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Ephesians 5:24 – “In Everything”?
In Everything?
I have a problem with this text. I’ve struggled to explain it, without explaining it away, without weakening it, apparently not understanding it. I’ve resorted to resolving it by going to other passages, such as, “Obey God rather than man” so that “everything” doesn’t include sinful things. I’ve spent more time explaining what it doesn’t mean, than what it does mean. This is the passage I have struggled with:
“…wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.” (CSB’17 Ephesians 5:24)
“In everything”? We know it doesn’t mean “in everything”, and yet it says “in everything”, so it means “in everything”…and yet it can’t mean “in everything”. Right?
If we research how “everything” is used in other passages, we soon learn it is not inclusive of an unending, open-ended, list of every thing. “Everything” is contextual in every thing. An example of contextual limitations is,
“But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.” (NASB Ephesians 6:21)
In Tychicus’s report on Paul, did this “everything” include what Paul ate for breakfast? Or how many times he sneezed? Everything is an overview of Paul’s ministry.
So what is included in Ephesians 5:24? Structure helps me learn, so hopefully this will help you.
A – 22) Wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23) For the husband is the head of the wife,
B – and Christ also is the head of the church,
C – Him being the Savior of the body.
B’ – 24) As the church is subject to Christ,
A’ – let the wives also be to their husbands in everything.
The first (A) and last (A’) sections are parallel in talking about the married couple. Remember the parallelism for when we come back.
The center part is the central point. Christ is the “savior of the body”. How does this apply to us husbands? A savior is also a deliverer or protector by definition. This concept of leading through delivering is continued past these verses (see vv.25-30). These other verses define “in everything”. In “everything” deals with her good.
“To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.” (CSB’17 Ephesians 5:33)
Going back to vv.22-24, let’s make another connection. “In everything” (5:24) is parallel to “as to the Lord” (5:22). So what did the Lord do for us that commands our respect (5:31) and submission?
Jesus is the Savior, protector, and deliverer, using His body. Jesus did what we needed, not what He needed. Jesus is the sacrificial leader.
So this passage is not about wives obeying when we husbands are sinful (that’s already agreed upon) and refuted by “in the Lord”.
This passage is not about obeying when he tells you how to organize the kitchen (men, that’s not your role to order her around). Even Jesus doesn’t order us around as to how we want breakfast served! Do husbands have more authority than Jesus?
This passage is not the only passage dealing with husbands and wives and subjection and leadership.
So what is this passage about? In what are women in this passage to obey? What is, contextually, “in everything”?
When your husband is trying to protect you, maybe even from yourself, in all these ways, be subject. When your husband is keeping you secure, follow his lead. When your husband is in protection mode, submit to your husband, instead of leading him, in everything. If only Adam had acted as Eve’s protector instead of letting her destroy herself, she could have followed his lead in everything.
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