Ephesians 5:32
This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul is emphatically clarifying that the "great mystery" isn't marriage itself, but the profound, spiritual union between Christ and the church, which marriage simply illustrates. He's drawing our attention from the earthly resemblance to the heavenly reality, emphasizing that this divine connection is what truly holds the mystery and depth.
Paul has been explaining how husbands should love their wives, drawing parallels to Christ's love for the church. He quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to become one flesh with his wife, then immediately pivots to say this union is a profound mystery, specifically pointing to the spiritual oneness between Christ and His church.
Paul uses the intimate relationship of marriage to point to something even greater. But he's clear: the earthly union is just a hint, not the real deal.
Paul is drawing an analogy, using the deep connection between a husband and wife to illustrate a spiritual truth. He explicitly states that his focus isn't on marriage itself, but on what it represents. The ancient world, and even some modern interpretations, can get bogged down in the earthly details, but Paul redirects our gaze.
Paul calls this mystery 'profound' – something hidden and not easily understood apart from divine revelation. It's a truth that demands our awe and a willingness to be taught.
The word 'mystery' here doesn't mean something completely unknowable, but rather something that was once hidden and is now revealed by God. It’s a divine secret, unveiled for us to comprehend.
Understand the original words
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 the foundational Old Testament passage Paul alludes to when he speaks of a man leaving his parents to cleave to his wife and becoming one flesh. It establishes the original blueprint for marital union, which Paul then expounds upon as a type of Christ and the Church.
Song of Solomon 4:7-12This poetic book beautifully portrays the deep intimacy and affection between the lover (representing Christ) and his beloved (representing the Church). It gives us a glimpse into the 'mystery' of love and union described in Ephesians 5, highlighting beauty, desire, and exclusive devotion.
Isaiah 54:5-6This prophetic passage explicitly states, 'Your Maker is your husband,' identifying God as the husband of Israel. This imagery of God's covenantal relationship with His people foreshadows and amplifies the profound marital union Paul describes between Christ and the Church.
Jeremiah 31:31-32This prophecy speaks of a 'new covenant' where God's law will be written on His people's hearts, and He will be their God and they will be His people. This new covenant relationship is the spiritual reality that underpins and enables the profound union between Christ and the Church that Paul describes.
Revelation 19:7-9vincentEphesians 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 is emphatically clarifying that the "great mystery" isn't marriage itself, but the profound, spiritual union between Christ and the church, which marriage simply illustrates. He's drawing our attention from the earthly resemblance to the heavenly reality, emphasizing that this divine connection is what truly holds the mystery and depth.
Paul has been explaining how husbands should love their wives, drawing parallels to Christ's love for the church. He quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to become one flesh with his wife, then immediately pivots to say this union is a profound mystery, specifically pointing to the spiritual oneness between Christ and His church.
Paul has been explaining how husbands should love their wives, drawing parallels to Christ's love for the church. He quotes Genesis about a man leaving his parents to become one flesh with his wife, then immediately pivots to say this union is a profound mystery, specifically pointing to the spiritual oneness between Christ and His church.
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This eschatological vision depicts the 'marriage supper of the Lamb,' showing the ultimate consummation of the union between Christ and His Church. It reveals the glorious future fulfillment of the profound mystery Paul discusses, where Christ and His bride are eternally one.
"This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." — Paul is emphatically clarifying that the "great mystery" isn't marriage itself, but the profound, spiritual union between Christ and the church, which marriage simply illustrates. He's drawing our at…
