Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

EPHESIANS 5

Chapter CONTEWXT from John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS 5.

With yesterday being fathers Day here in the USA, I thought I would continue the theme of Fatherhood/Husbands with our text for today. Most folks get to verse 22, “Wives submit…” and have real issues and never see the text as a whole (v.22-33) or for that matter supporting scripture.

The Treasury of scripture knowledge provides the following list of verses as cross-references to our texts for today https://flshare.net/z34we9.

v.5:22–25 Paul’s command for wives to “submit” follows the all-encompassing command to submit “to one another in the fear of Christ” (v. 21)—the last outcome or result of the filling of the Spirit (vv. 18–21). While a submissive wife is countercultural today, she was not so in Paul’s time. Moreover, while a self-sacrificing and loving husband sounds quite appropriate in our culture, he was radically counter-cultural in Paul’s day. The Bible by no means approves domineering or self-centered husbands; rather, it calls for a home environment of mutual giving and selflessness. For the husband, this commitment extends even to being willing to give his life for his wife (v. 25).

William W. Klein, “Ephesians,” in CSB Apologetics Study Bible, ed. Ted Cabal (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1478.

.

25. “Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear also the measure of love. Do you wish your wife to obey you, as the Church is to obey Christ? Then have a solicitude for her as Christ had for the Church (Eph 5:23, “Himself the Saviour of the body”); and “if it be necessary to give thy life for her, or to be cut in ten thousand pieces, or to endure any other suffering whatever, do not refuse it; and if you suffer thus, not even so do you do what Christ has done; for you indeed do so being already united to her, but He did so for one that treated Him with aversion and hatred. As, therefore, He brought to His feet one that so treated Him, and that even wantonly spurned Him, by much tenderness of regard, not by threats, insults, and terror: so also do you act towards your wife, and though you see her disdainful and wantonly wayward, you will be able to bring her to your feet by much thoughtfulness for her, by love, by kindness. For no bound is more sovereign in binding than such bonds, especially in the case of husband and wife. For one may constrain a servant by fear, though not even he is so to be bound to you; for he may readily run away. But the companion of your life, the mother of your children, the basis of all your joy, you ought to bind to you, not by fear and threats, but by love and attachment” [CHRYSOSTOM].

gave himself—Greek, “gave Himself up.”

for it—Translate, “for her.” The relation of the Church to Christ is the ground of Christianity’s having raised woman to her due place in the social scale, from which she was, and is, excluded in heathen lands.

26. sanctify—that is, consecrate her to God. Compare Jn 17:19, meaning, “I devote Myself as a holy sacrifice, that My disciples also may be devoted or consecrated as holy in (through) the truth” [NEANDER] (Heb 2:11; 10:10; 13:12 see on Heb 10:10).

and cleanse—rather, as Greek, “cleansing,” without the “and.”

with the washing of water—rather as Greek, “with,” or “by the laver of the water,” namely, the baptismal water. So it ought to be translated in Tit 3:5, the only other passage in the New Testament where it occurs. As the bride passed through a purifying bath before marriage, so the Church (compare Rev 21:2). He speaks of baptism according to its high ideal and design, as if the inward grace accompanied the outward rite; hence he asserts of outward baptism whatever is involved in a believing appropriation of the divine truths it symbolizes, and says that Christ, by baptism, has purified the Church [NEANDER] (1 Pe 3:21).

by the word—Greek, “IN the word.” To be joined with “cleansing it,” or “her.” The “word of faith” (Ro 10:8, 9, 17), of which confession is made in baptism, and which carries the real cleansing (Jn 15:3; 17:17) and regenerating power (1 Pe 1:23; 3:21) [ALFORD]. So AUGUSTINE [Tract 80, in John], “Take away the word, and what is the water save water? Add the word to the element, and it becomes a sacrament, being itself as it were the visible word.” The regenerating efficacy of baptism is conveyed in, and by, the divine word alone.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 355.

---

---

Happy Father’s Day! “America needs heroes on the battlefield of everyday life”-U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall – American Minute with Bill Federer

“Juneteenth” & What Preceded It: Republican Policies End Slavery, and a Critical Event Two Days After Lincoln’s Day of Fasting – American Minute with Bill Federer

Juneteenth Is About the Triumph of American Freedom Over Slavery

Anti-constitutional military leadership is becoming more brazen

America: Then Versus Now

---

“Churches” Begin Hosting Disturbing LGBT Events for ‘Pride Month’

Unpacking Rick Warren’s Missteps

Your Gender Is God’s Good Design

A Review of Shiny, Happy People, Public Funding for Religious Schools, and the Lord’s Prayer Stumps the Jeopardy! Panel

---

Obama tells GOP presidential candidate Tim Scott just how he’s allowed to be black

---

When Christians are killed because of their faith in Christ, they leave behind mothers, fathers, spouses, children, and fellow church members. Our prayers make a difference for those who continue to live in the communities where their loved one paid the ultimate price for his or her faith.

Take a few minutes right now to pray for the families and friends of Christian martyrs, adding other prayer needs as the Lord leads.

Dear heavenly Father, I praise you as our all-knowing God. You miss nothing, and all things matter to you, especially the deaths of your saints and the lives of those they leave behind. Lord, I lift up the surviving spouses of martyrs. May they experience your presence through the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Father, I lift up the children of martyrs. May they hold no bitterness toward you or others for the loss of their parents, and may they grow into mature disciples and seek to advance your kingdom. Almighty God, I lift up the disciples of martyrs. May they continue to gather for worship and share your Good News without fear. And may this be a powerful witness to the lost. May the lives of martyrs, who paid the ultimate price for following you, inspire us to live in fearless faith as your obedient witnesses! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

From our ministry friends in Pakistan;

Dear Sir/Madam,

Want to join me in supporting a good cause?I am raising money for the Prisons Mission Society. We have a weekly visit program to

1-District jail,Abbottabad.2-Distrct jail,Mansehra.3-Central Prison Haripur.4-Sub-jail,Charsadda.

5-Central Prison,Mardan.6-Central Prison,Peshwar.7-District jail,Kohat.8-Central Prison,Bannu.

9-Central Prison,DI Khan.10-District jail,Chitral.11-District Jail,Sawat.

 jails/Prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for seminars/workshops for awareness and  the Prevention of communicable diseases (Respiratory diseases, Skin diseases,Eye-diseases, typhoid, cholera, Hepatitis,HIV, Drug Abuse and Addicts) for Prisoners and we will also provide  medicine for the deserving prisoners on the recommendation of our medical Team. We have also launched another project of  sewing centres inside prisons for prisoners. The prisoners will learn the skill of  stitching the clothes, and they will restore and be able to earn bread after their release from Prisons. (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the Northern  and Tribal Area of The Pakistan). Other side we have attached the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the mentioned above programs. Pakistan is Islamic Country and we cannot preach openly, but it is easy for us to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the social programs.You contribution will make a real impact,whether you donate $10 or $5000.Every bit helps.Thank you for your support.

Your prayers and support are fruitful for our program, which would be a great blessing and encouragement for us. We look forward to your possible co-operation in our ministry and pray that May Almighty Lord make you a part of our mission. Thank you. God bless you.

Please keep in touch!

Yours truly,                   

Rev. Maurice Shahbaz

Founder and director

Prisons Mission Society

P. O. Box 70, Gujranwala, Pakistan.

Mobile and WhatsApp: + 92-3008881483

E-mail: prisonsmissionsociety@yahoo.com

Prayers for the Husbands & Fathers of the Persecuted Church