Ephesians 5:21–33

“Submitting” in Ephesians 5:21 is the fifth participle of means that is dependent upon the main verb “be filled’ (in 5:18); the other four were: “speaking,” “singing,” “making melody,” and “giving thanks” (dealt with in the previous pericope). What is called for here is mutual submission, “to one another.” The verb in 5:21 is a present participle, best read as being in the middle voice that indicates a voluntary, rather than a forced, submission (“subjecting yourselves”). The final clause of 5:21 gives the rationale (or manner) of this mutual submission: “in the fear of Christ,” with reverential respect for him. Thus, mutual submission is, in essence, a reverence for Christ and his authority over the church. Therefore, those who are part of his body must reflect this “fear” by submitting one to another: to submit to one another is to “fear” Christ.

Mutual submission—an integral manifestation of Spirit-filling.

Throughout this section, Eph 5:22–33, that deals with spousal relationships, the focus swings back and forth between the union of husband and wife and the union of Christ and the church:

The frequent use of comparative particles here—“as” (5:23, 24, 28), “so”/“thus” (5:24, 28), and “just as” (5:25, 29)—attest to the significance of the comparison between husband–wife and Christ–church.

Mutual submission—an integral manifestation of Spirit-filling—in marriage reflecting the Christ-Church relationship.

What is called for here is the submission of a free agent. Even as the church is never forced to submit to its head, Christ, so also the wife is never to be forced to do so to her husband. The vertical component of the wife’s submission to her husband is clear: it is to be “as to the Lord” (5:22). In other words, in her submission to her husband, the wife submits to the Lord. “In everything” (5:24) indicates an unlimited submission that is expected of wives—in the same way that the church submits to its head, Christ (5:24). Such submission is to be irrespective of merit, deservedness, or response on the part of the husband. But of course, there is at least one limit: sin—the wife need not submit if asked to sin, for, in essence, her submission to her husband is to be “as to the Lord” (5:23), who would never ask her to sin.

Mutual submission—an integral manifestation of Spirit-filling—in marriage reflecting the Christ-Church relationship: wives submit to husbands.

Husbands are urged repeatedly to love their wives: 5:25, 28, 33—it is an important command. Thus, there is an inherent asymmetry in the relationship: one submits to the other (but is not exhorted to love him), and the other loves the one (but is not exhorted to rule her). In light of the subsequent verses (5:25b–30), such love clearly calls for the husband’s self-sacrifice in the constant care of, and service to, his wife, a love modeled upon that of Christ for his bride, the church. Husbands are to love their wives as they love their own bodies. And clearly this is how Christ viewed the church, his bride—as his own body. The idea of the “two” individuals becoming “one” is substantiated by the citation of Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31.

And, by this God-ordained unity of relationship between husbands and wives, God’s grand plan to consummate all things in Christ is furthered.

Mutual submission—an integral manifestation of Spirit-filling—in marriage reflecting the Christ-Church relationship: wives submit to husbands, and husbands love their wives.

In a sentence:

The filling by the Spirit manifests in the mutual submission of believers, and in the modeling of the husband–wife relationship after the Christ–church relationship.