Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."
Text: Ephesians 5:33
NEVERTHELESS
This word translated “nevertheless” (“plen”) was effectively used by Paul for a couple of purposes:-
1. It signaled the end of his discussion on the subject of the Christian marriage
The text in Ephesians however is not the only place where Paul dealt with the issue of marriage. (In his letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul dealt with other aspects. In 1 Corinthians 7 he dealt with the single state, marriage, separation, possible divorce etc).
2. This particle is used normally, to draw attention to what follows
It is likely that many questions had been brought to the attention of the apostle Paul concerning the married state, as far as Christians were concerned. And in this short passage he had given some attention to these basic issues that would form a good foundation for marriage. It was now time to draw this discussion to a close.
ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONS
How did Paul encourage his readers to establish good foundations for their marriage? Let us consider the following thoughts:-
1. Laying a Biblical foundation
Paul cited the Old Testament Scriptures for good reason. Let us consider some of these reasons:-
a) Authority
Paul’s authority was not from personal experience. His source was far better than that. The authority he drew upon was the Author of the Scriptures, the Lord Himself.
b) Wisdom
Paul cited the ancient text of the Book of Genesis on purpose. He wanted his readers to know that the wisdom of his advice was drawn from a well-proven text. This word he gave had been tested through millennia and had proven its worth to all who understood and applied its truth.
2. Taking up the challenge of laying a Biblical Foundation personally
Paul could advise. He could reason from the Scriptures. He could give sound words of admonition. But at the end of the day, his readers must make up their mind to lay these foundations personally.
If foundations were not laid personally, and if they were not laid well, then the marriage would suffer. But if the foundations were carefully laid, and great efforts were made to build on these foundations, then the Christian family would be wonderfully blessed.