This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Ephesians 5:32
What does Ephesians 5:32 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Ephesians 5:32
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Paul isn't just using marriage as a metaphor; he's revealing that this profound, hidden truth—the deep union between Christ and His Church—is the real "great mystery" that the marriage bond was designed to foreshadow. The passage emphasizes that this spiritual connection, far exceeding human relationships, is the ultimate meaning behind the sacredness of marriage.
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul has been drawing parallels between the loving relationship of a husband and wife and the relationship between Christ and the Church, urging husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. He then quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to be joined to his wife, becoming one flesh, and reveals that this profound union is a "great mystery" pointing directly to the deep, spiritual connection between Christ and His Church.
The apostle Paul uses the intimate union of marriage as a powerful illustration. But what happens when the illustration points to something far greater?
Paul uses the analogy of marriage – a man leaving his parents to cleave to his wife, becoming one flesh – to describe a relationship. However, he clarifies that this analogy isn't about human marriage itself being the ultimate symbol. Instead, he explicitly states, 'I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.' This shifts the focus from the earthly union to the heavenly one. While marriage is a beautiful picture, the reality it points to – the profound, unbreakable bond between Christ and His people – is the true 'great mystery.' This isn't just about a strong affection, but a deep, spiritual oneness.
The word 'mystery' in the Bible doesn't mean something we can never understand. So, what does it mean here, and why is it so 'great'?
The Greek word translated as 'mystery' here refers to a truth that was previously hidden or unknown, but has now been revealed by God. It’s not something the human mind could figure out on its own; it requires divine revelation. Paul calls this union between Christ and the church a 'great mystery' because it’s a profound, divine reality that was not obvious until God unveiled it. It speaks to an incredible depth of connection: Christ giving His life, becoming one with His people, and indwelling them through His Spirit. This truth is foundational to our faith and understanding of God's redemptive plan.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
mystērion · Greek Noun
A truth that was previously hidden or not fully revealed in the Old Testament but is now made known by God through the New Testament revelation, specifically concerning His redemptive purposes.
Christos · Greek Proper Noun
The anointed Savior and King, the Head of the church, who gave Himself up for her as the ultimate model of sacrificial, covenantal love.
ekklēsia · Greek Noun
The body of believers called out by God, characterized as the bride of Christ, united to Him through faith and belonging entirely to Him.
This verse is directly quoted and alluded to in Ephesians 5, forming the foundation of the marital union that Paul then reinterprets as a symbol of Christ and the Church's union.
Song of Solomon 4:7This passage beautifully portrays the beloved's complete purity and desirability to the lover, mirroring the perfect and cherished nature of the Church in Christ's eyes.
John 17:21-23Jesus prays for the unity of believers with each other and with Him, echoing the profound oneness Paul describes as a mystery between Christ and the Church.
1 Corinthians 6:17This verse highlights the inseparable union of believers with Christ, stating 'he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him,' which strongly parallels the mystery described in Ephesians.
Revelation 19:7-9This passage describes the marriage supper of the Lamb, offering a future vision of the consummation of the union between Christ and the Church, fulfilling the mystery Paul unfolds.
vincentEphesians 5:32: "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
A great mysteryGreat is predicative, not attributive. Rev., correctly, this mystery is great. The reference in this mystery is to the preceding statement of the conjugal relation of the Church with Christ, typified by the human marriage relation.Concerning Christ and the ChurchRev., in regard of (εἰς). Not calling your attention to the mere human relationship, but to the mysterious relation between Christ…
barnesEphesians 5:32: "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
This is a great mystery - The Latin Vulgate translates this, "sacramentum hoc magnum est" - "this is a great sacrament" - and this is the proof, I suppose, and the only proof adduced by the papists that marriage is a "sacrament." But the original here conveys no such idea. The word "mystery" - μυστήριον mustērion - means something which is concealed, hidden, before unknown; something into which one must…
Paul isn't just using marriage as a metaphor; he's revealing that this profound, hidden truth—the deep union between Christ and His Church—is the real "great mystery" that the marriage bond was designed to foreshadow. The passage emphasizes that this spiritual connection, far exceeding human relationships, is the ultimate meaning behind the sacredness of marriage.
Paul has been drawing parallels between the loving relationship of a husband and wife and the relationship between Christ and the Church, urging husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. He then quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to be joined to his wife, becoming one flesh, and reveals that this profound union is a "great mystery" pointing directly to the deep, spiritual connection between Christ and His Church.
Paul has been drawing parallels between the loving relationship of a husband and wife and the relationship between Christ and the Church, urging husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. He then quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to be joined to his wife, becoming one flesh, and reveals that this profound union is a "great mystery" pointing directly to the deep, spiritual connection between Christ and His Church.
"This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." — Paul isn't just using marriage as a metaphor; he's revealing that this profound, hidden truth—the deep union between Christ and His Church—is the real "great mystery" that the marriage bond was des…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026