After
completing his instructions to the “wives” who were a part
of the church in Ephesus, Paul the apostle began to share his
commands to the “husbands” where in chapter five and verse
twenty-five of his letter we read these words:
Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave
himself for it;
The verse begins,
“Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church,...” Paul
began with the word, “Husbands” who
are “men who are betrothed or married” “love”
which Is the
Greek word “agapaō”
means “to welcome, entertain, be fond of and love dearly and
unconditionally” “your wives”
or “women who are betrothed or married”, “even
and Christ”
or “in the same manner as and like” who is “the anointed One,
the Messiah and the Son of God” “also
loved” or
“agapaō”
which
means
“welcomed, entertained, was fond of and loved dearly and
unconditionally” “the church”
which refers to “an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in
a religious meeting”. Paul instructed the “husbands”
to “love”
their “wives”,
and the standard by which they are to measure their “love”
is in the same manner as He “loves”
His “church”.
The
verse goes on to say, “...and
gave himself for it;” Paul
added, “and gave”
which means “delivered, took care of and managed” “himself”
which refers to Jesus Christ “for it”
or “the church”. Because Jesus “loved”
the believers in Him, He “delivered over” Himself on behalf of
His “church”.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we immediately find the
“standard” by which “husbands” are to “love”
their “wives”. God knows women need to know they are
“loved”, and this desire is constant on their behalf.
Jesus “loves” His church, and because He does, the
“church” has no problem “submitting” to Him. Perhaps
if “husbands” would heed the guidance of Paul, “wives”
would love to be their “under-girding”.
Next
time Paul shares what Jesus does for His “church”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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