Daily Bible Nugget #189, Ephesians 5:25-27

The Nugget:

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

My Comment:

The Scriptures are designed for cleansing the heart. Paul writes that Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. He did that in order to sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. It is the Word of God we now have in the Bible by which cleansing is accomplished as we read it, believe it, and obey it. Christ is working towards the goal that he might present the church to himself as a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle. He intends that his church should be holy and without blemish.

Holiness is absolutely essential for salvation according to Hebrews 12:14. There is much mistaken teaching about these matters. In the Greek text of the New Testament it is a striking fact that though the Greek language possesses a future tense form for the verb “to make holy,” the future tense of this verb is never once used in the New Testament. This reflects the doctrinal fact that the Bible teaches that we must possess holiness in this life. Most teachers today teach that we become holy after death, and not until then. That is a seriously mistaken teaching.

The mistaken teaching is based upon a false theory of the central Bible doctrine of the Atonement of Christ. Most Bible teachers teach the Penal Atonement Theory, that Christ paid the penalty for our sin by being punished for our sin while on the cross. These teachers teach that Jesus was our substitute. They teach that when we believe on Christ then his righteousness is imputed to us. All these things, very widely taught, are utter errors and falsehoods. These falsehoods are continuously spread by all currently available English translations (except Young’s Literal Translation) which are worded so as to support the Penal Atonement Theory. The translations are wrong because they fail to represent accurately in English the truths that are plainly there in the Greek text they are translating.

For example, they fail to translate the subjunctive mood, which is present even in John 3:16. It is present all over. It is present in John 6:37, 44, 65. The subjunctive mood marks the presence of a contingency–a promise is given–but that promise is absolute only for those who meet the conditions stipulated in the context, the immediately surrounding verses.

The blood of Christ does much more for us than what most Bible teachers are presenting as supposed Gospel truth. The blood of Christ is stated in the New Testament to have power to remove sin. The blood of Christ has a power and effectiveness far greater than the blood of sacrificial animals in the Old Testament record. Hebrews 10:4 tells us that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:4, 11). In contrast, the blood of Christ has the power to remove sins now in this life (1 John 1:8). To deny that the blood of Christ now has the power to remove sin is to relegate the blood of Christ to the level of the blood of the Levitical sacrifices which left the worshiper still in sin.

These truths and their significance are hard to grasp because they run counter to everything we hear or read. I trust you will at least understand that the blood of Christ has much more power than we give it credit and that holiness and purity of heart are both possible and required in this life. These are not effects in our life that we somehow work up by our own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-10). Yet, this is not a passive process on our part (Philippians 2:12, 13). They are the result of regenerative change (Titus 3:5) brought about by the Holy Spirit when we truly place our faith in Christ. They are the result of the transformative change that takes place in our life when we become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). They are the result of the fruit of the Spirit wrought in our lives by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Our salvation is the provision of God made possible by the death of Christ in Priestly-Sacrificial Atonement, a provision made unstintingly by God for all without exception, the “world” specified in John 3:16 and 1 John 2:2 (where “propitiation” should be translated “atonement”). The Bible absolutely does not teach limited atonement! The provision is for all. The benefit is made available to those who will believe the true Gospel–that is a major contingency or requirement which must be met to obtain the benefit promised. It is through the Word of God in the Bible that we are made clean as we read, believe, and obey it, because the Holy Spirit works to this end in our life as we do so.

For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:

(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1367 for Ephesians 5:25-27.

(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1387 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Ephesians 5:25-27.

(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:

Ephesians 5:25. Husbands. 1 Cor 14:35. love your wives. ver. Ep 5:28, 33. +*Ge 2:24. 24:67. 26:7. Ru 4:10. 2 S 12:3. Pr 5:18, 19. Pr 31:10. Ec 3:8. SS 1:11. 2:6. 4:7. 1 Cor 7:33. *Col 3:19. *1 P 3:7. loved. ver. +*Ep 5:2, 29. Ep 3:19. Ps 16:3. Is 54:5. 62:4. Ho 2:16, 19. Mt 12:50. 20:28. 25:1. Lk 5:34. 22:19, 20. Jn 3:29. 6:51. 11:36. 13:1. +*Ac 20:28. Ro 8:37. Ga 1:4. **Ga 2:20. 2 Th 2:16. **1 Tim 2:6. 1 P 1:18-21. 1 J 3:16. +*Re 1:5. *Re 5:9. the church. Mt 16:18. Re 12:1x. 21:2x. gave himself. or, gave Himself up (LNT). Gave Himself up translates paredōken, an indicative mood verb, which confirms the reality of the action. In ver. Ep 5:26, might make her holy translates hagiasē, a subjunctive mood verb which shows the action is not taking place, but is potential, objectively possible. The point is that the Atonement and its benefits are two different things; contrary to the Penal satisfactionists—that Christ’s death results in irresistible, unconditional salvation. The Atonement is an unconditional act of God which renders all men savable, but in and of itself saves no one. The Holy Spirit inspired the use of the subjunctive to show that the benefits of the Atonement are of a conditional nature (cf. Titus 2:14; He 13:12; 1 P 3:18) [LNT, fn w]. ver. Ep 5:2, 23. Le 8:22. 9:12. Mt 1:21. Jn 18:8. +Ro 4:25. *1 Tim 2:5, 6. Titus 2:14. 1 J 3:5. 5:6.

