SUBJECT:  Marriage

QUESTION:  Ephesians 5 talks about marriage.  What is the meaning of these scriptures?

ANSWER:

Marriage and the Concept of One Flesh

Have you ever wondered what the Spiritual symbolism is behind male and female, sex and marriage?  It has to do with Jesus Christ and the church and our individually becoming “one flesh” or One Spirit with Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians Paul talks about a mystery concerning Jesus Christ and the church.  The commentaries state that he exhausts the language, using every word and metaphor to get across just what the mystery is.  After using one metaphor, he uses the metaphor of the Body to make it clear and finally uses the metaphor of marriage in Ephesians 5.  For years, ministers would refer to Ephesians 5 in their sermons about marriage, but Ephesians 5 is NOT talking about marriage!  IT IS TALKING ABOUT THE MYSTERY!!!  In fact, if the minister is attempting to describe the best marriage possible by using those verses in chapter 5 and fails to discuss the “mystery” he will have failed (partially) because those verses about marriage are being used to describe that mystery.  If, however, the minister talks about and reveals the mystery of Jesus Christ and the Church, then we can have that truth reflect back upon the verses discussing marriage.  I gave a sermon at the Feast of Tabernacles on this very “mystery”.  Notice what the verses are saying…

Ephesians 5:28-32

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Men ought to love their wives as their own flesh for we are (verse 30) members of the body of Christ, HIS FLESH and HIS BONES.  Then verse 31 says that men are to be joined to the wife (in sex) so that the two become one flesh.  We are to become one flesh in our marriage just like the Oneness of Jesus Christ and the church (the bride and firstfruits) and by extension just like the Oneness of Jesus Christ and God, the Father.

So the mystery is this:  If you want the best marriage possible, BOTH husband and wife must EACH become just like Jesus Christ!!

Do you see it?  The whole idea behind marriage and male and female is to give us a physical model of a Spiritual relationship….Kinship. Verse 30 again---we, male and female in one-flesh marriage are of His flesh.  This model WILL NOT BE NEEDED once we attain that which the model points to, namely ONENESS OF SPIRIT BETWEEN US AND GOD.

See our Bible study:  “The Spiritual Side of Sex and Marriage.”  Go to the main page of the Audio Bible Studies and scroll down to the study.  http://www.icgchurches.org/Portland_OR/Bible_Studies/Audio_Bible_Studies_homepage.shtml