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GENERAL AUDIENCE OF 4 AUGUST 1982
During the general audience on Wednesday afternoon of 4 August, the Holy Father gave the following address.
1. During our talk last Wednesday I quoted the fifth chapter of the Letter to
the Ephesians (vv. 22-25). Now after an introductory glance at this classic
text, one should examine the way in which this passage—so
important both for the mystery of the Church and of the sacramental character of
marriage—is
situated in the immediate context of the whole letter.
While realizing that there are a number of problems discussed among biblical
scholars as regards the authorship, the date of composition, and those to whom
the letter was addressed, one must note that the Letter to the Ephesians has a
very significant structure. The author begins this letter by presenting the
eternal plan of the salvation of man in Jesus Christ.
"God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...has chosen us in him that we
should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons
through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his
glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to
the riches of his grace...as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things
in him..." (Eph 1:3, 4-7, 10).
The author of the Letter to the Ephesians, after having presented in words full
of gratitude the plan which, from eternity, is in God, and at a certain time is
already fulfilled in the life of humanity, beseeches the Lord that men
(and directly those to whom the letter is addressed) may fully know Christ as
head: "He has made him the head over all things for the Church, which is
his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all" (1:22-23).
Sinful humanity is called to a new life in Christ, in which the pagans and the
Hebrews should join together as in a temple (cf. 2:11-21). The Apostle preaches
the mystery of Christ among the pagans, to whom he especially addresses himself
in his letter, bending "the knee before the Father" and asking him to
grant them "according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with
might through his Spirit in the inner man" (3:14, 16).
Vocation flowing from the divine plan
2. After this profound and moving revelation of Christ in the Church, in the
second part of the letter the author passes to more detailed instructions. These
are aimed at defining the Christian life as a vocation flowing from the divine
plan, which we have previously spoken of, namely, from the mystery of Christ in
the Church. Here also the author touches various questions which are always
valid for the Christian life. He makes an exhortation for the preservation of
unity, underlining at the same time that this unity is constructed on the
multiplicity and diversity of Christ's gifts. To each one is given a different
gift, but all, as Christians, must "put on the new nature created after the
likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" (4:24). To this is
linked the categorical summons to overcome vices and to acquire the virtues
corresponding to the vocation which all have obtained through Christ (cf.
4:25-32). The author writes: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved
children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us...in
sacrifice" (5:1-2).
Condemns pagan abuses
3. In the fifth chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians these directives
become more detailed. The author severely condemns pagan abuses, writing:
"For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as
children of light" (5:8). And then: "Therefore do not be foolish but
understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine [referring
to the book of Proverbs 23:31]...but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to
the Lord with all your heart" (5:17-19). The author of the letter wishes to
illustrate in these words the climate of spiritual life which should animate
every Christian community. At this point he then goes on to consider the
domestic community, namely, the family. He writes: "Be filled with the
Spirit...always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to God the Father. Be subject to one another out of reverence for
Christ" (5:20-21). Thus we enter precisely into that passage of the letter
which will be the theme of our special analysis. We might easily observe that
the essential content of this classic text appears at the meeting of the two
principal guidelines of the entire Letter to the Ephesians: the first, that of
the mystery of Christ which, as the expression of the divine plan for the
salvation of man, is realized in the Church; the second, that of the Christian
vocation as the model of life of the baptized individual, and of the single
communities, corresponding to the mystery of Christ, or to the divine plan for
the salvation of man.
4. In the immediate context of the passage quoted, the author of the letter
seeks to explain in what way the Christian vocation thus understood should be
realized and manifested in the relations between all members of the family;
therefore, not merely between the husband and wife (treated of precisely in the
passage of 5:21-33 which we have chosen), but also between parents and children.
The author writes: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is
right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a
promise) that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord" (6:1-4). Following that, he speaks
of the duty of servants in regard to their masters and, vice versa, of masters
in regard to servants, that is, in regard to the slaves (cf. 6:5-9). This is to
be referred also to the directives concerning the family in the broad sense. The
family, indeed, comprised not only the parents and children (according to the
succession of generations), but included also in the wide sense, the servants or
slaves of both sexes.
Moral obligations
5. Thus, then, the text of the Letter to the Ephesians which we proposed as
the object of a deeper analysis is found in the immediate context of the
teaching on the moral obligations of the family society (the so-called "Haustaflen"
or domestic codes according to Luther's definition). We find similar
instructions also in other letters (e.g., in Colossians 3:18-24, and in First
Peter 2:13; 3:7). Moreover, this immediate context forms part of our passage,
inasmuch as the classic text which we have chosen treats of the reciprocal
duties of husbands and wives. However, one must note that per se the
passage of the Letter to the Ephesians 5:21-33 deals exclusively with married
couples and marriage, and what regards the family also in the broad sense is
already found in the context. First, however, before undertaking a more detailed
analysis of the text, it should be added that the whole letter ends with a
stupendous encouragement to the spiritual battle (cf. 6:10-20), with brief
recommendations (cf. 6:21-22) and with a final farewell (cf. 6:23-24). That call
to the spiritual battle seems to be based logically on the line of argument of
the entire letter. It is the explicit fulfillment of its principal guidelines.
Having thus before our eyes the overall structure of the entire Letter to the
Ephesians, we shall seek in the first analysis to clarify the meaning of the
words: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ" (5:21),
addressed to husbands and to wives.
Taken from: L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO - English Edition -- Reprinted with Permission -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana - The Holy See