Ephesians 5:26. That he. *Jn 17:17-19. +*Ac 26:18. *1 Cor 6:11. *Titus 2:14. *He 9:14. *He 10:10. *1 P 1:2. *Jude 1:1. might sanctify. or, might make her holy (LNT). Gr. hagiazō [(S#37g), to make holy (L-N 88.26): Mt 6:9g (Hallowed). Mt 23:17g, 19g. Lk 11:2g. Jn 10:36g. **Jn 17:17g, 19g. *Ac 20:32g. *Ac 26:18g. Ro 15:16g. 1 Cor 1:2g. *1 Cor 6:11g. *1 Cor 7:14g. 1 Tim 4:5g. 2 Tim 2:21g. He 2:11g. 9:13g. *He 10:10g, 14g, 29g. 13:12g. *1 P 3:15g. *Jude 1:1g. Re 22:11g (be holy)]. Might make her holy translates hagiasē, an aorist active subjunctive. When we have a work of the Holy Spirit in mind, to make holy is a transformational experience, not a mere setting apart as under the Law (LNT, fn x). 2 Ch 29:5. Ezk 37:28. Jn 17:19. 1 C 1:2, 30. +*1 Th 4:3. He 10:14. 12:10. 13:12. and cleanse. or, having cleansed. Gr. katharizō (S#2511g, Mt 8:2). Having cleansed translates katharisas, to cleanse, i.e., the removal of impurities from whatever is cleansed. The Holy Spirit cleanses the believer from the fallen nature in Adam: Adamic nature, carnality, sin nature, in which we were conceived (Ps 51:5; Compare Ep 1:4, 7, 13 and notes). It is significant to note that when an aspect of salvation is in mind, katharizō (S#2511g, Mt 8:2) is always used of the cleansing work of the believer; when the sinner is saved from sin, dikaioō (S#1344g, Ro 8:30) is always used (LNT, fn y). Le 14:7. 16:30. Nu 19:19. Ezk 36:25. 37:23. Ml 3:3. Jn 2:6n. Titus 2:14g (purify). +2 P 1:9. *1 J 1:7, **1 J 1:9. with the washing. or, by the laver. Gr. loutron, *S#3067g, only here and Titus 3:5g. FS22M. The laver is put for Christ’s death and its results. Compare Nu 19:9, 17. Has nothing to do with baptism (CB). Washing of water is a picture, illustration, of the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, and has nothing to do with ceremonial water baptism. The washing is real, transformational, and life-giving; this is water of eternal life (Compare Jn 4:10; 7:38, 39) [LNT, fn z]. =Ex 29:4. =Ex 30:18. Le 8:6. **Nu 19:9, 17. 2 K 5:13, 14n. +*Ps 51:7. Ezk 16:9. *Ezk 36:25. Zc 13:1. *Jn 3:5. 13:5, 8, 10. +*Ac 22:16. +*1 Cor 6:11. *Titus 3:5-7. +*He 10:22. *1 P 3:21. *1 J 5:6. Re 7:14. of water. Nu 31:23. Dt 23:11. Jn 19:34. 1 P 3:20. by the word. Gr. rhēma (S#4487g), Mk 9:32n. With a rhema or spoken word, is distinct from the written word. Rhema, the spoken word, is a reference to God’s intention, purpose, or promise (compare Jl 2:28; Ezk 36:26, 27). The Holy Spirit makes the believer holy as in wholly (1 Th 5:23, 24), and enables us to live accordingly (LNT, fn a). Ep 6:17. **Ps 119:9. *+Jn 15:3. 17:17. +Ro 10:8, 9. He 6:5. **He 11:3n. *James 1:18. *1 P 1:22, 23.

Ephesians 5:27. present. Gr. peristēmi (S#3936g, Mt 26:53). +Ep 1:4. Ge 2:22. 24:47, 67. Le 14:11. =Nu 3:6. Ps 45:9, 11. 68:13. Pr 31:29. SS 1:8. 2:14. 6:4, 10. *Ro 12:1. *2 Cor 4:14. *2 Cor 11:2. *Col 1:22, 28. *Jude 1:24. it. or, himself. glorious. Gr. endoxos (S#1741g). =2 Ch 5:1. Ps 45:13. *Ps 87:3. SS 1:5. *Is 60:15-20. *Is 62:3. Je 33:9. Lk 7:25g (gorgeously). Lk 13:17g (glorious things). Jn 17:22. 1 Cor 4:10g (honourable). 2 Th 1:10. *He 12:22-24. *Re 7:9-17. 19:7, 8. *Re 21:10-26. church. ver. Ep 5:23. +*1 C 12:13. Re 19:8. not having spot. or, blemish. Gr. spilos (S#4996g). +Le 1:3. 14:7. *SS 4:7. 5:2. 6:9. 1 Tim 6:14. *He 9:14. *1 P 1:19. %2 P 2:13g. *2 P 3:14. or wrinkle. Jb 16:8. but. FS15G, Ge +35:3. +*Ep 1:4. *2 Cor 11:2. *Col 1:22, 28. **1 Th 5:23. **Jude 1:24. *Re 21:10, 11, 27. 22:11. without blemish. or, faultless. Gr. amōmos (S#299g, Ep 1:4). +Ep 1:4. +Le 1:3. 4:32. 8:22n. 22:19. 2 S 14:25. Da 1:4. Ac 3:26. Ro 8:4. 1 Cor 1:8. Phil 1:10. 2:15. *1 Th 3:13. He 12:10. *Re 14:5. 19:8.