The One-Flesh Mega-Mystery

‘The One-Flesh Mega-Mystery’

I. Institution of One Flesh/Marriage

Gen 2:21: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Gen 2:23 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.

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  

II. Instruction for One Flesh/Marriage  

Mat 19:4 And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 

Mat 19:5 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?

Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together,

 let not man put asunder. 

III. Intimacy of One Flesh/Marriage 

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body.

Eph 5:24 Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in

 every thing.

Eph 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.

Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself.

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord

 the church:

Eph 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.

Eph 5:31 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.

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery [Mega-Mystery]: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife

see that she reverence [fear] her husband.

     Ephesians 5:32 records the only time the word Mystery is modified by the adjective Mega in the entire New Testament. Paul underlines the significance of the one-flesh union between husband and wife by utilizing this compound Greek term showing that God has given a special relationship between a man and his wife when the relationship is conducted in Biblical principle.

     This requires the wife to realize her great opportunity of being in the position of servant under the authority of her husband just as the Lord Jesus Christ was Servant to the Father performing His will! Lest this may sound like 21^st century male chauvinism, consider the relationship of Sarah and Abraham as described in I Peter 3:4-6:

“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling Him lord[master]: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement [terror].”

Notice:

1.      The Attitude of Sarah: Meek and quiet, calling Abraham lord/master

2.      The Focus of Sarah: Trusting in God [Her faith was in God as she served God under her husband]

3.      The Actions of Sarah: Full submission to God under Abraham’s authority

     Sarah exercising the Holy Spirit-filled attitude of meekness put her faith in God knowing that He was responsible for the results. Her trust was in God having experienced the loving leadership of her husband she understood that her attitude and actions were the key to fulfilling the will of God for their lives.

     The wife having the position of influence has the greater opportunity for reward by serving God in faith, or serving herself in the flesh. Even though the husband has the position of God-given authority, the wife has the position of influence for as a servant she can make or break the relationship depending on how she decides to respond and conduct her life attitude/actions.

     This is why Paul called the husband-wife relationship a Mega-Mystery! When there is intimate submission and love interacting between the two there is an intermingling abiding which provides great communion similar to the Father and the Son for as one-flesh their combined spiritual relationship affords great intimacy/insight into the kingdom of God as they serve one another doing the will of God!

     The Lord opened my eyes to these truths over (28) years ago not long after I was saved. I was resting on the couch in the living room of our ‘cabin-home’ in the mountains of central PA, and, as I was communing with the Lord He began giving me answers to prayer through the conversation of my wife who was in the kitchen!

     I was astounded as this continued for quite some time…I would pray having meditated on the Word of God asking for answers and at the very moment my wife Betsy would unknowingly respond with the answer…and all I could say as I laid there with my mouth wide open…It’s the Lord! She was providing immediate answers to prayer! Now that is a Mega-Mystery! One-flesh...One person...One unit working together!

     I realize that one man’s experience does not prove very much to someone else, but, the Mega-Mystery the Apostle Paul spoke of here in Ephesians 5:32 definitely contains more than I can explain, and just as Paul inferred, this is something that he did not fully understand! Now Paul was not a married man so his understanding of this Mega-Mystery was limited as he described here in Ephesians.

     Sarah and Abraham must have experienced this type of relationship which caused Sarah to recognize that God was actively working in and through them when she called Abraham ‘lord’. When seeking the Lord’s will the best person to listen to is your wife/husband…even if your one-flesh relationship does not appear to be producing supernatural results!

     However, the power of love and submission between two God-ordained people is the key to realizing all that the Lord has in store for the husband and wife. This ‘great mystery’ can only be understood as the husband and wife are under the authority of our loving God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ! It truly is amazing and most miraculous what submission to God’s ordained authority can do!

Chaplain LEWolfe www.btmi.org I-85 Exit 35 SC McPilot
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