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Selected Verse: Ephesians 5:32 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Eph 5:32 |
King James |
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Rather, "This mystery is a great one." This profound truth, beyond man's power of discovering, but now revealed, namely, of the spiritual union of Christ and the Church, represented by the marriage union, is a great one, of deep import. See on Eph 5:30. So "mystery" is used of a divine truth not to be discovered save by revelation of God (Rom 11:25; Co1 15:51). The Vulgate wrongly translates, "This is a great sacrament," which is made the plea by the Romish Church (in spite of the blunder having been long ago exposed by their own commentators, CAJETAN and ESTIUS) for making marriage a sacrament; it is plain not marriage in general, but that of Christ and the Church, is what is pronounced to be a "great mystery," as the words following prove, "I [emphatic] say it in regard to Christ and to the Church" (so the Greek is best translated). "I, while I quote these words out of Scripture, use them in a higher sense" [CONYBEARE and HOWSON]. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
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 be "initiated" or instructed before he can understand it. It does not mean that it is "incomprehensible" when it is disclosed, but that hitherto it has been kept secret. When disclosed it may be as intelligible as any other truth; see the word explained in the notes on Eph 1:9. Here it means simply, that there was much about the union of the Redeemer with his people, resembling the marriage connection, which was not obvious, except to those who were instructed; which was obscure to those who were not initiated; which they did not understand who had not been "taught." It does not mean that no one could understand it, but that it pertained to the class of truths into which it was necessary for one to be "initiated" in order to comprehend them. The truth that was so great a mystery was, that the eternal Son of God should form such an union with people; that he should take them into a connection with himself, implying an ardor of attachment, and a strength of affection superior to even that which exists in the marriage relation. This was a great and profound truth, to understand which, it was necessary to receive instruction. No one would have understood it without a revelation; no one understands it now except they who are taught of God.
But I speak concerning Christ and the church - This, it seems to me, is an explicit disclaimer of any intention to be understood as affirming that the marriage contract was designed to be a "type" of the union of the Redeemer and his people. The apostle says expressly, that his remarks do not refer to "marriage at all" when he speaks of the mystery. They refer "solely" to the union of the Redeemer and his people. How strange and unwarranted, therefore, are all the comments of expositors on this passage designed to explain marriage as "a mysterious type" of the union of Christ and the church! If people would allow the apostle to speak for himself, and not force on him sentiments which he expressly disclaims, the world would be saved from such insipid allegories as Macknight and others have derived from this passage. The Bible is a book of sense; and the time will come, it is hoped, when, freed from all such allegorizing expositions, it will commend itself to the good sense of mankind. Marriage is an important, a holy, a noble, a pure institution, altogether worthy of God; but it does not thence follow that marriage was designed to be a type of the union between Christ and the church, and it is certain that the apostle Paul meant; to teach no such thing. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
bride
(Eph 5:30); (Eph 5:31) are quoted from (Gen 2:23); (Gen 2:24), and exclude the interpretation that the reference is to the church merely as the body of Christ. Eve, taken from Adam's body, was truly "bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh," but she was also his wife, united to him in a relation which makes of "twain. . . One flesh", (Mat 19:5); (Mat 19:6), and so a clear type of the church as bride of Christ. (Co2 11:2); (Co2 11:3). The bride types are:
Eve (Gen 2:23); (Gen 2:24).
Rebecca (See Scofield) - (Gen 24:1).
Asenath (See Scofield) - (Gen 41:45).
(See Scofield) - (Gen 37:2).
Zipporah (Exo 2:21); (See Scofield) - (Hos 2:2).
mystery
(See Scofield) - (Mat 13:11). |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
A great mystery
Great 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 Church
Rev., in regard of (εἰς). Not calling your attention to the mere human relationship, but to the mysterious relation between Christ and His Church, of which that is a mere semblance. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
This is a great mystery - Το μυστηριον τουτο μεγα εστιν· This mystery is great. Sacramentum hoc magnum est; this sacrament is great. - Vulgate. And on the evidence of this version the Church of Rome has made matrimony a sacrament, which, as they use it, is no meaning of the original. By mystery, here, we may understand a natural thing by which some spiritual matter is signified, which signification the Spirit of God alone can give. So, here, the creation and union of Adam and Eve, were intended, in the design of God, to point out the union of Christ and the Church: a union the most important that can be conceived; and therefore the apostle calls it a great mystery. See the observations at the end of this chapter, (Eph 5:33 (note)). |
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.