Ephesians 5:31
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
For this reason
This phrase indicates a purpose or cause, pointing back to the preceding verses where Paul discusses the profound mystery of Christ and the church. The Greek word used here, "ἀντὶ τούτου" (anti toutou), suggests a direct correlation between the divine design for marriage and the relationship between Christ and His church. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of marriage as a covenant, a sacred bond that mirrors God's covenant with His people.

a man will leave
The Greek verb "καταλείψει" (kataleipsei) means to leave behind or forsake. This implies a significant shift in priorities and loyalties. In the ancient Near Eastern context, leaving one's family was a radical step, emphasizing the establishment of a new, primary relationship. This act of leaving signifies maturity and readiness to form a new family unit, reflecting the biblical principle of cleaving to one's spouse.

his father and mother
This phrase underscores the traditional family structure, which was central to Jewish and early Christian life. The mention of both father and mother highlights the completeness of the parental unit, which the man is called to leave. This departure is not a rejection but a reordering of relationships, where the marital bond takes precedence. It reflects the Genesis creation narrative, emphasizing the foundational role of marriage in God's design.

and be united to his wife
The Greek word "προσκολληθήσεται" (proskollēthēsetai) means to be glued or joined closely. This denotes an inseparable bond, a deep, intimate connection that is both physical and spiritual. In the historical context, this union was not merely contractual but covenantal, reflecting God's unbreakable commitment to His people. The unity of husband and wife serves as a living illustration of Christ's union with the church.

and the two will become one flesh
This phrase, "καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν" (kai esontai hoi duo eis sarka mian), is a direct quotation from Genesis 2:24, emphasizing the divine intention for marriage. The concept of "one flesh" signifies more than physical union; it encompasses emotional, spiritual, and relational oneness. In the biblical worldview, this unity is sacred and inviolable, reflecting the holistic nature of God's covenant with humanity. The historical and scriptural context underscores the sanctity and exclusivity of the marital relationship, which is to be a reflection of the unity and love within the Godhead and between Christ and His church.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of the letter to the Ephesians, providing guidance and teaching to the early Christian church.

2. Ephesus
A major city in Asia Minor where the Ephesian church was located, known for its diverse culture and religious practices.

3. Adam and Eve
The first man and woman, whose union is referenced in this verse, originally found in Genesis.

4. Marriage
The institution being discussed, symbolizing the union between a man and a woman.

5. Christ and the Church
The ultimate example of unity and love, which marriage is meant to reflect.
Teaching Points
The Divine Design of Marriage
Marriage is instituted by God as a sacred union, reflecting His design and purpose for human relationships.

Leaving and Cleaving
The call to leave one's parents signifies the establishment of a new, primary family unit, emphasizing commitment and independence.

Unity in Marriage
Becoming "one flesh" signifies a deep, holistic union that encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions.

Reflecting Christ and the Church
Christian marriages are called to mirror the love, sacrifice, and unity between Christ and His Church.

Commitment and Covenant
Marriage is a covenantal relationship that requires ongoing commitment, love, and mutual respect.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of "leaving and cleaving" challenge or affirm your current understanding of marriage?

2. In what ways can married couples today reflect the unity and love between Christ and the Church?

3. How does understanding the original Greek term for "one flesh" (sarka mian) deepen your appreciation for the marital relationship?

4. What practical steps can individuals take to prepare for or strengthen their marriage in light of Ephesians 5:31?

5. How can the principles found in Ephesians 5:31 be applied to other relationships within the Christian community?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 2:24
This verse is directly quoted in Ephesians 5:31, establishing the foundational principle of marriage from the creation account.

Matthew 19:5
Jesus references this same principle when discussing the sanctity and permanence of marriage.

1 Corinthians 6:16-17
Paul discusses the concept of becoming "one flesh" in the context of sexual immorality, emphasizing the spiritual and physical union in marriage.

Revelation 19:7-9
The marriage of the Lamb, symbolizing the ultimate union of Christ and the Church, which earthly marriage is meant to reflect.
Husbands and WivesW. Braden.Ephesians 5:31
Qualities of a Good WifeEphesians 5:31
The Mystery of MarriageT. Goodwin, D. D.Ephesians 5:31
Husbands and WivesW.F. Adeney Ephesians 5:22-33
Ideal MarriageD. Thomas Ephesians 5:22-33
What Husbands and Wives Owe to ChristR.M. Edgar Ephesians 5:22-33
The Union Between Christ and the ChurchT. Croskery Ephesians 5:25-32
The Duties of HusbandsT. Croskery Ephesians 5:25-33
People
Christians, Ephesians, Paul
Places
Ephesus
Topics
Cause, Cleave, Flesh, Joined, Leave, Reason, United, Wife
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ephesians 5:31

