’s sight. As Gentiles we were outside the fold of God’s covenant. Even the Jews were alienated from God at the exile, because they had defiled themselves with idolatry. But Christ took us out of our state of uncleanness and definitively transferred us into the realm of holiness and took us to be his own covenant people. In other words, this refers to the covenantal transaction of being brought into the covenant relationship when the wedding vows are spoken. This is explained further in Ezekiel 16:8-9, which follows the same order of terms as Eph. 5 (love, entrance into the covenant, bathing with water), the only difference is that “entrance into the covenant” stands in place of “sanctify.”

Baptism is the sign and seal of this definitive transfer from impurity to purity, from being outside to being inside the covenant. It is the rite of initiation into the covenant relationship. Once you are baptized, you are a member of the covenant of grace, a member of the church of Jesus Christ. Using the language of Ezekiel 16:8, baptism is God’s oath to us: “I swore to you and entered into a covenant with you.” God is speaking to you in baptism. He is telling you, “You no longer belong to the world or to the devil. You are mine. I have purchased you with my blood.” This is what Paul is referring to when he says, “with the washing of water,” and then adds, “by the word.” The mere application of water alone does not effect this covenantal setting apart. It does so only through the power of the word, that is, the word of the gospel which, together with the water of baptism, declares that we have been cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Before we look at the third and final step, skip down to verse 29, where we see another aspect of the second step. Having brought us into a covenant with himself, having definitively sanctified us and washed us from our sin, he continually nourishes and cherishes us by his constant presence in order to cause us to grow up to maturity. Here is where progressive sanctification comes in. Cp. Eph. 4:12-16. The means of grace include the sound preaching and teaching of the word of God, and the mutual fellowship of Christians in the body. This he does, because he wants to present us to himself “holy and blameless.” The term “holy and blameless” was used back in Eph. 1:4 in reference to the ultimate goal that God had in mind from the very beginning when he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Third, and finally, at his second coming, Christ will present us to himself in perfect purity and resurrection glory to be his bride (v. 27). On that day, when he takes his bride into the wedding chamber, the two shall become one flesh (v. 31). This is the eschatological goal of the whole process of loving us, giving himself up for us, setting us apart, and cleansing us from sin. The phrase “in all her glory” translates a single word, which means “full of glory.” The translation “in all her glory” is misleading because the word “her” is not found in the Greek text. The church will not stand before Christ in all her glory, but in Christ’s glory. This refers to a very specific glory, the glory of the resurrection of the body, by which we will be physically transformed to share in the very resurrection glory of the exalted Christ himself. We will reflect back to Christ the glory of his own resurrection light, the very light of glory that he manifested on the Mount of Transfiguration, when his face shone like the sun and his garments became white as light.

In v. 27 the church on the day of the resurrection will have no spot or wrinkle. These terms do not refer to the absence of facial blemishes, as some suppose, but to the glorious purity of the church’s wedding garment. And what is her wedding garment in which she will be arrayed and adorned? It is the garment of the resurrection body, it is the garment of light that Jesus himself was wearing on the Mount of Transfiguration and which is now wearing in heaven as the glorified God-man. That garment shall be placed upon the bride, so that she two will be made like him, in his image, reflecting back his own resurrection light and glory. This is brought out when you compare, again, with Ezekiel 16:14 - “my splendor which I bestowed upon you.”

So this is the three step process by which the second Adam secured his bride who corresponds to him and is like him in every way, suitable to be his companion forever. This is because he set his love upon us, when we were unlovable, and gave himself up to die under God’s wrath in our place, and because he set us apart from the world by entering into covenant with us, and cleansed us and sealed that cleansing in baptism, and because he is going to give us the spotless wedding garment of resurrection glory, when he presents us to himself at his coming - because of all these things, Christ will have a bride corresponding to him, one who is like him, made in his image. He will fellowship with and delight in her, and we in turn will respond to his overtures of love and delight, for we are not below him nor above him, but perfectly suited to be his companion for ever. This is why Christ is so zealously pursuing the sanctification of his bride. He is eagerly looking forward to his wedding day, the day when he presents her to himself in all her glory, having no spot of sin or wrinkle of imperfection, but that she would be holy and blameless even as he.

This eternal union of Christ and his church is the ultimate goal of all things. And it is no surprise then that Paul gets carried away as he meditates on the second layer. This is because the marvel and glory of the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ and his church has been the theme of this Epistle from the very outset!

How often we look at our relationship with Christ in the wrong terms. We think of our progressive sanctification and our conflict with sin as something that we need for ourselves, for our spiritual growth. Let us think in terms of what it means to Christ. Just as a husband wants his wife to be as beautiful and pleasing to him as possible, going out and buying nice clothes and jewelry for her, so Christ wants us to be like him. He wants to see his own image perfectly reflected back to him as he gazes into the eyes of his bride. He longs for our sanctification more than we do. His love for us is deeper than our love for him.

Sometimes we are like a wife who thinks she isn’t pretty. She thinks of herself as a plain Jane, and so she lets herself go physically. But we don’t realize how beautiful we are in the eyes of our husband, Jesus. He laid down his life for us. We are his only bride. He has eyes for no one else. And his heart is enraptured by the beauty of his bride. O yes, in her present state she is far from blameless. She is full of spots and wrinkles that mar her beauty and conceal her form. But Christ does not look at her only as she is in the present time of progressive sanctification. He sees her as she will be in that great wedding day, when she will walk down the aisle of heaven and be presented to him in her finest wedding garments, coming down out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. Jesus is preparing us for that day. He is taking away our spots, ironing out our wrinkles. His heart is full of longing and desire. And he who accomplished all things pertaining to her salvation by his perfect obedience and sacrifice, will see to it that his longing is fulfilled. He who came all the way from heaven to earth, who humbled himself and took to himself human nature, he who in that human nature at great cost offered himself up on the cross to satisfy the full demands of the justice of God, he who came this far will see to it that he has a companion corresponding to him that he may enjoy her forever. On that day, his bride will stand there before him, clothed in his glory. And Jesus will exclaim, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Indeed, this is a profound mystery.