Respect and Honor

Paul lays the groundwork for relationships in Ephesians 5. The Ephesian believers’ reverence for Christ should shape how they relate to one another (Ephesians 5:21). In the Greco-Roman world, it is rare to acknowledge women because they are treated as a commodity. Paul chooses not only to acknowledge them but to show honor by addressing the wives in the community first, inviting them into a countercultural conversation. He calls wives to respect their husbands in the same way they respect Christ (Ephesians 5:33), which reflects the gospel in how they honor and encourage them...