     1651   numbers, 1-2
     5082   Adam, significance
     5136   body
     5677   divorce, among believers
     5709   marriage, purpose
     5719   mothers, responsibilities
     5732   polygamy
     5895   intimacy
     6238   homosexuality

Ephesians 5:21-33

     5959   submission

Ephesians 5:22-33

     5504   rights
     5714   men
     5744   wife

Ephesians 5:25-33

     5702   husband

Ephesians 5:30-32

     1680   types

Ephesians 5:31-32

     5729   one flesh
     6243   adultery, spiritual
     6694   mystery
     6755   union with Christ, nature of
     7024   church, nature of
     7031   unity, God's goal

Ephesians 5:31-33

     5717   monogamy
     5735   sexuality

Library
January 1. "Redeeming the Time" (Eph. v. 16).
"Redeeming the time" (Eph. v. 16). Two little words are found in the Greek version here. They are translated "ton kairon" in the revised version, "Buying up for yourselves the opportunity." The two words ton kairon mean, literally, the opportunity. They do not refer to time in general, but to a special point of time, a juncture, a crisis, a moment full of possibilities and quickly passing by, which we must seize and make the best of before it has passed away. It is intimated that there are not
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

June 27. "Be Filled with the Spirit" (Eph. v. 18).
"Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. v. 18). Some of the effects of being filled with the Spirit are: 1. Holiness of heart and life. This is not the perfection of the human nature, but the holiness of the divine nature dwelling within. 2. Fulness of joy so that the heart is constantly radiant. This does not depend on circumstances, but fills the spirit with holy laughter in the midst of the most trying surroundings. 3. Fulness of wisdom, light and knowledge, causing us to see things as He sees them.
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

April 22. "Christ is the Head" (Eph. v. 23).
"Christ is the head" (Eph. v. 23). Often we want people to pray for us and help us, but always defeat our object when we look too much to them and lean upon them. The true secret of union is for both to look upon God, and in the act of looking past themselves to Him they are unconsciously united. The sailor was right when he saw the little boy fall overboard and waited a minute before he plunged to his rescue. When the distracted mother asked him in agony why he had waited so long, he sensibly replied:
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Third Sunday in Lent
Text: Ephesians 5, 1-9. 1 Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; 4 nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity the Careful Walk of the Christian.
Text: Ephesians 5, 15-21. 15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk [See then that ye walk circumspectly], not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

God's Imitators
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children'--Eph. v. 1. The Revised Version gives a more literal and more energetic rendering of this verse by reading, 'Be ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children.' It is the only place in the Bible where that bold word 'imitate' is applied to the Christian relation to God. But, though the expression is unique, the idea underlies the whole teaching of the New Testament on the subject of Christian character and conduct. To be like God, and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Pleasing Christ
'Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.'--Eph. v. 10. These words are closely connected with those which precede them in the 8th verse--'Walk as children of light.' They further explain the mode by which that commandment is to be fulfilled. They who, as children of light, mindful of their obligations and penetrated by its brightness, seek to conform their active life to the light to which they belong, are to do so by making experiment of, or investigating and determining, what is 'acceptable
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Unfruitful Works of Darkness
'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.'--Eph. v. 11. We have seen in a former sermon that 'the fruit,' or outcome, 'of the Light' is a comprehensive perfection, consisting in all sorts and degrees of goodness and righteousness and truth. Therefore, the commandment, 'Walk as children of the light,' sums up all Christian morality. Is there need, then, for any additional precept? Yes; for Christian people do not live in an empty world. If there were
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Sleepers at Noonday
'Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,'--Eph. v. 14. This is the close of a short digression about 'light.' The 'wherefore' at the beginning of my text seems to refer to the whole of the verses that deal with that subject. It is as if the Apostle had said, 'I have been telling you about light and its blessed effects. Now I tell you how you may win it for yours. The condition on which it is to be received by men is that they awake
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

What Children of Light Should Be
'Walk as children of light.'--Eph. v. 8. It was our Lord who coined this great name for His disciples. Paul's use of it is probably a reminiscence of the Master's, and so is a hint of the existence of the same teachings as we now find in the existing Gospels, long before their day. Jesus Christ said, 'Believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light'; and Paul gives substantially the same account of the way by which a man becomes a Son of the Light when he says, in the words preceding
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

The Fruit of the Light
'The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.'--Eph. v. 9 (R.V.). This is one of the cases in which the Revised Version has done service by giving currency to an unmistakably accurate and improved reading. That which stands in our Authorised Version, 'the fruit of the Spirit' seems to have been a correction made by some one who took offence at the violent metaphor, as he conceived it, that 'light' should bear 'fruit' and desired to tinker the text so as to bring it into
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Paul's Reasons for Temperance
'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16. Redeeming the time, because the days
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Redeeming the Time
'See, then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.'--Eph. v. 15, 16. Some of us have, in all probability, very little more 'time' to 'redeem.' Some of us have, in all probability, the prospect of many years yet to live. For both classes my text presents the best motto for another year. The most frivolous among us, I suppose, have some thoughts when we step across the conventional boundary that seems to separate the unbroken sequence
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

