The last words of Ephesians 5:21 are:

`Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God'.

The opening words of the new section are:

`Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord'.

We are evidently embarking upon an application of the teaching of verse

21, and therefore must remember that while the wives are here told specifically

to submit to their own husbands, it is only a working-out of that spirit that

reverences Christ and submits to whatever He shall lay upon us.  Further, the

submission of the wife to the husband is `as unto the Lord', and this spirit

runs throughout the sixfold command.  Before tracing this through the section

before us, let us seek an understanding of the word `submit', for unless we

understand a command our obedience will not be of a very high order.

The word translated `submit' is hupotasso, and is used in Ephesians as

`And hath put all things under His feet' (1:22).

`Submitting yourselves one to another' (5:21).

`Wives, submit yourselves' (5:22).

`As the church is subject unto Christ' (5:24).

Tasso properly means to set in order, as in Luke 7:8.  In the passive it

carries the idea of `being disposed' (Acts 13:48) as opposed to `judging oneself

not worthy' as in Acts 13:46.

Taxis indicates order, arrangement (1 Cor. 14:40; Col. 2:5).  Without

multiplying examples, it will be seen that the idea of submission in Ephesians 5

is not one of a humiliating or servile description, but of recognizing the

Lordship of Christ and so to be willing for the lowest or the highest place as

He shall will.  It will be seen that the husband who acts in his position as

`head of the wife' is as submissive to the will of the Lord as is the wife who

sets forth the relative position of the church.  Both attitudes are honourable

and necessary.

When we remember that the first occurrence of the word hupotasso is Luke

2:51, which refers to the Lord in His childhood `and came to Nazareth, and was

subject unto them (His parents)', surely the last shred of rebellion must vanish

as we realize what that submission involved.

A

Eph. 5:22-24.

Wives submit, as the church to Christ.

B

Eph. 5:25-33.

Husbands love, as Christ the church.

A

Eph. 6:1-3.

Children obey in the Lord.

B

Eph. 6:4.

Fathers train in nurture of the Lord.

A

Eph. 6:5-8.  Slaves obey, as unto Christ.

B

Eph. 6:9.

Masters do the same, for you have a Master in heaven.