Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:22-33

Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, nothing has lifted up women more than Christianity. Rather than a source of oppression, it has been their great liberation. Rather than a phase along the way toward some vague equality, Christianity has placed women at their highest possible apex of life. Ancient Jewish culture treated women better than pagan cultures. But even in the Jewish community, men, according to some rabbis, could divorce their wives on a whim. Women were considered property and were not considered trustworthy enough to offer testimony in a trial. It was worse in Greek culture. A wife’s role was to have a legitimate heir for her husband and to raise that heir. For pleasure a man was expected to visit prostitutes; for companionship he was to have a concubine; and his wife was to never be seen, heard, or bothered with. Roman society was worse. It was said women were “married to be divorced and divorced to be married.” One woman married and divorced eight times in five years. Powerful men could compel a couple to divorce so he could marry the woman. Cicero divorced his wife so that he could marry a younger woman, who was wealthy, in order to take her wealth to pay his debts. Since the fall, the wickedness of man seeking to satisfy his lust has used women, in and out of marriage, as objects.

Christianity has changed that. It did not elevate women to some kind of political-economic equality based on a rivalry between the sexes. Rather, it set women up to be the objects of holy affection and care. The equality of women before God was never doubted in Christianity. There is a presumption of equality and, at the same time, presumed uniqueness in the roles of women and men. The focus on inequality in pay is indicative of our world’s enslavement to money and our mistaken association of wealth with worth. Rather than a means of economic production or cost, a husband is to view his wife as someone whom he elevates to holy living (v. 16), someone to whom he gives life providing emotional, spiritual, and physical nourishment (v. 29), and one for whom he would give up all and become one with her and then care for this unique singularity (v. 31). 

The problem is not that the Christian view of marriage and sexuality has been tried and has failed. The problem is that it has been found hard, difficult, and demanding, and so we have opted for a lesser option. The effort required to achieve a gold medal is so high that some are satisfied playing intramurals. The effort for the gold standard of Christian marriage is high, so we often settle for one that might be vaguely Christian but not so demanding. There is no better system for marriage and family than a Christian marriage.

“Lord, thank You for the high value of all of Your daughters. AMEN”