On Marriage.
TEXT: EPH. v. 22-31. IN completing lately the annual round of our Christian holy-days, I expressed to you the wish that the holy emotions which our hearts experience at such seasons might not pass away with them; but that the impressions then made might accompany us during the other half of the year, so that without any extraordinary festival incitement we might constantly retain a more lively sense of communion with the Redeemer, and a fuller enjoyment of what the eternal Father has done through
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Light of God
Preached for the Chelsea National Schools.] Ephesians v. 13. All things which are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever is made manifest is light. This is a noble text, a royal text; one of those texts which forbid us to clip and cramp Scripture to suit any narrow notions of our own; which open before us boundless vistas of God's love, of human knowledge, of the future of mankind. There are many such texts, many more than we fancy; but this is one which is especially valuable
Charles Kingsley—Sermons for the Times

Against Foolish Talking and Jesting.
"Nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient."-- Ephes. v.4. Moral and political aphorisms are seldom couched in such terms that they should be taken as they sound precisely, or according to the widest extent of signification; but do commonly need exposition, and admit exception: otherwise frequently they would not only clash with reason and experience, but interfere, thwart, and supplant one another. The best masters of such wisdom are wont to interdict things, apt by unseasonable
Isaac Barrow—Sermons on Evil-Speaking, by Isaac Barrow

Sensual and Spiritual Excitement.
Preached August 4, 1850. SENSUAL AND SPIRITUAL EXCITEMENT. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."--Ephesians v. 17, 18. There is evidently a connection between the different branches of this sentence--for ideas cannot be properly contrasted which have not some connection--but what that connection is, is not at first sight clear. It almost appears like a profane and irreverent juxtaposition
Frederick W. Robertson—Sermons Preached at Brighton

Members of Christ
"For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."--Ephesians 5:30. YESTERDAY, when I had the painful task of speaking at the funeral of our dear friend, Mr. William Olney, I took the text which I am going to take again now. I am using it again because I did not then really preach from it at all, but simply reminded you of a favorite expression of his, which I heard from his lips many times in prayer. He very frequently spoke of our being one with Christ in "living, loving, lasting
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Living, Loving, Lasting Union
With new portraits of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon and Mr. William Olney "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones--Ephesians 5:30. BEFORE the funeral, at Norwood Cemetery, of the late Mr. William Olney, senior deacon of the church at the metropolitan Tabernacle, a service was held in the Tabernacle. The building was crowded with sympathizing friends, who came to testify the affection they bore to the beloved deacon who had been so suddenly called from their midst. The senior Pastor
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Wary Walking.
(Twentieth Sunday after Trinity.) EPHESIANS v. 15. "See then that ye walk circumspectly." Some people tell us that salvation is the easiest thing in the world. We have only to feel that we believe in Jesus Christ, and all is done. Now neither Jesus Christ Himself, nor the Apostles whom He sent to teach, tell us anything of the kind. On the contrary, our Saviour, whilst He dwells on the fulness and freedom of salvation, offered to all without money, and without price, tells us that many are called,
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

Tenth Day. Love to the Brethren.
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."--Eph. v. 2. "Jesus," says a writer, "came from heaven on the wings of love." It was the element in which he moved and walked. He sought to baptize the world afresh with it. When we find Him teaching us by love to vanquish an enemy, we need not wonder at the tenderness of His appeals to the brethren to "love one another." Like a fond father impressing his children, how the Divine Teacher lingers over the lesson, "This is My commandment!" If
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus

"For to be Carnally Minded is Death; but to be Spiritually Minded is Life and Peace. "
Rom. viii. 6.--"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." It is true, this time is short, and so short that scarce can similitudes or comparisons be had to shadow it out unto us. It is a dream, a moment, a vapour, a flood, a flower, and whatsoever can be more fading or perishing; and therefore it is not in itself very considerable, yet in another respect it is of all things the most precious, and worthy of the deepest attention and most serious consideration;
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." There is a great marriage spoken of, Eph. v. that hath a great mystery in it, which the apostle propoundeth as the sample and archetype of all marriages or rather as the substance, of which all conjunctions and relations among the creatures are but the shadows. It is that marriage between Christ and his church, for which, it would appear, this world was builded, to be
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"The Truth. " Some Generals Proposed.
That what we are to speak to for the clearing and improving this noble piece of truth, that Christ is the Truth, may be the more clearly understood and edifying, we shall first take notice of some generals, and then show particularly how or in what respects Christ is called the Truth; and finally speak to some cases wherein we are to make use of Christ as the Truth. As to the first. There are four general things here to be noticed. 1. This supposeth what our case by nature is, and what we are all
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

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