Ephesians 5:32-33 (The “mystery” in correlation with marriage)

            Summary:  Paul is coming off of defining what it means to submit to one another in the marriage bond.  He is now preparing to continue talking about the roles of the family unit but first interrupts his thoughts with verse 32, almost as a way to say that he is still talking about the mystery he set out to describe earlier in the chapter and has not shifted his focus to something other that the revelation to which he had been given in Jesus Christ.  In verse 33, he turns his attention back to the family unit.

Note: Mystery--“The calling of the Gentiles into the Christian Church, so designated (Eph_1:9, Eph_1:10; Eph_3:8-11; Col_1:25-27); a truth undiscoverable except by revelation, long hid, now made manifest. The resurrection of the dead (1Co_15:51), and other doctrines which need to be explained but which cannot be fully understood by finite intelligence (Mat_13:11; Rom_11:25; 1Co_13:2); the union between Christ and his people symbolized by the marriage union (Eph_5:31, Eph_5:32)” [Easton’s Bible dictionary]

-- “This mystery is a great one.” This profound truth, beyond man’s power of discovering, but now revealed, namely, of the spiritual union of Christ and the Church, represented by the marriage union, is a great one, of deep import.” [JFB]

           Timeless Principle:  The first point of note is a simple one.  Paul, as is his custom interrupts the flow of the surrounding verses by stopping to intercede with an encouragement of sorts.  He proclaims that this mystery is profound and incredibly dense.  It is not one that can be realized by reason or by normal means of observation but rather it is given only by revelation from the Father above.  Paul has spent Ephesians attempting to share the knowledge by which he has been divinely given.  Narrowed down the “mystery” is defined in one sentence being that the “gentiles are fellow heirs” being one body united in Christ (Eph. 3: 6).  Here Paul is saying that the mystery can also be described as a union between Christ and the church much in the same way a husband is united with his wife.  How is does this comparison come into play?  If a common man were to open up God’s word and peer into the prophetic book of Ezekiel, he would come to chapter sixteen and have a picture painted of a husband and wife, though the husband has done nothing but shower his bride with gifts, the bride makes much “of her whoring” and continues to give herself to everything taking the gifts the husband has given her and making images out of them.  The picture of the bride grows colder as the text continues and the husband is driven to anger.  To the surprise of our common man the husband makes a promise to the bride despite her prostitution in saying that He “will establish an everlasting covenant” even atoning for the wickedness she has participated in.  The husband is the Lord and he has come and atoned for His bride, the church, namely you and I, through the most agonizing torment imaginable.  This is mystery as it relates to marriage, that comparison being fully recognized in Christ’s heroic death for his bride.  We owe him everything because as Paul rightly says, we not only turned away from Christ in our sin but were greedy to do so, laboring fervently to live in our adulterous relationship to the Creator’s creation. 

My Prayer:  Father, I was greedy to follow hard after the prince of the power of the air, satan.  I loved my sin and, like a faithless bride, committed adultery without hesitation with the world, not even pausing to accept solicitation but continued out of a hatred for you.  I am without excuse.  I bow in gratitude to you, oh God, for without you I would continue to lust after the world and the things you have given me as gifts for your glory, making them idols and worshipping them over you.  God, I thank you, because you made a promise to buy back your bride, to by me back from my prostitution.  You stepped in and paid an immeasurable price to purchase me from my indecency.  May I never grow weary of the heroism displayed on the triumphantly on the cross of calvary.  Father might your church go forth and be a people zealous to follow hard after you and leave their former ways behind out of gratitude for the price you paid.  Above all things I ask that you would continually break me over these things, that I might joyfully serve you.  In Christ’s name, Amen.